New Look Tattoo

From roaring lions to Hebrew wedding vows, I find permanent masterpieces painted upon many of my friends. Nearly half of the individuals I know have some sort of tattoo, so it is no surprise that I have thought about getting one myself. I know I would enjoy this form of self-expression, but I am almost certain the novelty would wear off and I would be ready for its removal. I have heard rumors of “temporary” ink, and have questioned the ease to which a permanent tattoo could be removed. As I researched my options, I found “New Look Laser Tattoo Removal” in Texas at http://www.newlookhouston.com/TattooRemoval.html. Interestingly enough, the Director of Clinic Practice is a Nurse Practitioner, a profession I have considered pursuing after I complete my Bachelors degree in Nursing. As I read the New Look Tattoo website, I found that laser tattoo removal is no quick fix, but rather a three-to-ten session commitment. While the office is successful at removing ink, they encourage individuals to carefully consider the long-term implications before getting a tattoo. Knowing this, I think I will continue to "opt out" of tattooing and instead enjoy the display on other people’s canvasses. Check it out!

Highlights!

Last night I was bummed about working today, a Sunday, but it has been one of my BEST days so far... Here are the highlights.

1. This morning I woke up with so much joy in my heart that I put on a worship song and danced around the house in my pjs. At 5:30 I danced with more energy and zeal than I have after a shot of espresso.
2. I made a TURKEY sandwich for lunch with delicious fresh tomatoes.
3. On the way to work I blasted wonderful tunes from a CD a new friend gave me last night.
4. My nurse preceptor and I got along wonderfully..
5. My patient made me laugh when we pushed some fluid through his IV and he said "that feels good. I love the feeling of the cold going through my vein." Drug addict?
6. This same patient had a country-talking, overall wearin', friend come visit. When he took the patient out for lunch, my nurse asked kindly, "you aren't going to smoke are you?" The friend replied, "I won't give him no cigarettes, but I may give him some of this." Chuckling, he pulled out a bag of what appeared to be weed. As he left he said, "I bet you ain't never seen that from a 68 year old, huh."
7. One of the patients brought us Panera coffee cake. YUMMM.
8. I came home and ran, sweat, and de-cluttered my mind.
9. When I made dinner there were NO ants in sight. Hallelujah!
10. After giving bed baths, I have a new appreciation for the shower I am about to take.

How He loves us

Today I had dinner with a new friend from Raleigh, and she was sharing about her life and specific hurt. As we talked, she asked me, "Have you heard the song "How He Loves"? I smiled and said I had, keeping to myself that I am good friends with the girl whose brother the song was inspired by (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao). She continued her story, telling me how through all of this hurt and suffering in her life right now, she is closer to God than she has ever been before. That she is learning that God loves her in a deep personal way and that His heart breaks with every tear she cries. She continued on to say how the line "loves like hurricane, I am tree bending beneath the weight of His win and mercy" spoke to her during a specific low time. It was during this moment that she was driving through, you guessed it, a hurricane whose winds made the tips of trees kiss the ground. The song opened up a new door to receiving the infinite love the Lord had for her. As she told the story with joy on her lips and tears in her eyes, I couldn't help but get choked up as chills covered my body. I thought of the suffering endured by families and friends of the song-inspired man, and how out of that brokenness was birthed a song that has transformed the souls of many. That through death, a song offers hope. Wow.

Scabies

Yesterday on the unit was an interesting day... When I arrived, I found out that I would be shadowing a Wound Nurse at 9 am and the PICC team at 1 pm. Since I arrived at 6:45 am, I decided to ask the nurses and nurse aides if there was anything I could do to help pass the time in between. One nurse assistant asked me to take 4 of her patients' morning vital signs. I happily agreed and went on my way. As I got to my last patient, a 40+/- year old big man with a long grey pony tail, I began taking vital signs while a respiratory nurse explained a breathing treatment to him (he has breathing difficulties and was a chronic smoker.) I had forgotten to write down the results on the clip board in the patient's room, so I walked back in after the nurses had left. While I was in there charting, the patient started coughing, fell back onto his bed, turned bright red, and was shaking. I rushed over to him and asked if he was ok, only to have no response. I wasn't sure what to do so I ran down the hall calling out "I need help." One nurse asked if I needed the "Rapid Response Team" but I told her I wasn't sure. The respiratory nurse came back to the room with me only to find the patient sitting upright saying with twang, "I must've passed out." The respiratory nurse said to me, "he's fine." I was so embarrassed. I don't want a reputation as being the little student who cries wolf. After some reflection I realized that I should not worry what others thought, for I acted as I should have. If there had been something very wrong with the patient, every second would have counted. I talked to my supervisor later that afternoon and she told me I did the right thing which lead to good conversation about different hospital protocol.

