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Week One: ((Friday, Sept. 2nd)) Today, Chelsea and I were assigned our first rotation in the ER. It was a blast. There was so much to see, and it was only our first day. The nurses are very cool and answered our questions. We got to go through all of the rooms and look for expiration dates on instruments and such, so that was fun. Then I got to go watch an ultrasound on a leg to look for blood clots and that was also something I've never experienced before. We got to see such a wide variety of cases and I loved every minute of it.

Week Two ((Tuesday, Sept. 5th and Friday, Sept. 9th)) This week has been a little slower than ususal. We saw a person who sliced the bottom of their foot open, that was pretty neat. I also got to experience my first psych patient. It was a cool experience because it helpsme to watch the nurses and see how they interact with different types of patients. I also got to take vitals on most of the patients who came into the ER this week. I learned how to hook up an EKG machine to the patient and even got to do the hooking up myself with the nurse helping point out what to do. Something else the nurses are great about is showing us the charting system and what toay attention to when it comes to charting. Overall, a good week full of new learning experiences! :)

Week Three ((Tuesday, Sept. 12th and Friday, Sept. 16th)) This week, on Tuesday, we saw some different things. There were two patients that came in with severe flank, abdominal pain. So we got to see the diagnosing process of kidney stones and an abdominal infection. So that was pretty neat. It also taught us how to handle overprotective husbands/boyfriends... :) On Friday, things were SLOW. We got a severe back pain case and weren't allowed to do much in that room due to the patients' wishes of us not observing. We did get to expereince someone with insomnia who had hallucinations and just wanted to be able to sleep. So that was interesting and new. Overall this week wasn't too super exciting, but I still learned lot!

Week Four ((Tuesday, Sept. 20th)) Today was VERY SLOW. Not a lot happened. But I got to practice vitals and had some good conversation with the nurses about choosing colleges and nursing programs. So it was a very beneficial day even though we didn't get to experience a lot of stuff. I appreciate that the nurses were so open to talk about their education and give me some insight on what to look for when choosing a school and program to get in to.

Week Five ((Tuesday, Sept. 27th and Friday, Sept. 30th)) Tuesday was my last day in the ER. And it was busy. We got to take a lot of vitals and got asked questions by the nurses. They had been teaching us for the past month things to look for in certain types of patients and how to do certain things, such as pushing different types of meds. So when they were about to do something to a patient, they asked us how to do it and why they needed to do it that way. So it was a great learning expereince. Also, we got to see more kidney stone cases, a back pain patient, and a patient with a history of ovarian cysts that came in with a flare up. Friday, I started my rotation in the ER. Low and behold, my very first day, I got to experience a Laparascopic Histerectomy from start to finish. The surgeons were great and showed me the uterus, ovaries, and cervix inside of the patient and explained thier methods. The nurses were also great becasue they would be whispering to me what the surgeon was saying in terms I could understand. It was an awesome experience that I am very appreciative for.

Week Six ((Tuesday, Oct. 4th and Friday, Oct. 7th)) On Tuesday, it was my second day on my OR rotation. I got to watch a shoulder being scoped and then help a nurse prepare for another laparascopic histerectomy. I enjoyed Tuesday because I got more insight on what OR nurses do and the different roles they can take on in the operating room. For example, there is a scrub nurse who handles preparing the tools and instruments for the surgeon and a circulating nurse who does all of the charting and paperwork for the case while also running errands and getting things for the surgeon during surgery. Her job is to make sure everything is operating correctly and that everything is going smoothly. I have learned a lot about nursing in general during this rotation. On Friday, I was absent due to district softball, so I was not at school.

Week Seven ((Tuesday, Oct. 11 and Friday, Oct. 14th)) I was sick on Tuesday morning, so I did not attend rotations. On Friday, we did not have school, therefore no rotations! :)

Week Eight ((Tuesday, Oct. 18th and Friday, Oct. 21st)) Tuesday, I was able to see the end of a meniscus tear repair surgery, another meniscus tear/arthritis clean up sergury from start to finish, and the beginnings of a rotator cuff repair surgery. I learned a lot about the anatomy of the knee and shoulder and how certain types of repair can elongate the "life" of your joints. I was very blessed to work with Dr. Brown and his team all morning because they are all such great teachers. They aren't afraid to ask me questions, challenge me a little bit. Also, they make me feel so comfortable because they all joke around and joke with me, I'm treated like another person instead of a "dumb high school student", and I appreciate them for that! On Friday, I got to watch another laparscopic histerectomy. But during the procedure, a bowel was perforated, so they had to open. That was such a neat experience getting to watch how quickly the nurses and techs had to switch out supplies and run around getting the things the surgeons needed to open the patient and do what they could to get the bleeding under control. They all acted with poise, but there was a calm sense of urgency in the way they moved. It was neat.

Week Nine ((Tuesday, Oct. 24th and Friday, Oct. 28th)) Tuesday was my last day in the OR. I got to watch the end of a cholectomy and then watched the preparation and procedure of a lump removal on a nipple of a female. The story behind the lump was interesting and they were biopsying it to check for a rare type of cancer. On Friday, I was in diagnostics for the first time. After getting the tour of the department and waiting for some excitement, Sammy and I were recruited to help decorate the cafeteria for the pumpkin carving contest. After that, we actually got to finish painting pumpkins and making props for one of the nurse's entries. It was a lot of fun and a good way to to get to know some of the staff ! :)