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I feel my blood pressure rise as final exams approach. Never before have I had to work so hard to achieve a 70% on an essay or assignment. This only adds to the anxiety of finals. I must say that my experience in my first semester of university in the nursing program was very humbling. In high school I would achieve marks in the 80's and 90's without breaking a sweat. In massage therapy school, although it was difficult at times, I still managed to achieve 80's and 90's with minimal studying for exams. But this is an experience like no other. I've never cried because of school stress before, but I must admit that I shed some tears first month of school! Nonetheless, I am getting fair marks entering exams, and I find that the stress is motivational- Eustress! WOW! I just demonstrated applied knowledge :) It is my pushing force. I am finally being challenged and it is such a different experience. It was quite overwhelming at first, but looking back at it now, it was actually quite refreshing.
I got myself into this, so I'm going to get myself out of it- with a degree in my hand!
As mentioned in my previous blog, I currently work as a Registered Massage Therapist. I have been in this profession for five years, and still love what I do. So why am I in the nursing program you ask? Simply put, my body won't be able to sustain the amount of effort needed to perform numerous massages a day for much longer. Most massage therapists, on average, last approximately seven to ten years, so technically speaking, I'm in the middle of my career. Over the past five years, I have acquired chronic wrist, elbow, and shoulder pain, in addition to my hyper-mobile (overly flexible) joints, which sometimes cause soreness in my hands. I have also subluxed (dislocated) my rib during treatment once.
I will admit that my poor body mechanics have contributed significantly to my injuries. As the years have passed, my posture during treatment has slacked, and I have developed bad habits. Also, I always put off getting treatment myself, when I felt an injury developing.
Knowing what I know now, I will DEFINITELY be more conscientious of my body mechanics as a nurse. I will also take better care of myself and go for treatment when my body feels sore, and manage stress in therapeutic ways. I hope this will be my first and last career change, as I hope to be a nurse for many years.
For as long as I can remember, I've always had a fascination with mental disorders. The idea that chemical imbalances, traumatic experiences, drug use, and genetics can alter a person's behaviour and sense of reality always amazed me. My heart always went out to those who were affected personally, or by a family member, as I have witnessed some friends go through depression and mental issues.
As I approach hospital placement in January, I question myself as to what aspect of nursing I see myself in the future.
I was speaking to my best friend, who is a Registered Nurse, and I asked her about her experience when she worked with the mentally ill. As she explained the things she saw and heard, and the people she treated and their conditions, she peaked my interest. She then blurted out to me, "I think you'd be great in mental health and addiction." I asked her why she thought that, and she replied, "because you've always had the ability to understand people. You never judge people, and you've always been a great listener." This gave me validation to the direction I have always wanted to take. And with this, I now have a better understanding of who I want to be and who I want to work with and help as a nurse. As I continue this journey through school, I will definitely keep my options open, but I do feel that mental health or psychiatric nursing is where I want to be. Will this change over the next three and a half years? I'll keep you posted!
The use of technology within nursing has benefited the profession in a number of ways. With the use of technology, nurses can monitor a patient's status with the patient staying home. This can be very useful for immobile or disabled patients, or for patients who do not live in close proximity to their health care centre. Technology has also improved nurse- client communication. With systems such as buzzers, light signals, and audio equipment, the nurse can tend to a client's needs in a timelier manner. Some hospitals are also equipped with pagers, script writer beepers, and touch screen apparatus that enable clients who have difficulty speaking with a means of being "heard".
Technology has also provided a way for nurses and colleagues to communicate. Previous pen and paper methods proved to be problematic at times. Organization, illegible writing, and use of abbreviations were a few issues that hindered nurses from performing their duties. The use of technology provided a mainstream language for medical recording and data input.
As some may fear technology may one day make nursing obsolete, they must realize that the care and relationships built between client and nurse can never be replaced by technology. So do not fear, fellow colleagues, there will always be a place for us.
