I'm officially a nerd.

So we learned more about cardiac issues in class earlier this week, which was perfect because I spent Thursday's clinical day on the 6th floor, which is all telemetry (patient's that need more careful heart monitoring, they have the leads stuck to their chest which feeds into a computer that a technician watches). Basically, they're watching the electrical impulses which go through the patient's heart. There are patients with pacemakers, patients who have heart rates which are too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or patients that have hearts which do not pump blood effectively. Since we had just learned about reading the ECG's in class (example below), I was incredibly excited about being on that floor for a day and getting to learn more in the hospital setting.




I had a great nurse that sat with me and explained the different rhythms and had the tech print out 5 different strips that I could take home with me. They're now hanging on my closet door. I can't remember the last time that I was this excited about a specific subject matter in nursing, which makes me incredibly happy.

I'm still (unfortunately) without a job and checking on-campus and off-campus job postings regularly. I'd like an on-campus job or nannying position so the hours are more flexible with my changing nursing schedule, but we'll see. I worked for a Biola prof's family last night at St. Jude's hospital as a sitter for his dad. I stayed overnight at the hospital to make sure that his dad didn't get up in the middle of the night so he and his mom could go home and get a restful night's sleep away from the hospital. I'm also a substitute childcare worker for a local church on Sunday afternoons. I missed getting the weekly job by a couple hours - bummer. I know that God has a better job out there for me, I just need to keep looking and being open to whatever it may be. Until I find it, it's odd-jobs and minimal Starbucks (sorry, Dad, I can't cut it out completely. I am taking my own mug and getting regular black coffee, though!).

Other tidbits from recently:
- I had El Salvadorian food with a big group of girls I lived with sophomore year, soooo GOOD.
- I got to watch a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter...basically IV going into upper arm for easier/more long term access to veins) line get put in Thursday!
- I'm working with another nursing major to help plan this year's Commitment ceremony for the class below ours (the event that was on my birthday last year).
- Today is really cloudy and a bit chilly outside...and I love it. It feels like fall.