So I have lived in Richmond since the end of January. Kinda feel like I've been here forever :) (I don't mean in a bad way.)
Alot has happened since my last update. My Certified Nursing Class finally started March 9th about a full month later than it was suppose to. They postponed it 2 or 3 times!! FINALLY they started it. I have an excellent instructor Vivian. She has 2 sets of initials after her name for all the education she's gotten with nursing. She's 2 years behind a doctor with all the education she has. She's great! Definately called to being a nurse. In the 70's she actually contracted HPV through blood, they didnt' wear gloves back then because they thought they were too expensive! She was sick for 15 months and was actually dying from it. One night she told God If it was His will to save her, she wanted to help alot of people. The next day instead of getting worse like she had the previous days she stayed the same. From then on out she started getting better and better until she was complety well! Yup she's found her destiny.
I did very well on the "book larnin' " part of it. I didn't really understand what an acclerated class meant until I took one. It means you have VERY LONG classes a few days a week for a few weeks. My classes were from 8am-2pm , with a few breaks.... that's one class for over 5 hours a day, for 3 days a week. Can you imagine? A FIVE HOUR CLASS with 2 quizzes each class. For homework we had to read 2 chapters a night. It's like drinking from a fire hydrant.
I have officially completed 5 of my clinical days. The first day of clinicals was kinda crazy, think first day of a job. Where everything is new and you don't know where anything is and what the heck is suppose to happen. Day two was better but I still didn't get a lot of hands on training. I think day three was better because I had my "own" resident but ended up gettin' alot of help with her... but got ALOT more hands on experience.
I found out from the charge nurse or her CNA that she's thirsty alot because she has CHF :( Congestive heart failure. Where your body retains liquid and liquid backs up into the heart from the lungs... and they end up often with edema... alot of swelling. Her legs and ankles are very swollen. She's such a sweet heart. Loves her jewelery and even wears a black feather boa at times ;) She was apologizing for being a bother a number of times the first day.
We gave her a tub bath and she really enjoyed it... she was swishing her legs in it and saying that it felt good. :) As patients deal with Dementia and as a CNA student it can be hard to care for the patient. At one point when we were caring for her we needed a total of 3 students to hold her up. I think "bilaterally" she was getting tired/weak. I think her CNA would have been able to possibly deal with her by herself ;) instead of needing the help of 2 others. But we're learning.... That comes with time.
My first day with the jewelery lady I got to a point (I wasn't very far along) and I didn't know what to do. I was stuck, I was standing there not knowing what to do next, "What do I do, what do I do?!!"... I was like God help me! And the next thing I know one of the other students walked in and asked if I needed any help. She had taken care of my lady for a few days the first week. Oh that was such an answer to prayer!
My clinicals end April 28th. On the last day we have a little celebration. We also bring in our money to send in all together to the state boards to cover the cost of the certification exam. The exam is 70 multiple choice questions and 5 skills that we have to perform. We only have 25 mins. to perform the skills. One very lengthy skill which we might end up with is making an occupied bed. Fun... hope I don't get that skill!!!
At this point I'm planning on staying at YWAM for an extra month at least. It might be another 5 weeks before we can take the state board exam.
The 2nd day of clinicals I was told by the DON (Director of Nursing) to stop by once I'm certified and to fill out an application. That was at the catholic nursing home that I'm doing my clinicals at. It's one of the better nursing homes. The ratio of CNA's to residents is 1 to 5 or 6. Usually at nursing homes the ratio can be 1 to 12 or even 1 to 15!! I've heard that they can be rather smelly and really bad :/ I hope to get started in the nursing field Lord willing at this nursing home. Once I get a job I will need a place to live in Richmond. I can only live at YWAM if I'm volunteering full time.
Once I have a job I won't be able to volunteer 40 hours a week. So I've started looking a bit for a place to live in Richmond. I'd love to stay near the YWAM base but am willing to move a ways away from it. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I'm moving closer to another transition point. I seem to be in transition often. I guess at this point in my life it's normal.
A time line of all the transition I've had since last year.... 2009, beginning of the year, 3 months in Berryville own apt., moved home for about 1 month... 5 months in Michigan, moved home end of Oct. Home for about 3 months than here at YWAM since end of January. I am asking God to lead me. To show me even what to pursue... where do I find housing? should I be considering an entirely different step?
I know YWAM has a school of primary health that would probably be more focused on international medical care. I know God's got my back and He has led me time and time again. I know He will do it again. But it's still not easy as I am in the process of transitioning.
Some of my dreaming/thinking about nursing is that I will one day go overseas and and use it. I would like to do medical missionary work. Maybe someday even go to one of Mother Theresa's home for a time to learn from them. I do not know how God will lead me. He's a man with a plan, I know:) One step at a time. That's what it always is for me. One step.... one step.
