Amy

I actually learned how to start an IV this week! I went to the college on Wednesday and my aunt was able to help me get all my supplies together and start an IV. I used a stimulation adult arm to learn the skill and I was able to successfully start a saline drip. The first part of the process was to set up all my supplies and saline drip. I first set out my tape and gauze so it was ready to go when I needed it. Next I set up my saline bag and tubing. Once I had that all set in place, I had to set my drip rate. I'm not going to lie, this was probably the hardest part. I had to watch the clock for 15 seconds and adjust it until I had five drops every 15 seconds. After that was set, I locked it in place and hung the tubing on the rack.  Next, I was able to begin the injection process. I applied a tourniquet above the area where I would place the IV. I then placed the needle in the vein and pushed in the catheter, removing the needle. Then I taped it so it wouldn't move

This was not a very productive week for me. I spent the week in Helena aiding for a representative, so I was so busy doing that and not necessarily my homework. I was, however, able to sit in on a bill about nursing in the Business and Labor hearing committee, and that was very interesting. Being gone for an entire week really got me off schedule and I wasn't able to accomplish all that I wanted to, but I hope to get back on track this next week. I watched a few videos on injections and learned some handy techniques that I can use. There are many things a nurse can do to make the injection process easier, but I think it all depends on the nurse and what they are comfortable with. One video I watched showed an animation of the needle going through the different skin and muscle layers and I think that was very helpful to associate the types of injections and where they go.   I also was able to watch a simulation lab and see how those simulations work. The lab was fun to watch and

I have been having a great time this week going to the classes and reading up on the medical sciences. I can't believe how much I am learning, but if it is something you really enjoy you are more likely to learn more than something you don't enjoy. Even though its been busy for me, I am glad I am able to find enough time to work on my project. So far this week, I have learned about the legal rights of nurses and patients, which is really interesting. One thing I learned is that when you are a nurse, you need to chart every detail about everything you do with a patient in order to prevent any lawsuits. This is not only to protect  yourself, but to also protect coworkers and the hospital.  I have also learned about how drugs work in you nervous system. This is very interesting for me especially since I am learning about the nervous system in A&P. Its great to see how these classes are overlapping and it is really beneficial. I am really excited about how much I am lea

Retractable needle This has been another productive week for me and I am very excited about it! I have started to learn about how to decide what patients need in certain conditions and more about injections. This week I took on intramuscular and z-track injections. An intramuscular injection is just simply an injection in the muscle, commonly given in the upper arm. A z-track is a special type of intramuscular injection usually given in the upper thigh. The difference is that when you give a z-track you displace the tissue by pulling the skin to the side and then insert the needle. When you do this, it keeps the medication deep in the muscle and prevents it from resurfacing to the skin. Another difference is that when you z-track, you must aspirate to insure you have not hit a blood vessel.  Safety needle I also was able to figure out how to use different types of needles and syringes. One syringe I used would retract the needle when you pushed hard enough on the plu

I have good news, I am actually accomplishing things! I have been learning a lot about pharmacology and diseases and it has been really fun. I have also started to learn how to do some injections and everything involved in the whole process. I wasn't planning to do injections so soon, but it has ended up being easier to learn the pharmacology along with my injections so I can understand more about both. Subcutaneous injections simulation I have something to admit, learning the Greek and Latin roots is going to help me a lot! Sitting in the lectures, I am able to figure out what some words mean before most of the nursing students do. I never realized how many words I can figure out by using the roots until I sat in the lectures. One word I figured out was tachycardia which is a fast heat rate. I felt very accomplished knowing that I could figure out those words without having to read them in a textbook. Ampule used for some medication.  I have been learning subcutaneous

This week I been learning so much! I ended up doing a Career Pathway this semester at MCC where I can sit in the nursing classes and skills labs. The first classes I went to were really interesting and they have made me really excited to learn more about this career. Everyone in the program is really nice and helpful towards me and it is nice to make some friends in the nursing program. My first lecture I attended was Pharmacology. I now have the book to keep up with the lectures and I have enjoyed looking through the book. I have read trough the chapter about the different injections and I now have an idea as to what I will be doing. Along with the text book I have a study guide so I can check to see how well I am learning. I have been looking at the math involved with medicine and I have come to realize that much of the math is the same as the math I have learned in chemistry. I think that this will make the learning process much easier for me since I have done the same kind of