Clinicals are in full swing and going about as well as can be expected. It's been a challenge to even do the things I used to feel competent doing as a nurse. All of a sudden, starting IV's, putting on EKG pads and writing orders seems like rocket science! I could have sworn I was an ICU nurse for two years! We've had so much information shoved at us in the past 5 months, it's scary to realize how little I knew. Trying to retain all that new knowledge is another story....
Dealing with the different personalities has definitely been interesting. The sad thing about the medical profession is a lot of practitioners "eat their young". Don't get me wrong though, there are plenty of wonderful, knowledgeable, friendly CRNA's and MDA's out there, but many times the bad ones overshadow the good. I can understand how frustrating it might be to deal with a new group of students every year, but you think these people would realize that before they sign a contract to work at a "teaching" hospital. I try my best to just take it with a grain of salt, smile and nod, and check any ounce of competence I may have at the door.
Research is one of the most pointless, useless, time-wasting classes I have ever suffered through. What have I learned? That I hate research. Enough said. (I also advise anyone who is reading this that might be considering going to UTC to take this class before starting anesthesia school and also take it somewhere else!! just make sure it is the 4 hr. class)
The other 3 classes are bearable, but studying is a constant in my life. I feel guilty if I sleep past 8 am on the weekends, take more than a 10 minute shower, or spend more than a few hours away from my books/notes. I don't even think I have any clothes to wear this winter, but I have no time to shop! (I will have to make that a priority in the next few weeks)
Sadly, we have already lost two classmates due to personal reasons. If the rest of us can just make it through to January, hopefully things will begin to look up. Everyone always asks how school is going and my answer is usually some version of "it sucks". Then I get the dreaded "It will all be worth it in the end"....I know that, or else I would have quit already, seriously. I just try to remind myself that this too, will pass.
Back to the books!
I completely sympathize with the last 2 paragraphs of this post. I just finished my first semester at UABs CRNA program. I had to laugh when I read the part about feeling guilty if you took a shower for longer than 10 minutes. That's almost word for word what I told somebody recently. Like you said, I know it will be worth it some day, but it really sucks right now.
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