Well, am at work for the next 36 hours, hope everyone is safe in Elko...

just watched Dear John, what a good movie in my opinion. I wonder how many men left their hearts behind in the States only to have it mailed back to them during their tour. So sad...

I am tired, its way too late to be up blogging, but wanted to put a few words down. Everyone be safe!
Oh yeah, Nick did very well with his first track meet. Second place I believe. I am happy for him.

Things are finally happening...

Tooth #2 is gone.

Stuff at work is crazy. I can't believe we are probably gonna move to 48hr shifts. It is gonna be tough on the kids.

What does everyone think of this online diary? It is weird writing this stuff down for all to read.

2-15-10
My little boy lost his first tooth today. I can't believe it. Then he lost said tooth and then my sister found it again. Hilarious. What a day. Four EMS calls before 4 p.m. And even that much is less than what is happening at the house. Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

2-12-10

Daily blog...on my way to Reno. I am sitting in the passenger seat thinking about things. Yesterday I posted a paper that I had to write for an education class. The topic is about the reasons I would want to be a teacher.

Part of being a nurse is dealing with patient education, just as I discussed in the paper. It’s real easy to have someone’s undivided attention in the back of an ambulance. For about 5 minutes you can see the look of true remorse in someone’s eyes. The “Why didn’t I stop smoking”, or “Why didn’t I got to the doctor when the pain started,” or my favorite, “I really meant to kill myself. Now that I have your attention, I want you to suffer with me.” That’s when patient teaching can be the most effective. Or it should be.

But after that quick 5-15 minute ride in the ambulance when you have taught all you can teach to your willing patient, what happens next? Is there follow through? The nursing process teaches us nurses that patient education starts from the moment the patients become patients. I was blessed with a wonderful teaching staff where I received my nursing degree. It was drilled into our minds. Accountability. I love that word. Some people today have forgotten that the word even exists. But in that short transport time in the back of the ambulance, patients suddenly realize it. Ahhh, the power of the lights and sirens. Have a great day!

2-11-10

Worker, student, mother, facilitator, activist, teacher. These are some of my roles I play many times a day.

Ten years ago, when I decided to go into the field of nursing, I wanted to help people. Medicine has always come very naturally to me. My father was an EMT, my grandfather was a doctor, and most of the cousins on my father’s side are in the Emergency Medical Services field in some way or another. So, I guess you could say I was born to do it.

Over the years however, I have decided on two things about my current profession. The first is, I hate getting up in the middle of the night! And don’t get me started about winter time AND getting up at night!

The second thing I have realized is that I love teaching my patients. In nursing it is called preventative maintenance. We deal with ‘nursing care plans’ daily in our professions with emphasis on patient education. How can we make their lives easier? How do we educate our patients after a heart attack or about the do’s and don’ts pertaining to coronary artery bypass graft surgery? As nurses, we have to take into account how our patients lived in the past before an event, how they will live after, and how receptive they might be to making that huge change in their lives that is ultimately inevitable.

I recently won full custody of my fourteen year old son who is a freshman at Elko High School. I became a mother to a pubescent teenage boy overnight. What a wake up call. And the questions are non-stop! My whole career I have had to deal with adults and cater to their educational needs with patient teaching. Now I have a teenage boy, and his friends, asking me about things and I find that if I speak to them as I have my patients in the past, they have no idea what I am talking about. Frustrating to say the very least.

I am now tailoring these ‘teaching sessions’ to teenagers and I actually find it very rewarding. These kids are so receptive to the information that I am talking about and it is like a breath of fresh air. Try teaching the sixty year old emphysemic patient that smoking is bad for him/her. Everyone knows it is bad, but we do it anyway. We, as adults, have already learned that there is a consequence (good or bad) to every action we make. Children, in my opinion, need to be taught this. And what better way than through education. Promoting an environment in which consequences are not just seen as negative, instilling trust among our youth, and lending an ear when needed are just a few of the goals I wish to accomplish when I become a teacher.

I am a very strong, goal oriented individual who strives on structure and the never ending question of ‘why?’. I have to believe that through education, whether it be with patients or my future students, people can learn to become individuals, to know that they are in charge of their own destinies, and above all, that they never have to settle in life. Teachers today are the gateway to our childrens’ tomorrows and if the enthusiasm I have for my life can be just a little bit contagious for all those that care to listen to me, I have to believe the world would be better for it.