I then followed around the Wound Nurse. We saw a lot of pressure ulcers and diabetic feet. It was interesting, and I like the fact that wound healing is measurable. It's not a game of "let's try this and see how you feel." Instead you can try a method and actually see if the wound is getting smaller. When I came back to the floor to take my lunch break, I was informed that the patient who pretended to die on me was now on contact precautions because he had scabies. Everyone who had touched him or been in his room now how to give their information to Employee Health for follow up. Apparently the doctor had known all along that the patient had scabies but failed to pass it along to the rest of us. NOT cool. I was concerned and washed my hands and arms well. One nursing assistant started telling me that scabies could cover your entire body and kill you. That was not a good feeling. I talked to another nurse though, and she said her baby had gotten it from day care and that it wasn't that big of a deal. She said that if I got scabies I would just have to take medicine, wash my clothes and sheets, and not touch anyone. That made me feel a bit better, but I still was not happy.

Then I followed around the PICC nurse. A PICC line is an IV that is inserted and then advanced through increasingly larger veins, toward the heart until the tip rests in the distal superior vena cava or cavoatrial junction, connected to the heart. This is a dangerous procedure, and the team that performs them is specially trained. Unfortunately, no PICCs were ordered on Tuesday, so instead I talked with the nurse about how she is in the process of getting her black belt in Karate. haha. We went for a walk around the hospital together, drank cokes, and had a merry time. Around 4 I went back to the 5th floor and did random tasks such as answering call bells, helping lift patients, and answering the telephone. At 6:45, I went with the nursing assistant to get scrubs from the basement to change into so our "scabies scrubs" would not contaminate our cars.

I knew I should get home to wash my clothes, but I really just needed a moment to reflect, pray, etc, before I continued on. I wanted to go get dinner somewhere and read and had a peace about going, so I did it. Plus I figured if I had caught scabies already, prolonging my shower an extra 30 minutes would not have made much of a difference. While I was eating dinner it occurred to me, "what if I did get scabies even after having a peace about having this time to myself? Would that cause me to question that peace? How would that change my view of God? Would I still trust Him? Would I be mad?" Then I thought even larger... what if I was called to do missions in Africa and then got AIDS while I was helping a child? Would I question God then? Would I be ok with that? As sad as this sounds, I don't think I can honestly say yes. I can't say that I wouldn't be upset. I can't say that my faith would not be shaken. I hate it. It is like I feel entitled to my health. I suppose the first step is recognition and the submission. I know that health, money, and things are fleeting... My life must be built on the Rock that is unfailing.

Nog Jog

Today Sarah Joyce and I had a "date" day. We woke up late (7:15 is late for me), went to the lake to tan, got smoothies, did a little shopping, and then went to "Nog Jog." The place we shopped was called "Sugar Magnolia's." It is a fair trade store where everything costs 15 dollars or less. I got four good quality solid shirts for 29 bucks. Holler! Then we went to Nog Jog. Check it out: http://www.nogrunclub.com/ I ended up running with this random man named Mike because a volunteer paired us together. I told her my pace, and that it was my first time, and she sought Mike out. He was sweet and talked to me a little about Charlotte and his 7 year old daughter. He did not seem that much younger than my dad though. After the run! you could pay $1 to get a pasta dinner, salad, bread, and water. It is a really neat event and I will probably do it again. I left before trivia to go home and prepare for tomorrows big day at work and pack for the weekend. Guess what?! I am coming to Charlotte for the weekend. I can't wait!!! I have a dermatologist appointment, a mentor meeting, and a group triathlon with team CTS. It is going to be great!

