Saturday, December 8, 2012

Good Luck Chris!

My student from WKU finished his 120 hours of practicum today. He worked shifts from beginning to end with me. He got to assess patients and chart. Give medications. Go to codes with the staff and observe. He got to see procedures he may not get to see for a long time. He graduates next week and will likely be working 3B just down the hall. I started my career on 2E at the old hospital in 1978. Guess where 2E moved when we moved to the new building? That's right, 3B. It was a much bigger floor then though and the patient to nurse ratio was much higher back then. 3B had 32 patients then, now it has 24. We had 2 nurses and 3 techs on most 3-11 shifts. Some evenings we were lucky to have a third nurse. Now they have 5 or 6 patients to each RN. And they have 3 or 4 techs for the 24 where we had 3 for 32. Much improved over the years. Looking back, I don't know if I could do that now. Chris will be an excellent nurse and he can take care of my family any day. I should have put that on his evaluation. I love when students look for things to learn. Makes my day. I hope Ashley gets to do her next practicum with me. That would be cool!

I am also happy to be a charter and co-founding member of the South Central KY Chapter American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Our chapter was founded in the fall of 1986 by Lea Ann Cook and myself with the help of the charter members and officers. We held monthly meetings with the membership and also had monthly board meetings with just the officers and committee chairs. We provide educational opportunities for the nurses of our region on an every other month basis now. Currently, I serve as president. My term will expire in June. Even when we lived in MA for 3 years, I kept my membership dues paid. I love our chapter. Want to learn more about AACN? Go to www.aacn.org.

I think I was born to be a nurse. It was all I ever wanted to do. My parents helped me get through LPN school in 1978 right out of high school. I was young. Whew, was I young. I knew nothing outside of Edmonson County.... well there was Hart and Barren County. Didn't know much outside of the Mammoth Cave area though. I was blessed to be able to move to Bowling Green Warren County Hospital after spending 3 months working at Grayson Manor. I felt I needed more and had more to offer my patients than night shift at a nursing home. Night shift was rough. 


This was my favorite TV show in high school. I think Dixie McCall, Gage, DeSoto, Dr Brackett and Dr Early were some of my heroes  Don't laugh. I loved that show and tried to figure out what they meant when they said start IV with D5W. I thought it was cool. I also loved Medical Center with Dr Joe Gannon and Marcus Welby, MD. Remember Dr Kiley?

Memories! Love them!

Remember all those who have lost loved ones recently. Please add the Stice family to your prayers. Dr Brently Stice passed away. He leaves a young daughter who just lost her mother less than 2 years ago. Now her dad is gone. Please remember my Uncle Wade Childress, the Wolf and Priddy families too. Remember us. We will remember you.

Love all y'all!
To be continued.....




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