Day Three

21/5/14
Today was much of a muchness really. Which is not to say it wasn't enjoyable, rather a consolidation of my basic practise skills.However the more I see, the more I realise I don't know. Two of the biggest gaps in my knowledge are conditions and medications. That's 90% of nursing I hear you shout! Well I roll my eyes at you. Of course that's a huge part but just in these last few days my focus has been more skill based, practising injections and such, and identifying and utilising the 'therapeutic relationship' stuff that seems like such garbage in class. The problem is not that I know nothing, in fact I am quite familiar with a good range of the medications I've come across, but that the more obscure ones all sound so bloody similar. Latin names for surgeries, abbreviations for conditions, and medications that could be in welsh for all I know. I have made it my own homework to become more familiar with such terms, but I do not fear. It will all come with time.
With that rant over all that's left is what was new today. I removed a cannula (IV line) after I was shown how to yesterday. Well yesterdays one was all very nice and simple. But this one, gosh it bled. Through no fault of mine I might add. Apparently it just happens sometimes. Or so they told me. After this woman had near haemorrhaged into my hands.. I jest of course, but honestly I had removed the cannula and stuck down the plaster, pressing down incase it bled. Lifted y hand off to check all was well and it bled making a smug wee bastard flower as it blossomed to the edges of the round plaster. Crisis averted with a firm grip and a flannel!
I also did another subcut injection which is pretty damn exciting. Especially as I asked the patient after if it was alright. She said she didn't feel a thing, unlike when the RN had done it yesterday!! Beam!