So what’s changed in 1 short month?

*I can no longer listen to iTunes on random…unless I want to hear AC/DC followed by a pharmacology lecture on antimicrobials.
*I talk to myself while riding my bike to school… the nursing process, functions of the skin, proper assessment technique, etc.
*I’ve found I study better in the morning, so my alarm is constantly set for 5:07am…everyday.
*I make a mean cup of coffee, because I couldn’t afford buying the amount I   drink.
*Dysphasia is NOT the same as dysphagia.

Exactly 1 month after the first day of school, we finished our first class; Health Assessment. I know, I can’t believe it either. After one month we learned how to assess a patient, look for skin abnormalities, level of consciousness, assess eyes, ears, muscles and reflexes and auscultate for heart and lung sounds… not to mention all the underlying conditions some of these assessments might indicate.  A month ago I would have been completely lost talking about this stuff. Apparently business school doesn’t teach you everything you’ll ever need to know.

I am really enjoying the diversity in our cohort. 43 women and the “cinco de mayo” (5 guys of the May cohort)…all different ages, backgrounds, beliefs and skills are coming together and working towards a common goal. Each person brings a unique perspective to our group. As I began the program I didn’t know a single person, now I find myself meeting groups at coffee shops at 5:30am, playing “soccer quiz” during lunch or discussing the male GU system over a Saturday afternoon BBQ.  I couldn’t be more thankful for the friends I’ve made in this short month, and for the friendships that will form over the year. 

In the park after class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting to know each other

 

As for Denver… Kate and I love it! Kate got a job to hold her over as she searches for open teaching positions, so I don’t feel quite as bad about being gone most of the day. We still find time for picnics in the park, exploring the city and trying new churches. It’s been sunny nearly everyday for the last couple weeks. We can ride our bikes everywhere, and people are generally… happy! The only time I wear long pants is when visiting the assisted living home.

This brings me to The Gardens at St. Elizabeth. We are required to spend 12 hours volunteering at a service-learning site. Initially I wasn’t too excited to add this to my to-do list, but I think I can speak for everyone and say that it really does feel more like a privilege than a requirement. I have been fortunate enough to share some memorable experiences with elderly residents. From a “90 years-old and better” birthday party, to a trip to Wal-Mart, to setting up a wheelchair-accessible mini golf course in the supervised living wing, the interactions with the residents have been special and memorable. 

 

Having fun serving the residents

I think it’s safe to say I’ve studied more in this one month than I did in four years to earn my bachelor’s degree. Not because I slacked off back then, but because this program demands the absolute best of its students. It’s hard work, but never once have I regretted my decision to pursue nursing! 

Convocation ceremony

Read Full Post »

March 2010: Almost There

I can’t believe it but graduation is just around the corner! We just completed Med/Surg II and Senior Practicum is all that remains. 180 hours of one-on-one teaching with a preceptor in one focused area. I am so excited to say that my hard work has paid off and I have my practicum in the NICU of The Children’s Hospital. And after speaking to other classmates I think it’s safe to say that they are very satisfied with their placements as well. These next few weeks are going to be a preview to what it’s like in the real nursing world working full time. I can’t wait and then, before we know it, one year will have passed and it’ll be time for graduation!

Urvi and friends

A Colorado mountain scene

Read Full Post »

Peer Mentoring Program: January 2010

Just before I was about to start at Regis University, I was very fortunate to have been placed in contact with a recent graduate of the same program. This really helped me get better settled into an intense curriculum and career change. I found this to be an invaluable resource that some students in my cohort did not have and this prompted me to start-up a peer-mentoring program for the cohorts of the Accelerated BSN program. The program establishes partnerships in which incoming nursing students are paired with current students who serve as resources.

A few weeks ago, the January cohort had their orientation. A couple of my classmates did an awesome job at helping to ‘sell’ the mentoring program and almost the entire class signed up! Contacts have been established and in a few weeks we will also be having a Q & A session in which participants of the program will have a chance to meet each other and discuss some of the common topics that arise amongst accelerated nursing students.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how all of this works out. I hope these relationships help make more of the already amazing nursing school experience but also, it gives us an opportunity to get to know people in another group.

Read Full Post »

Appalachia… Part 2/2: January 2010

Nine days in West Virginia came and went so quickly. With the holidays and time off from school, I have had some time to think about the overwhelming experience gained from the service trip. The trip to rural West Virginia was eye opening; we were introduced to several organizations, listened to many different speakers, and were inundated with the many issues the region faces. I won’t go into the details of the trip because I would be writing forever! However, I will share with you what our group did and just touch on the many issues we were made aware of.

