Happy Nurse's Week!

In honor of the profession I thought it fitting that I should write something. Actually, May 8th is Student Nurse's Day - that is kind of nice that they acknowledge us students :) My college had a special morning program for the nursing students. It was mostly for the day students, I think I was actually the only evening student there. So that made it kind of strange to look around at a room of mostly girls, and I do mean girls, that will be my peers very soon. Most of them looked to be around 20 years old, wow. I don't think I could've done this when I was 20, so kudos to them!
They showed a video from Johnson & Johnson that had patients talking about the nurses who made a difference when they were in the hospital. It was really sweet & a little knot formed in the back of my throat. The speaker was a CRNA, MSN, PhD who specializes in hypnotherapy. It was kind of neat. Some of it sounded a lot like positive thinking tools, but if you think about it, patients in the hospital could use some extra positive thinking. One of the things he said was when you go into a patient's room, we always ask "How is your pain today?" He said that the word 'pain' conjures up all sorts of images in their mind & even if they didn't have pain they try to think if anything in their body hurts, etc. Basically, that we are suggesting that they 'should' have pain. Rather, he said to ask "How comfortable are you?" That the power of suggestion would help them. Even just simply suggesting that they are looking better then when you saw them on your last shift, would somehow improve their outcome. Pretty neat, I will give it a try. One thing that he did mention that was surprising was that it actually states in the PA Scope of Nursing Handbook that nurses can use hypnotherapy. I guess if we can use it might as well know how!
On another note, as I was watching my favorite shows last night, Grey's Anatomy & ER, I was trying to follow all the medical lingo as usual. Not so much with GA because that is more drama than medical. Mostly with ER, there was a girl/guy who came in with hepatic encephalopathy. I just learned that about 6 months ago & for the life of me could not remember all the details. The asterixis, decreased clotting times, that was slightly familiar, but it made me nervous! How will I ever prepare for the NCLEX?!
So amidst all the joys and celebration of graduation I still have a tough road ahead. After graduation I have to hit the books hard to remember skeletal traction, fetal heart rates, GI disorders, cardiac meds, transesophageal fistulas, renal failure, cancers, etc....