1 Peter 4:8-11

As I was on my way out this morning, I noticed an old note that Kayla had written for the other girls during the school year. It said, "check out 1 Peter 4:8-11." I was bummed about having to work on a Sunday and decided I would make it a point to have my own "Church" and read this verse before I started my shift. I listened to a worship cd that Kelly had given me in the car and when I got to the hospital I pulled out my little Bible and sat at a table in the "cafe", which is really a gross cafeteria. The verse read: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." What a perfect thing to read! I felt bad for the way I had trash talked that one "gross" patient, and decided to go into work with a heart longing to serve no matter who my patient was.

The day did indeed turn out to be much easier, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that I actually knew what my job was. I was able to manage my time, talk with patients, and change wound dressings all by myself! I joked with the nurse saying that I was good at them because of all my time with horses growing up. In all honesty, I think that is why. Where else would I have learned to pull across the bone and wrap around the tendon? Or to pull off the dead tissue to allow for better healing? The nurse also called me in to the room when she started an IV, passed meds, and did various other nursing tasks. I was able to participate in an IV flush, give some meds, and apply a nicoderm patch. She also gave me career advice in saying that I should get a job in the ICU or another critical care area to start, because it is always easier to move somewhere that requires less experience than it is to move up the totem poll. Makes sense. I do think the verse I read affected my attitude, because when I was making my rounds at the end of the night, all of my patients poured words of endearment and encouragement over me. It was really sweet.

It was so surreal when the night shift came to alleviate us. It was the same people I saw Saturday night and again this morning. I think it hit me that there are two groups of people that stay with the patients around the clock and that I am now a part of that. It also made me realize how long I had been there; 6:30am-7:15pm is a long time. Right now, the nurses are there doing what I did a few hours ago. It's so weird!

Sorry if my spelling or grammar is bad in these things. I am usually tired when I pen them. The sandman is waiting. Goodnight!

Nursing is gross

As I write this post I am exhausted and sitting on the couch in a silent home (Kayla is at camp, Caitlin is at the beach, and Sarah is in Charlotte visiting her older brother). I am enjoying a bowl of frozen yogurt with blueberries except for the fact that I keep finding ants on my arm. I wish I was joking about that the ants, but I am totally not. We have an ant problem in the Ashburton kitchen and silly me left my computer on the counter. Who would have thought the ants would have climbed on my MacBook and then traveled with me to the living room. I guess they were confused about what kind of apple it was. Har har.

Today I worked my first 12 hour shift, solo. I felt bad for my nurse preceptor because I wasn't really sure what my role was and there was a slight learning curve. The one day during orientation that a nurse aid was supposed to "show me the ropes", she ended up just telling me about her boy friend and kid, then I ended up doing odd jobs for the nurses. Today I was basically thrown in with the wolves. I think it was good though because it forced me to learn everything quickly. Not only did I do the basic nurse aid tasks, but my preceptor called me into the rooms whenever she was doing wound care or discontinuing IV's so that I could do them. Did I mention that one of the nurses on the floor called in sick today too? We had extra patients, I had a real job and an unofficial role, AND most of our patients were completely immobile. I was running around like a mad man the whole time. One of the female patients made me feel completely gross. I feel horrible saying this, but she did. She was obese, incontinent, had edema (swelling of the legs that makes them rock hard), sloughing black skin, was dirty, smelly, etc etc etc. The worse part was that it was like she was embracing her state. She called me every 30 minutes to put her on the bed pan, to get her off the bed pan (then she said she couldn't use the bed pan. I asked her why and she acted like I was stupid for asking her that), to give her bath in bed; she asked for cookies, ice cream, for the telephone to be moved closer to her ear, for me to fill out her meal selections for the next day, for me to call the nurse. It was ridiculous. Physical therapy was supposed to work with her to get her out of bed, and when I went in the room after they had left I saw her in an awkward position with one shoe on, with her saying "they just left and they aren't coming back." She thought it was funny. The whole time we tried to help her she would complain and moan or say "oh save me Jesus," but then as if verbally slapping us in the face she would say thank you. At one point the nurse and I were assisting her to use the bathroom on the bed pan. The nurse rolled up the bed linens and when she did, a bunch of dead skin and dirt went flying into my face. It was the most disgusting thing ever. I don't mind packing or cleaning wounds, or even wiping people after they use the bathroom, but this really bothered me. It was purely bad hygiene. I took a shower as soon as I got home.

