Starting IV's!!!

My first successful IV start! The fluid was dripping out of the tubing, which means I made it in the vein!! YEAH!

Perfection!!

That nurse (Kelley) looks a little eager to give an IM injection!!

Rachel starting an IV!

Flushing the line with normal saline

Well, we FINALLY got to practice starting IV's on our dummies! I made it in on the first try but I'm sure it will be a different story when I am doing it on a real person :) It was a fun lab though! Miss and love you all very much!

IV lab

What a great IV on my patient! Hooked up to their fluids and ready to go!!

Dang, that's a BIG needle!!

Drawing up my medication for my IM (intramuscular injection). OUCH...IM injections hurt!!

Taking Rachel's BP

A perfect 98.6

Well, IV lab was a bit of a dissapointment. Apparently, Belmont doesn't allow us to practice on each other so it wasn't as exciting as I anticipated! They just showed us how to do it on a video (lame). We did learn how to give IM injections which I dread ever giving to a patient because they are the ones that HURT!!! Love and miss you all.

Some serious Rascal Flatts fans!!

Whitney and I each had two phones so we could better our chances of winning the tickets!!

The moment truth.

So, I had been planning on trying to win front row, backstage pass tickets to the Rascal Flatts concert tomorrow night. I told Whitney I would take her if I won so she decided to join in on the fun. We sat and listened to radio during the specific time (which I only knew because I had to join the stinkin members club for the station to be able to win) and then called in when they played the clip. We sat and continued to hear busy signals on all four phones! After a few minutes we came to the sad realization that we weren't going to get the tickets. GOOD NEWS!!!! We randomly checked Craig's list after we didn't win and there was a new posting for two tickets in really good seats!!! Long story short, we got the tickets and ARE GOING TO SEE RASCAL FLATTS TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!!! It is a small venue for them to play at so it should be awesome. Another post will follow in the next few days to fill you on the show :)

Another lab on IV pumps....

Seriously, this was the last lab on IV bags and infusion pumps!! I know you all are probably tired of looking at pretty much the same pictures week after week :) Next week we learn how to start IV's so that should be interesting...

Lab....PLEASE READ MY ENTRY!!!!!

Programming my infusion pump

Hanging some IV fluids

Drawing my medication from a vial

Giving yet another injection



Me and Kelley!

Okay, so hope you enjoy the new lab pics! I want to briefly talk about my clinical today cause I got to do some cool stuff! My patient needed a blood transfusion (very common for cancer patients) and I got to hang the blood which I guess doesn't seem all that exciting but IT WAS!! It's a bit of a complicated process....especially since we had two other IV fluids infusing. I got to change all the tubing, spike the new bags, prime the lines, hook up the blood! I have done all that with IV fluids but it was pretty cool doing it with blood!! I also got to draw blood from a PICC line, which is an IV but it goes straight to the heart. It too was a little confusing but my RN, Dan walked me through the whole thing. The amazing thing was just realizing that I was drawing blood right from his heart!!! I had to slow down at one point to allow the chamber to fill up with more blood. I also gave po meds, insulin injection, flushed IV lines, etc. Anyways, thanks for reading about my exciting day at clinical- I know there will be many more to come this semester. I can't believe we are only two weeks in!!! Love and miss you all :)

Friends, cooking & homework!

What do nursing students do in their spare time? We put our hands in blood pressure cuffs and see how much we can pump them up!! That's me and Whitney. She's pumping and my hand is losing circulation!!

Studying away!!! That was a rough night.
Our delicious enchiladas!

Me and my cooking buddy, Rebecca!

Well, the semester is in full swing and getting crazier everyday! Clinical went wonderful on Friday- love my clinical instructor, love the floor we are on and our group is great! Gave an injection, hung IV fluids, gave lots of PO meds and can't wait to see what I get to do this week!! Missing you all tons, but time is already going by SO fast and I know I'll be home for Christmas before long :)

First lab of the semester!!

Measuring the amount of drops coming from the IV bag with the roller clamp

Hooking up my patient to the tubing!

Sarah working with her IV tubing!

Jamie giving an injection!

Another injection!!

That bubble just wouldn't get out!




Drawing up my medication

Rachel drawing up her medication

Our first lab was lots of fun....all about IV's. We learned how to use roller clamps and next week will learn how to use infusion pumps. New lab, new people. Rachel Smith is my fabulous new lab partner and Sarah and Jamie are also in lab with me. I think it will be a great semester :)