The trip was coordinated with Wheeling Jesuit University and activities were set up with organizations and churches. Through ABLE Families (http://www.ablefamilies.org/) in Mingo County, our group participated in a discussion on maternal and infant health with community based health outreach workers (MIHOW – http://www.mihow.org/). Additionally, we worked with local Head Start programs, made elderly care home visits, and participated in ABLE Families’ own afterschool program. In the town of Wheeling, we worked with the Laughlin Memorial Chapel (http://www.laughlinchapel.org/) and Catholic Neighborhood Center in preparing for and participating in a Christmas party for the afterschool program kids. Also, we helped sort through truckloads of food donations to prepare Christmas food baskets. Finally, in New Martinsville, we worked with Open Door Ministries to help prepare a Christmas meal for 500 individuals and also worked with additional Head Start programs.

We also heard from a handful of speakers. Eriks Janelsins, the Director of the Schrader Environmental Education Center at the Oglebay Institute (http://www.oionline.com/) spoke to us about West Virginia’s unique and invaluable environment and geography. Nick Getzen, a researcher for a local law firm, spoke to us about the legal and environmental aspects of the coal mining industry. In particular, he discussed the case he is currently researching involving hazardous contamination of water supply as a result of the coal extraction. Bill Richardson, an associate professor at West Virginia University, spoke to us about Appalachian history, culture, the economy and the promising potential of a tourism industry. Finally, Ray Renaud, of the Wetzel County Action Group (http://www.wcag-wv.org/), spoke to us on how members of the community can come together to effectively lobby for economic development that does not negatively impact the safety, economic interests, and quality of life of Wetzel County citizens.

Our trip was packed with service and learning opportunities. West Virginia and the Appalachian region hold an immense amount of history and culture that is directly tied to the land and environment. Yet, this region contains some of our nation’s poorest counties. The industries that drive its economy, primarily coal and natural gas extraction, are having detrimental effects on the people and environment. Some methods of coal extraction and processing are causing structural damage to homes, making the land unstable, contributing to flooding, and leading to a hazardous local water supply containing radioactive substances and heavy metals. The region is faced with issues of all kinds such as health, social and economic.

So what makes all of this so overwhelming? Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for the problems this region faces. Our country is largely dependent on the extraction of these natural resources for energy despite its negative environmental impact. The economy of the Appalachian region relies on the very industry that creates the multitude of issues for its people. And when we consider the limited number of these resources, this is really everyone’s problem. One hasty decision positively affecting one cause could create a negative impact on another. At first glance, the situation seems insurmountable. Yet, when visiting this area I was humbled by the types of “small” efforts that were taking place at the community level with grassroots organizations. With organizations like the ones mentioned above, effective changes are occurring. However, these efforts need to be fueled by increased awareness and support. One way our group hopes to do this is by presenting a seminar for students, faculty, administrators, and other members of our community here in Denver. I encourage you to learn more about West Virginia and the Appalachian region.

Read Full Post »

Appalachia… Part 1/2: December 2009

More than a year before I started this program, I was placed in contact with a past Regis Accelerated BSN student. We sat down to talk about the program and the university, and at the time, I had no idea that this conversation would lead me to choosing Regis over other programs. The student and I shared a similar background. We had both attended the large, research oriented University of California, San Diego for our undergraduate education. We both majored in degrees of hard science, yet we felt we had not acquired a skill that could improve our ability to provide help for communities in need.

The term “service learning” was entirely new to me, but the concept was not. The student shared with me the details of her intercultural service trip to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. She also shared with me her efforts to advocate for additional cultural immersion experiences to be offered to the Regis Accelerated BSN students. My desire to choose a nursing career was fueled by this passion for service, and my decision to attend Regis University was supported by the program’s emphasis on service learning.

Only upon starting the program and listening to a presentation of the Wind River experience did I learn that no such opportunity was offered to the May cohort. From that moment, our cohort had aggressively advocated for an intercultural service trip to be offered to the May cohort. I am so thrilled to say that our voices were heard and a group of us will actually be going on such a trip in one week!

For nine days, eleven students and two faculty will be participating in an intercultural service immersion to rural West Virginia in the Appalachian region. Some of the counties in this region are of the most impoverished in the United States. We have been spending several weeks in preparation with seminars and research exposing us to Appalachian culture, health disparities, and other issues affecting the region. Among the many objectives for our trip, our group will work with several local service organizations, including A.B.L.E. Families (http://www.ablefamilies.org/). Through this organization, we will provide training to health outreach workers on topics regarding maternal and infant health in order to offer this health education in a community-based format. In preparation, our group has been developing content for these topics to present during training sessions. Additionally, we have been receiving a number of donations to assemble personal hygiene kits to include items of basic needs that many individuals in this region cannot afford.

Our group is anxiously awaiting this trip. Part 2/2 will be written in a couple of weeks after I return!

