Hypothermia... it does the body good.
I AM OFFICIALLY A GRADUATE! What a strange sentence to say.
On December 14th my graduating class at Sacramento State’s School of
Nursing had our pinning ceremony and the next day we walked in our cap and
gowns.
There has been so much excitement in the last few weeks that
I have barely had a chance to catch my breath. Only a few days after graduation
I completed an ACLS course, celebrated Christmas, applied for several jobs, and
went to Tahoe for New Year’s Eve. Now I am preparing to take my NCLEX on the 8th
of this month and continuing the job application process with the hopes of
finding something soon.
ACLS was a good refresher for me, reviewing skills I had not
used in a while. Although I was in ICU for my preceptorship, I did not have to
use much rhythm recognition during that time. In my advanced med/surg course
(which now seems like ages ago) I loved the EKG material. At that time I had
shifted my sights to a future in cardiac nursing, but hadn’t revisited the idea
much until recently. The ACLS course simplified the material into fairly simple
concepts that I will not soon forget: Symptomatic or not, fast or slow, pulse
or pulseless, regular or irregular, narrow or wide. Not much time had to be
wasted deciding between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Patient safety
was the bottom line and only a few principles were needed to intervene
effectively. Over the New Year celebration, my Tahoe trip made me think back to
ROSC or return of spontaneous circulation. If a patient is comatose or
non-responsive after return of a pulse, hypothermia protocols can be initiated
to decrease metabolic demands as the patient’s body returns to proper perfusion.
It was so cold in Tahoe (as low as 0 degrees F), that I felt as though my
metabolism had nearly stopped. I can see why hypothermia could be useful, but
for me, I’ll stay with the comforts of sunny California that I am familiar
with.
Now in my preparation for the NCLEX I am finding that a lot
of information seemed to stick during my last two years of school. I used to
put the textbooks on top of my head and hope that by diffusion the material
would be transported into my cerebral cortex. I guess it worked. This is
definitely a tip I will have to pass on to my colleagues still in nursing
school. A book as a pillow is the way to go!
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be called for an
interview at a hospital in my hometown of Stockton, CA. The interview won’t be
for another week and a half, but as each day inches closer I am more and more
excited. This is my first nursing interview, so I am going to do everything I
can to be mentally prepared. I think my NCLEX preparation during this same time
will be an extra advantage in the case of any clinical questions. I’ll keep my
fingers crossed, stay focused, and keep you updated on what happens!