One year down, how many left to go?

Yesterday I finished my first year of med school. Whew! I think on the whole it was a bit harder than I expected going in, but I'm excited about progressing further into my medical career. I feel very relieved to be able to have some time to relax, especially since I won't be having any more summers off in the future.

Here's a brief overview of my summer plans:

Going to be a volunteer at a muscular dystrophy camp here in Virginia. This will be for one week next month and I will be a camp councilor for kids who suffer from this disease.

In July Melyn and I are going to the Florida Keys, Miami, and Orlando. We are going to scuba diving for sunken treasure and then search for the fountain of youth, just like in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie!

Before school starts again I will be participating in a psychiatric institute at VCU. This is a week-long program for med students that covers the various aspects of psychotherapy. Psychiatry and Neurology are my interests, so I'm doing a little of both this summer.

Well, I'm looking forward to having nothing to do on Monday! If you want to get a hold of me, there's never been a better time than now.

Work

Well, my first few days have been great! :)  I spent a week in the classroom, learning about all the policies and procedures and nursing things like that.  A lot of the things I learned about didn't apply to me because I work in Behavioral Health, but I wanted to learn everything just in case I need to float to a different unit in the future.

Today was my first "real" day.  I worked 7-3, and I'm EXHAUSTED!  I think the reason I'm so tired is because I have to wake up at 5:00 AM to get ready :(  I am not a morning person.  I got the next two weeks of orientation all figured out.  I'm orienting on all shifts just so I know what everyone does.  I'm also going to be able to orient as long as I need so that I'm comfortable.  I'll be working 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM three times a week in a row, every other weekend once I'm out of orientation.  Which means I'll have about 3 and a half days off every week!  Yay!

The unit I oriented on today has two nurses with eight patients.  Hallelujah!  It was busy, but not insane.  I was able to leave for lunch and got out on time!  The night nurse said I'm going to get bored on nights, but there are always things that I can do to keep myself busy.  And I'll take bored over insanely busy any day.  :)

This is It!!!

Happy Mother's Day to our wonderful Moms today.  You are both incredible and wonderful :)  We love you so much!

Today is my last day of working at this...this...place.  Hallelujah!  I'm so so so excited!  I hate working there so much, and they keep trying to persuade me to stay.  Stay for what?  They're not even offering me any more pay or a different wing!!  Plus, they've all been so RUDE about my career choice as a psychiatric nurse, that I am glad to say GOOD RIDDANCE.  You know, psychiatric nurses are there for a reason, and they DO help people and they SERVE A NEED.  Where will these people be going when they have a psychotic break?  To a psych hospital.  With psych nurses.  Who will be glad to help you figure out what went wrong.  People should be glad and grateful there are people like me who want to work in psych.  Just like I'm grateful there are nurses who work in OB/GYN, because I could never do that.  Ugh.  Ugh!!  Glad to get this all off my chest.  Thanks for letting me rant and rave people.