Saturday, October 14, 2006

First Nursing Experience

The very last of my final exams were held Wednesday afternoon and after that, I had to finish having my clearance signed so that I can fully enjoy my sem break, without having the hassles of going back to school just to have some faculty/staff sign it. For my very first sem break in college, I got to practice being a nurse in Asian Hospital. How lucky of me! haha. This was because my mom was confined Thursday for an operation she had to undergo on Friday. I was the one who stayed with her the whole time, acting as her private nurse for 48 hours straight. This may not be as easy as you think, guys... although I know it's nothing compared to the real deal which nurses go through. During those 48 hours, I probably had no more than 6 hours of sleep... and with those hours of sleep that I got, never was I in a full, deep state of rest/relaxation. This was because I had to be on constant alert for my mom. I needed to be extra sensitive to every little movement so that I could assist her in whatever she needs, even if it was at 2 or 3 in the morning. I now laugh at that thought as my mom mentioned to me how alert I was. She said that she was already moving really slowly (so that I wouldn't wake up) but still I would immediately sit upright and ask her what was it that she needed.
The thing I enjoyed most was observing the nurses (and doctors, too). I eagerly examined everything that they did.... injection, blood extractions, IV insertions, etc. Too bad I couldn't go in the OR to witness the operation itself. I actually even wanted to go around the whole hospital and observe things but something was stopping me. I was afraid that a nurse/doctor or any other hospital staff might call my attention. A few days back, I even asked Bea if she wanted to come with me so we could go see the hospitals in that area (we both love hospitals, which is why you would sometimes see us walking along the halls of LPDH during breaks) but unfortunately, she had to go to Laguna. Haaay...
Overall, I did enjoy staying in the hospital.... and the nurses assigned to us were kind. There was even this one nurse who sorta taught me how to take the BP using the sphygmomanometer. And, even tho I barely had enough rest, I am not complaining at all... I'm actually rather thankful. I see this experience as an opportunity to prepare myself for real hospital duties in the future....