So I learned about vital signs this week. Such fun things they are. They take forever!!!
Vital signs consist of temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, O2 saturation, and pain.
Normal temperature range for an adult is 96.8 - 100.4
Normal pulse range for an adult is 60-100 beats per min
Normal respirations for an adult is 12-20 breaths per min. So you can never tell a person that you are taking their resps because they will change their breathing pattern. Try it!
Blood pressure for an adult needs to be less than 120 over less than 80. The sound that a nurse is listening for while taking blood pressure is called Karkaroff sounds. (Reminds me of Harry Potter). It's really hard to hear the sounds with lots of talking going on. Some peoples Karkaroff sounds are really loud and some are very soft. Sometimes a nurse can't even here the sounds. NEVER look at the needle bobbing for a blood pressure reading.
Oxygen saturation (which means, for all those out there who don't know what the heck I am talking about, how much O2 is attached to the hemoglobin the in the blood) needs to be 90% or higher. Preferably in the high 90s.
Pain 0-10 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain a person has ever felt. A fellow nursing student ask a guy what his pain was for the day and he answered 6. When she asked why he was in such pain he told her that his girlfriend just broke up with him. I thought that would have hurt a lot more!
Ya so that is all I have for now. sorry it's so boring, but that is all I have learned thus far.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Things I have learned...
The Health insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act of 1996. Whew! that was a mouthful. This Act basically tells the medical field that we can't do anything that will jeopardize our patients right to privacy. Enought about that what gets me is how much a person has to pay if he or she violates HIPAA.
Relasing Info knowingly: One year in jail and a $50,000 fine
Accessing health info under false pretenses: Five years in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Selling info with harmful intent: Ten years in jail and a $ 250,000 fine.
WOW!!!
Never want to violate HIPAA.
Relasing Info knowingly: One year in jail and a $50,000 fine
Accessing health info under false pretenses: Five years in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Selling info with harmful intent: Ten years in jail and a $ 250,000 fine.
WOW!!!
Never want to violate HIPAA.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Overwhelmed...
I thought my first semester at school was hard. Well it wasn't compared to the first two days of school I have just experienced.
Nursing 100A: This class doesn't seem that hard. I can retake the exams as many times as I want. Love that!
Nursing 100: Now this class is harder. So much material covered in class. Exams every week. Have to remember everything from this class forever. No pressure!
Nursing Lab: Wow! So many skills. Covered this week: bed pans, bed baths, catheters, hand washing, oral care, occupied bed making, peri care, PPE, and precautions.
Math 108: Assignments due every class period. Quizzes due after every class period. 5 exams
Psych 111: Quizzes due every Friday. 4 exams.
Rel 122: Reading journal due every class period. Research paper.
I am going to have absolutely no time for anything whatsoever. Eat, sleep, school is going to be my new motto.
My life is really over now.
Nursing 100A: This class doesn't seem that hard. I can retake the exams as many times as I want. Love that!
Nursing 100: Now this class is harder. So much material covered in class. Exams every week. Have to remember everything from this class forever. No pressure!
Nursing Lab: Wow! So many skills. Covered this week: bed pans, bed baths, catheters, hand washing, oral care, occupied bed making, peri care, PPE, and precautions.
Math 108: Assignments due every class period. Quizzes due after every class period. 5 exams
Psych 111: Quizzes due every Friday. 4 exams.
Rel 122: Reading journal due every class period. Research paper.
I am going to have absolutely no time for anything whatsoever. Eat, sleep, school is going to be my new motto.
My life is really over now.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Long...
I hate long things. Especially long classes, in which I know everything they are teaching me. Which on occasion happens from time to time. Like on April 13 when I attended a CPR class that was 4 hours long. 4 hours people! I have been CPR certified for the last 4 years as a lifeguard. CPR is forever engraved into my brain. It will never disappear no matter how hard I try to forget. Which is a good thing now I guess.
