Clean Slates

Today was my second day working in the skills lab at the local junior lab. It is very interesting. We have the assortment of students- those that have experience (broken into categories of course), and those that don't. Into the experience categories are the real and fictional. (HA HA HA.) It is pretty funny to see it actually. They watch at video and tend to think it is experience. I love it. there are some though that really do have experience, and it is nice to work with these. I really like working with the students that are clean slates.

The students that are clean slates are awesome. I realize I have the ability help shape the next generation of nurses. I LOVE the fact I can help in some minuscule way teach something I have learned. These men and women (some boys and girls it seems), just look at me in AWE, and hooked on EVERY word I say. It is INSANE.

We have been practicing morning care (brushing teeth, bed baths, changing linens), biomechanics (transferring patients, hoyer lifts, wheelchairs, etc.), vital signs (blood pressures, etc.)

Sounds simple, huh???????? hee hee hee.

Well, one day when two poor students looked me with panic in their eyes when they couldn't figure out if they were suppose to brush the dentures in their hand up and down or side to side.....I realized it didn't really seem simple to the poor students that had not one stitch of medical training prior to the start of this semester. They asked me how I do it....and honestly I couldn't help it...I said "well, I don't have dentures.."HEE HEE HEE. No really first I said "What does your book say??" B/C they have to go by the book....then I said go up and down and side to side to make sure they are clean. GOOD GRAVY- uh, does it MATTER?? just make sure they are clean...but I didn't want to say that....ha ha ha ha.

We did a lot of blood pressures today and was a kick. They have fake arms that you can set the blood pressures and pulses on it..and use a dual stethoscope to hear what the student does...and they have to take the B/P. It is funny to see how STRESSED OUT they get about it.

I supposed I would get stressed out too if I said "okay, you put it on the arm, and you look, and the needle...and the 'cy-liss-tol-ic' number is top beat and the dy-liss-lol-ic number is the bottom is the bottom number right? uh, how do you get the numbers again??......I couldn't help but smile. Honestly. I mean they DO BUY BOOKS- and I mean they are supposed to watch a video before coming to lab..and DEAR GOD do they not watch ER or House????

Help me.