1/2 way done with summer 2010

Hi everyone,

So this week officially ends the first half of summer courses. I have been taking pediatrics and maternity for 12 full weeks this summer. As of right now, we have had 1 exam in each class. They went well and I felt prepared by taking notes in class and reviewing the study guide prior to the exams. We have had some very interesting classes thus far. Since I do not have any children and have never before been pregnant, the maternity classes can be somewhat overwhelming at times. Since I do not know what to expect, it takes a lot of studying to understand the pregnancy and normal labor and delivery processes. However, I believe this could help me as a nurse because I do not have any prior experiences to get caught up with.

Throughout my life, I have worked in several different summer camps as a counselor for children from grades 1 - 6. I believe that this gave me a better understanding about how children operate. However, there is definitely a huge difference between dealing with children as a camp counselor, and even a mother, and treating children in the clinical setting as a nurse. The role of the nurse is to care for the patient's diagnoses and work to discharge the patient home. It can become difficult at times to separate the playful attitude most people have when confronting children from treating the patient as a whole.

For the first half of the summer sessions, I have been placed at MGH for 12 hour shifts on the pediatrics floor treating children from 1 day old to 5 years old. There is another floor at MGH that treats patients from 5 - 19 years old. Since I had clinical at MGH last semester as well, I felt comfortable with my surroundings and had a good grasp of the layout of the floor. We have gotten to see a lot while at this clinical setting and it is especially interesting to witness the interactions between the nurses and the parents of the patients. Not only are you treating the patients in the pediatric setting, but you also have to take into consideration the parents and the home setting that the patient lives in. It is important to remain non-judgmental and refrain from thinking about what type of household you believe the patient should grow up in.

For the next half of the summer, I will be placed at Brigham and Women's Hospital for my maternity clinical. I am really looking forward to this clinical and have heard great things from my fellow classmates who have already completed this rotation. I have really gotten much closer to my fellow classmates and have gotten together with them on many occasions outside of class to grab dinner and get to know each other. It really helps to have a great group of people in the program that I can really get along with. We are always there for each other, whether we need help studying or just want to hang out for the day!

That's all for now... enjoy the pictures!

- Katie

Here is a picture of when a big group of us went out for dinner at the Barking Crab restaurant in Boston!

Amanda, Kristyn, and I... some of my 1st clinical group : )

Group picture of the Winchester clinical girls.