Now why do you ask was I sitting in a 4 hour class bored out of my mind? According to the Nursing department I needed to have American Heart "Health Care Provider" CPR instead of Red Cross. Well let me tell you something Nursing Department, CPR is the same everywhere! All the programs are the same. So why on earth did you make me pay money to take a class on things that I already knew? Why couldn't Red Cross be okay? Oh the frustration.
This monday I get to sit in another meeting, however, this meeting is going to be 6 hours long. It's a good thing that I have no idea what they (whoever they are) are going to be talking about. It's a mighty good thing I don't know.
So on to better and brighter things...
Ya I got nothing.
Now why do you ask was I sitting in a 4 hour class bored out of my mind? According to the Nursing department I needed to have American Heart "Health Care Provider" CPR instead of Red Cross. Well let me tell you something Nursing Department, CPR is the same everywhere! All the programs are the same. So why on earth did you make me pay money to take a class on things that I already knew? Why couldn't Red Cross be okay? Oh the frustration.
This monday I get to sit in another meeting, however, this meeting is going to be 6 hours long. It's a good thing that I have no idea what they (whoever they are) are going to be talking about. It's a mighty good thing I don't know.
So on to better and brighter things...
Ya I got nothing.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Beginnings...
Megan decided that I needed to have a blog and that I needed to write about all my adventures in the nursing program.
Waiting for something is the biggest pain in the world. I was told when I turned in my nursing application in October 2009 that I would know if I was in or not by the end of February beginning of March 2010. Well the end of February rolled around and I still didn't know then the 15 of March passed and I still hadn't received a phone call or anything in the mail. I was getting really impatient (mom was too). So I concluded that I would just give up on waiting. I was telling my mother the next morning my conclusion and I am not kidding just like 5 minutes later after I stopped talking to her I got a call from the nursing office. They told me to come and get a letter. I finished getting ready then rushed over to the office. I was in!!!
However, that was not all there was too it. First: I had to fill out an acceptance letter, second: I had to get American Heart CPR certified, third: they needed a copy of my vaccinations and fourth: I had to have a medical history form filled out with a check-up to the doctor. This was a lot easier said then done. Good thing I was going home.
2 weeks later I got another call, I had to go pick up another packet and it happened to be raining that day also. I didn't take an umbrella because the wind was blowing so hard there was no point in taking one. The walk to and from the Clarke was really long, very cold, and very wet. This second packet was full of information about which classes I needed to take to graduate and info on all the ridiculous amounts of money that I would be spending on books for class and my scrubs for clinicals. Who would have thought that books cost almost $1000 and scrubs cost around $200. Not me!
My life is offically over...
Waiting for something is the biggest pain in the world. I was told when I turned in my nursing application in October 2009 that I would know if I was in or not by the end of February beginning of March 2010. Well the end of February rolled around and I still didn't know then the 15 of March passed and I still hadn't received a phone call or anything in the mail. I was getting really impatient (mom was too). So I concluded that I would just give up on waiting. I was telling my mother the next morning my conclusion and I am not kidding just like 5 minutes later after I stopped talking to her I got a call from the nursing office. They told me to come and get a letter. I finished getting ready then rushed over to the office. I was in!!!
However, that was not all there was too it. First: I had to fill out an acceptance letter, second: I had to get American Heart CPR certified, third: they needed a copy of my vaccinations and fourth: I had to have a medical history form filled out with a check-up to the doctor. This was a lot easier said then done. Good thing I was going home.
2 weeks later I got another call, I had to go pick up another packet and it happened to be raining that day also. I didn't take an umbrella because the wind was blowing so hard there was no point in taking one. The walk to and from the Clarke was really long, very cold, and very wet. This second packet was full of information about which classes I needed to take to graduate and info on all the ridiculous amounts of money that I would be spending on books for class and my scrubs for clinicals. Who would have thought that books cost almost $1000 and scrubs cost around $200. Not me!
My life is offically over...
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