The rest of my patients were physically difficult, but mentally not. They were as compliant as they could be. There was one old man with a lot of medical problems who couldn't remember much. He started throwing up after dinner and said, "I am done. Look at me, I am falling apart," in the saddest, most sincere voice. His daughter was there and said, "no you aren't daddy, your stomach is just upset after dialysis" (kidney treatment). It was so sad. Another one of my patients was talking about her granddaughter in China and how she had something called a "blog" and asked me what it was. I laughed and told her. He granddaughter is teaching English there.

I think I would like to be an OR nurse. I love the cutting and sewing, and everything is sterile! Maybe I would have a hard time because it is so cold, but I could just layer up. It would be worth it to me, I think. Eh I guess I don't need to figure that out yet either. It is only the first day!

Sleep beckons!

I am sitting on the porch, my favorite spot of the Ashburton House, and thought I would show off the AWESOME bracelet that Kayla gave me. It is from Uganda (she came back a few weeks ago). She only gave me the bracelet if I promised to pray for the Uganda children. I told her I would. Africa is such a different place than China... I think I would like to go there someday. I still want to do Mercy Ships, so maybe that will be my golden ticket. Also, please note the amazing necklace I am wearing made by Rebekah Loffer. My favorite jewelry pieces are things she has crafted for me... Did I mention she is a wonderful human being too? I will be living with her and Kate Rouse (also a lovely person) when I move back to Charlotte in August. I can't wait!!!

Dance, Dance

I have a friend from Charlotte whose sister is spending the summer at a dance camp/school at Duke University. I had met her once, but because she is living in Raleigh we decided it would be fun to hang out. I figured if her brother was a fun guy, surely she would be too (she was!) Last night we drank lattes together at the Royal Bean, a coffee shop. The barista was actually a girl I met my freshman year at NCSU. Small world! After talking to my new friend about her summer dance school, I decided I was going to make my "I want to learn how to dance" a reality. I have tried signing up for classes at UNCC before, but the nursing curriculum made it impossible. When I came home from our outting, I told my roommate Caitlin, a trained dancer, that I wanted her to give me a lesson on Thursday/today. She agreed, and I am pleased to announce that I had my first dance lesson today! We put on our swim suits and plie'-ed, twirled, leapt, and jumped. It was fun, but I had to think a lot. Butt tight, pelvis tucked, shoulders relaxed, feet flat, all while having a string pull my head straight. I asked for Caitlin to give me homework to practice and had fun "showing off" to my other roommates. I look like a 3 year old. haha.

I also went to Bikram/hot yoga this morning. I was not a fan. I liked that it was warm, but not 100 degrees!!! It smelled too. The instructor was not very hands-on either. I feel like if I am going to pay someone to "lead my yoga practice", that I want them to adjust and correct my positioning. Oh well, lesson learned. I definitely sweat a lot, and soaked through my clothing. You would have thought I jumped in a pool. I guess that means I am "cleansed" or whatever. All I know is I felt gross during the class, and almost like I wanted to throw up. Funnnn.

I think my other roommate Kayla is cooking dinner tonight. She is a GREAT little chef. She is leaving in a few days for camp, so hopefully I can learn some of her cooking skills while she is still here. She gave me a bracelet from Uganda today but only if I promised to pray for the Ugandan people. I told her I would :)

Time to go to the grocery store! Later folks!

11 hours!

Sorry I am a day late with everything, but life is busy here at the Ashburton House.

I worked my first (almost) full shift yesterday/Monday. It was 11 hours, and surprisingly wasn't too bad. There were a few dead hours where I was walking around looking for something to do, but other than that I enjoyed it. The regular nurse aide's sat down and chatted while we had free time, which I think is acceptable, but I felt uncomfortable doing that on the clock. Maybe my views will change over time, but right now I prefer to be busy. The first patient I had was paralyzed from the chest down. He was an old insurance salesman, was divorced, negative, and depressed. I tried to hang out and talk with him as much as I could, but he was draining. Speaking of draining, at one point when I was talking to him he started to self-catheterize himself to use the restroom. He told me I could leave if I was embarrassed, but that he was used to everyone seeing everything. I don't feel uncomfortable with human anatomy or urine, but I do find it inappropriate that he didn't excuse himself from the conversation or notify me until after he had already started. Later, the same patient asked me if was mormon because I had mentioned I went to China for the summer. He said mormons often go to China when they are my age because they think the Chinese "need our help", he rolled his eyes as he said this and told me that we need China's help. I disagree.