Students of the Appalachian Intercultural Service Experience (May Accelerated BSN Cohert)

Read Full Post »

Pediatrics: November 2009

I am currently doing my pediatrics clinical for NR442: Nursing Care of Children and Their Families. I have been looking forward to this clinical because of my interest in child-care and was lucky enough to get placed at The Children’s Hospital (TCH). I say “lucky” because the bidding process for clinical placements is essentially a lottery to ensure fairness. My specific TCH clinical requires me to work on Saturday and Sunday, forcing me to better plan my week. However, when your clinical training is located where you one day hope to be employed, this isn’t really an inconvenience.

My placement is on a general medical/surgical unit. Honestly, when I first learned of my placement I was mildly disappointed because of my passion for newborn intensive care. However, this quickly turned into excitement because I realized I would be exposed to a wide range of conditions and diagnoses. This clinical has expanded my knowledge base tremendously and in two weeks I have been exposed to an array of pathophysiologies from failure-to-thrive to pyelonephritis to multiple sclerosis, to name a few. Furthermore, we get patients from 6 months of age all the way up to 17 years old. This really has challenged my understanding of developmental assessments and stages, as all nursing care must be tailored accordingly.

I only have one more week left in this clinical, making it feel like this experience has been too short. In this brief period of time, though, I have realized that there is a lot to learn in fields I didn’t previously consider. I am confident that the collective experiences I am receiving will contribute to my ultimate goal of newborn intensive care nursing.

Read Full Post »

Another Class Down! : November 2009

Another Class Down!

Community Health is officially over and as our professor would state many times, it was clearly “messy.” My clinical took place with the Schools in Urban Neighborhoods (S.U.N.) of Denver County. The S.U.N Schools are a group of private Catholic facilities that serve a variety of children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Many of the children attending the schools are from low-income, minority families and their tuition is paid for through a local charity, Seeds of Hope.

Our role as student nurses was to provide education to the children to promote good health. We taught topics such as smoking and tobacco prevention, hand-washing technique, nutrition and healthy eating habits, and dental hygiene. Also, these topics and more were addressed at a health fair for the eighth graders. I enjoyed this clinical for the immense amount of interaction it offered with the kids. However, it was incredibly time consuming because lesson plans had to be developed from scratch and catered to the wide range of developmental stages. Often times it was difficult to coordinate lesson plans with the teachers and planning and scheduling was pointless.

There were definite moments of frustration and therefore, I am relieved for this clinical to be over. However, I cannot deny the wonderful feedback we got from the kids. They absolutely loved us and were so eager to learn. After spending four weeks with them, they definitely got to know us and walking away with smiles, hugs, and high-fives has offered some consolation for the “messiness.”

Read Full Post »

Project Homeless Connect : October 2009

Operating through Denver’s Road Home and Mile High United Way for eight years, Project Homeless Connect is an event servicing the homeless and uninsured individuals of the Denver community. The one-day event offers services such as employment assistance, housing, haircuts, massages, legal services, and more! On October 9th at the Pepsi Center, Regis and the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions participated in the event by providing health care to hundreds of individuals.

For the first time, on October 9th, the event focused on families to address the increasing numbers of homeless families and children in the community. Students and faculty alike offered their time for this one-day to create health care access for these individuals. Several stations were set up to screen for vision, BMI, diabetes, blood pressure, and child development. Other stations were geared towards education regarding child safety, the flu, nutrition, and tobacco use. To complete the picture, nurse practitioners, dentists, and physical therapists were also on hand.

This was a wonderful experience for everyone. Events like this demonstrate alternative ways to provide health care access to underserved populations. Health care professionals have a tremendous ability to work with communities to address health needs by breaking down the barriers such as cost and access through a centralized event such as Project Homeless Connect.

Read Full Post »

October 2009

Time for fall…

I’ve spent all of my life in Southern California so I am very excited about being in a place with seasons. Last week my fiancé and I drove up into the mountains because we had heard the leaves were changing. It was so beautiful and we had such great weather. It really is feeling like we are in a new season and hopefully, it’ll last for a bit because I’m definitely nervous about winter!

Fall also means it’s time for Community Health! As of now, we’ve completed several courses including Care of the Adult and Care of the Childbearing Family. Up until now we have been highly focused on the individual or the family. Now, we have to shift gears and take upon a nursing role focusing on the community. Of course, we are still concerned about the individuals but they will now be considered in the context of the larger population or community in which they live. There’s a lot of learning ahead!

Read Full Post »

September 2009

We are currently in our NR441, Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family, clinical. In the years prepping for nursing school, I established quite the passion for newborns through a plethora of volunteer experiences and research projects. However, I quickly learned this to be only the foundation for what I would experience as a nursing student. It is one thing to gain an appreciation via observation and to watch on the sidelines, but it is a whole new world to actually provide care for these little ones.

Sounds obvious, I know, but this didn’t actually sink in until the recent days on the hospital floor. For the first time I’m able to apply the knowledge that has intrigued me over the years. Everything about it, from researching practice to educating families to changing diapers to sorting through the ethics, is absolutely humbling. It’s an experience that makes all the hard work during the program worth it.

Read Full Post »