Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Hey all!! It's been a while since I've posted on here so I thought I should update you all on what we've been doing recently.

First of all, I am ONE MONTH away from finishing my nursing degree! It's pretty much the best feeling in the world. No more lecture courses, no more clinical courses (except for the one month I have in my last placement) and only one more FINAL exam. So awesome!!

So I'll tell you a little about where I am right now. I am on a specialized unit right now that deals with teens with mental health illnesses. We deal with all sorts of disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, personality disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, and many more. It's really a whole different world in there. On regular general medicine and medical/surgical units, you have at least 5 patients each and are running off your feet trying to get your vital signs, assessments, medications, and other tasks done. Here, it is much different. We basically have 1:1 conversations with the youth and figure out what we need to do for them to get them stabilized and ready to get back out into the community and get the help they need. Sometimes there are escalations where we need to take actions such as give unscheduled medications and injections and sometimes restraints, however, I have yet to witness an escalation. The kids on the unit are really great, you can tell their good kids, they just have a lot of issues in their life, mostly at home. The staff on this unit is also fantastic!! They are really caring people and have great teamwork which is rare, although it shouldn't be.

This unit has a kitchen built into it so there have been several occasions where the staff have made dinner on the unit and we all sit down together for dinner. It's really strange...but so awesome. The other day, we had a dinner potluck where we had pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash-browns, sausages, cornbread, banana bread, and fresh fruit. Delish! Definitely an upside to working here.

I could DEFINITELY see myself working here when I finish my clinical placement. I love it!

As for Jared, he was recently called as a seminary teacher so he gets the pleasure of teaching early morning seminary. So far, he really enjoys this calling and likes interacting with the youth on a daily basis. On top of this, he also has school and work. Sometimes he'll be going from 6:00am until 10pm so it's pretty self-explanatory that he gets pretty exhausted. He's hard-working though and I really appreciate that.

Other than that, we just had the open house for the Calgary Alberta Temple. It was a great experience to volunteer there and go through a couple tours, once by myself, and once with Jared and his family. The temple is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. The rooms inside are gorgeous and the spirit is very strong. I can't wait to go once it's been dedicated!

That's our lives in a nutshell at the moment but hopefully I can update this thing more often. Happy October!

HEY YEA YEA YEA YEA!!

Wouldn't you rather watch this than study for a final?

Mental Health

Hello all!

I figured it was time for an update or two.

This year of nursing school is packed full of "blocks" or 6-7 week segments where we focus on one population or subject at a time. September and October I was in Senior's health where I was at a Lodge in Bridgeland, Calgary. November and December I am in MENTAL HEALTH!

So far, I am really enjoying mental health. I find mental illnesses really fascinating. The main diagnosis of the people at this centre is schizophrenia. The brain is such a complex organ and can do so many things to a person! For my clinical placement, I am at a community mental health centre where there are lots of interesting characters. For example, I have a resident whom I have to refer to as "Jesus" because he thinks he is the real deal. DOB December 25 and everything. He is a really nice man though and has been fun getting to know.

I also really like this setting because of how closely you can get to know all the residents. I ALMOST know all of their names now and we have 2 1/2 weeks left? Yikes!

One thing I do NOT like about this facility, however, is the nasty smoking that goes on. 70-75% of the residents smoke and have access to a "smoking room" in the centre. This is literally a room with glass windows looking into it from all sides that people go into to have a smoke. It is nasty. Whenever the door opens, it floods the building with cigarette smoke and it's super smelly. My clinical group is doing a presentation about smoking and mental health for our lecture class this coming tuesday and we're discussing the issue that smoking can be in such a facility as this. It will be interesting.

Anyways, wish me luck for the remainder of my placement!

Crazy Summer

It's been a while since I've updated my blog so I thought I'd just say a little hello and go from there.

This whole summer has been pretty crazy and busy. I've mostly been working at a nursing home in SE Calgary where I've had many great experiences working with senior citizens. It feels nice to know that you can brighten someone's day just by smiling at them or talking to them for a few minutes. Anyways, I've been working there pretty regularly so that keeps me busy.

I've gotten a few things ready for school in september. I applied for student loans (which is a hassle and I still haven't heard back from them yet) and also for a police check which i hope I get back before the nursing faculty gets really mad at me. Anyways, little stuff like that. It will all get done soon I hope.

I was able to go to Utah in July for a few days and visit my sister, Erin, and her new little baby, Ezra. He's pretty darn cute. Looking forward to visiting them in a couple weeks when they come up to Canada for a visit.

Other than that, not a whole lot. Jared's birthday is Tuesday and our anniversary is on August 21. Crazy! I can't believe a year has already gone by. We are going to Edmonton for the weekend so we can relax and have a good time. We got a good deal so that we can spend two nights at a hotel and get tickets to go to the water park at West Edmonton Mall. I'm excited to get away for a while and spend some time with Jared.

Anyways, other than that, life has been good. I'll try to post more.

Steph

How to: Pimp Your Ride

While running today, I saw some people drive who had some rad ways of "pimping" out their vehicles. Here are a few...

The classic leopard print steering wheel cover

Headlight eyelashes...really??

And the ever-so-lovely Hello Kitty seatcovers.

If I ever decide to pimp my ride, I will definitely include these fine specimens. The end.

Pupusas Tonight!

This is a Pupusa

Don't ask me what it is but I will be eating it tonight. Looks pretty good, don't you think?

I'm a Little Bit Country

Ohh Keith Urban... Sometimes when I need a little pick-me-up, I like to listen to a little bit of Keith Urban or other country songs. Despite the twanginess that comes with the territory, they usually are really upbeat and make me happy!! (Well..., minus those country songs that are about your wife and dog dying or something...). Today, I invite you to enlighten your soul with a little Keith Urban (although I know some people who would rather shove nails in their ears, AKA Jared and my dad). Just do it, though. It will totally make you feel better :) P.S. On another happy note, I have a job interview on monday for a healthcare aide position! I hope I get it!