Some other experiences I had were removing a Naso-gastric tube from a woman's nose, discontinuing an IV catheter, as well as taking vital signs and emptying urine bags. I had another patient who was an elderly man who started crying while I was in his room with another nurse. He had gotten his foot amputated on Thursday due to diabetes complications and said that it had all "just hit him." I wasn't sure how to be very therapeutic, so I stood next to the patient while the other nurse sat on his bed and rubbed his arm. The patient was from New York, and was a clean-cut man. His foot problems started out as an ingrown toenail that a pediatrist cut out, but then the foot continued to exhibit circulation problems and eventually turned black. This all happened within 6 months. I always assumed that only uncompliant diabetic patients were the ones that needed amputations. I see now that that is not true.

I had another male patient who was probably around 60. He was really sweet and was on the floor because he had been having gastric pain and was being held for further testing. The poor guy was not allowed to have any food by mouth, so every time I asked him if I could get him anything, he said he wanted a "big ole' cheeseburger." Haha. I ended up having a nice conversation with him about my career goals, and how ultimately I want to travel and perhaps even do missions overseas. When his friend and wife came to visit him later, he told them all about me and they all talked about how some folks from their Church just came back from a mission trip to Honduras. Before my shift ended, I said goodbye to them, and he winked at me saying: "Sarah, go do missions." As I closed the door he told his wife, "she is such a sweet girl..." It was really encouraging to hear that.

Speaking of mission work, a doctor at this hospital is going over to Uganda to set up an OR and teach the doctors how to perform surgeries. How cool is that? I also talked to one of the the traveling nurses again and she told me to work night shifts because the camaraderie is better. From what I have seen of this floor so far, I think the day-time camaraderie is fine to me! I do NOT want to work nights. No, no, no.

When I came home, my roommates were cooking dinner again for a host of guests. I went for a quick run to de-flate my mind, and then joined the group to dine. They had made hamburger pie, salad, and banana pudding with marmalade. I was weary of the hamburger pie, but I tried it and it wasn't bad. They all went out for "pint night" down town, but I decided to stay in and catch up with Sarah and another friend, and go to sleep. Working 12 hours is mentally tiring. My body can handle it, but my mind is ready to sleep.

Today I have the whole day off. YESS!! That is definitely a benefit of working 12 hour shifts is that you get 4 days off. I have all kinds of errands to run and tasks to take care of, but I have a feeling it will be a great day :)

Yesterday...

I feel like I have so much to say today...

First of all, let me tell you about my day yesterday. I went to a Church called Vintage 21 yesterday morning with my roommate and her family. Kayla's two little sisters and "Maw Maw" (grandma) were visiting because it was her sister's birthday and they went to see Beauty and the Beast the night before. It was nice to go to Church, but it wasn't the same as home. The Pastor reminded me of Rob Bell and seemed to preach a philosophy or living sacrifically which I enjoyed. I will probably go back, except I found out today that the nurse I am following works most Sundays and I have to work the same hours as her. BOO! After Church I had some lunch at home, and then went out to Umstead Park with a new friend for some hiking and slack-lining. For those of you who do not know, slack-lining is basically tight rope walking on rock climbing rope in between trees, barefoot. I had a lot of fun trying it out, but was very unsuccessful. I had to hold onto my friend the entire time while being mindful not to bite off my tongue. The heavens opened up while we were out there and we got drenched. A day later, my car seat is STILL wet. I drove home, took a quick shower, and then went out for dinner with my roommate Kayla and another new friend. I was pretty proud of myself for having planned the dinner. Looks like I am already building a small social circle for myself! That didn't take too long either!

Open Blog

Hey friends!

I have decided to go ahead and open up my blog to the world wide web (at least temporarily), so that I can apply for a scholarship. I found a random one for nursing students and the only requirement is that I have to post a blog about laser tattoo removal at some point. Weird, I know. So if you could help me out and share my blog with some friends, that would be great!

Thanks so much! Have a wonderful Sunday :)
Sarah

Rain or Shine

This morning I ran the Susan G. Komen competitive 5k as a part of Duke Hospital's team (they signed me up for free!). The race began at Meredith College and we were supposed to park all the way at the RBC center and take a shuttle to the starting line. I only live 2+ miles from Meredith, so I contemplated walking, but my roommate Sarah insisted on driving me because of the required 6:30 am arrival time. The race was fun, and I finished 4th in my age group. Not bad! Afterward I walked around and collected a ton of freebees such as a lunch box, water bottles, pens, bananas, vitamin water, power bars, slap-bracelet reflectors, and go-green grocery bags. After I stocked up on goodies, I went to the Duke Hospital tent to help out. While I was there we took a team photo, and then I headed home. The jog back was extremely tricky due to my heavy bags. People must have thought I was crazy the way I had strapped them across my chest and tried to hurry home-it was hot!

I laid out in the sun with my other roommate Caitlin for a little while, and then headed off to a World Cup party. We didn't stay very long because Caitlin had plans with her sister, Kayla (my other roommate), and Kayla's sister, to go see Beauty and the Beast. I was given the option to tag along, but I really just wanted to chill out. After going to the grocery store, I cooked up dinner and enjoyed a quiet meal on the porch while it drizzled. I will probably go to bed extremely early tonight... I still don't feel like I have caught up from the week. While I am loving living with the girls, it is definitely nice to have a quiet evening every now and then :)

Home is where the cobbler is.

Today I had orientation in the hospital where I will actually be working, the 5th floor, a general surgical unit. I met my nurse manager, and then was partnered up with a regular nurse aide to learn what a typical day would look like. She was a sweet girl from NY, who had a daughter and a pit bull. She showed me around a little, but there wasn't much to the work so I wandered off on my own. In between exploring, I went to the break room to eat a little snack. Of course as soon as I did that, my nurse manager walked in. I was so embarrassed! She did not seem to mind though, and we talked for a while about my job and how neither one of us knew exactly what I would be doing. I made a mental note to only pack snacks that could be carried in my pocket from now on, finished eating, and went back to see if there was anything I could do. While asking the nurses if I could help them, one british nurse took me up on my offer and had me change all of the full "sharps" boxes in the patients rooms. (Sharps boxes are where we put small, hazardous material such as needles.) I was glad to have something to help pass the time. One nurse said to me "honey, count your blessings," implying that I should be glad they were not busy. Before my orientation ended, I went back to my nurse manager's office to go over my future schedule. She told me more about my job and how she can tell I am eager to learn. She also told me that the british nurse had come up to her and mentioned me saying, "I don't know who that girl is, but you did a good job hiring her." It made me happy to hear that I made a good impression, but I don't want to get caught up in that.

After my day, I came home and was welcomed by the smell of peach cobbler. YUMMM. I feel like we have had some type of cobbler every night this past week. Maybe because of how close we are to the farmers market and the fact that cobbler is stinkin easy to make? It's like I am at one of those camps from tv. Actually, I have been pleasantly surprised by the joy coming home to a house full of girls brings. Whether we talk or not, knowing that someone is there is comforting. It feels like a family. A few of the girls ended up cooking indonesian stir-fry for all of us for dinner. I did dishes and some laundry in exchange. I felt like I was someone's husband, coming home from 8 hour work day to a sweet aroma of homemade goodness. Luckily there were no children to tend to... I don't think I would have minded snuggling and reading a bedtime story though. Oh wait, my roommates do that with me too!

I am soooo tired. Working a full time job is a lot harder than I thought. Maybe growing up isn't all it is cracked up to be.

Welcome to Ashburton!

Orientation Day 3

Hello, hello! I am actually in orientation right now... Bad, right? We are having a little break because some of our speakers decided not to show up, thus giving us an opportunity to check email, etc.

I am really excited about working here! I love that the hospital is so small and that it is not typically a teaching hospital. In Charlotte, while the hospitals are huge and great, nursing students are almost an inconvenience because there are so many of them. Here, there are only 4 "Professional Nursing Assistant" students so we get a lot more individual attention. The nurse recruiter talked to us today about different programs the Hospital offers that will pay for nurses to get a Masters Degree at Duke University. How awesome would that be?! Then I talked to one of the traveling nurses about travel and the great opportunities that come with that. She said it is a lot more fun to travel with a partner though. Any takers? Ahhh there are so many opportunities, it is hard not to get too excited. Honestly though, I really just want to graduate, get trained, and then go to a foreign country and do surgeries and mission work. Whatever that means, or however that looks.

Enough dreaming and scheming for now... our next speaker is here to talk insurance.

Orientation Day 2

Today was my second day of orientation at Duke Raleigh. Check out my awesome badge!!! I feel so official. Working at the hospital comes with all kinds of perks too: memberships, educational opportunities, a mobile farmers market every friday in the parking garage, discounts EVERYWHERE, and today I got signed up for the Race for the Cure race this Saturday for FREE! I am not going to lie though, orientation is horribly boring. I am actually really tired... I didn't get much sleep last night. One of my roommates, Kayla, made an amazing dinner of tomato basil chicken, sauteed squash & cucumber, corn, green beans, bread, and peach cobbler. All of the food was from the farmer's market too. I stayed up until 12, was awoken by the other roomies at 12:30, went back to sleep, and then got up at 5:45am for my day of work. BLAH. I have had a mad head ache all day. Therefore, this is going to be very short. One great thing about orientation is that it has helped me to feel even more confident of my call to nursing and where I am right now. I have had different people (old nurses about to start working at Duke Raleigh) give me their "advice" about how I should join the military for more respect, or to skip nursing altogether and be a doctor to focus on medicine. In the past I would have let other people's advice confuse me, but what good does that do? I know I am here for a reason and am doing what I am supposed to be doing. That is good enough for me!

Tomorrow is the big day!

Hello all! Welcome to my summer blog for my internship at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

I arrived in Raleigh on Tuesday evening, unpacked, and had dinner with my roommate Sarah Joyce and her (boy) "friend." Dinner was fun, but I was tired and ready to go to bed. Driving is exhausting! Sarah is a friend that I met when I was a freshman at NC State. One of her roommates is studying abroad for the summer, so I am sub-leasing her room. The house is cute and old, and the kitchen is infested with ants. Gross. There are two other girls that live here as well, but they have been off visiting family these past few days. Hopefully I will get to spend some time with them soon too!

On Wednesday I drove to Charleston for a beach retreat with some girl friends from Charlotte, and returned back to Raleigh on Friday evening. Charleston was WONDERFUL! I have been a few times before and almost didn't go this week, but I am glad I did. I needed a little vacation before feeling ready to get to work.

Yesterday Sarah and I had quite the adventure around town. We practiced driving to the hospital which is only 10 minutes away!!!, went to the farmer's market, the grocery store, and did some other random exploring. The farmer's market was great. I am so excited about having one only a few minutes away from the house. We got 4 sweet potatoes, cabbage, a bag of green beans, and a tomato for less than $6. I can't wait to experiment with cooking and shopping off of a budget. For dinner, Sarah made pasta with squash and a little chicken, accompanied by blueberry cobbler for dessert. She invited over her "friend" and a guy that I was supposed to be going on a blind date with. He was a sweetie, but I doubt it would be more than friends. He was 25 and had just bought a house... I am not ready for all of that! I could see the four of us hanging out again for the sake of outdoor fun, but no summer romance. I would, however, like to find him a nice wife. Any takers? A lot of folks came over after dinner to play games. I ended up leaving the scene early to skype with a friend from home. It was a very refreshing talk, so I didn't feel too bad about ditching my "date."

Today I went to an interesting Church, ran some errands, laid out in the sun, talked to Charlotte-ians on the phone, and prepared for my first day of orientation tomorrow. I am not really sure what to expect, but I am excited! Orientation is from 7:45-4:30. Yikes! I guess I need to get used to long days because I will soon be working 12 hour shifts.

By the way, the house is referred to as "Ashburton", the name of the street it is on. Therefore this summer I am an "Ashburton Girl." haha.

Talk to you all later!!!