  Door prize to the first person who can identify what song my title quotes from today. :) All morning - group theory. Types of groups, communication in groups, benefits of groups, group stages, group roles, group process. I'm already beginning to see what someone meant (on a discussion board I frequent) when they talked about their frustration at the amount of psychology, etc (less "hard science," for lack of a better term) in nursing courses. I'm sure that subject matter I find more appealing will come along, we're just laying the foundation for now. We also have a big section on teaching/learning this morning. In our cohort/small groups, we'll be doing a presentation on something such as stranger danger, oral hygiene, handwashing, etc to a group of preschoolers, then a more formal presentation to our class.
Not sure what age group or specific topic we'll have yet, but should find out in the next few days. Our cohort group hasn't really clicked yet and we all seem to be pretty quiet/shy/nervous about this whole thing. The meetings of these small groups are out of classtime, so we have to organize those ourselves. Again my commute/family obligations present play a part in the group dynamic among a class of 19-20 year-olds.
News broadcast today: we don't do injections until fall, but thank goodness we don't get to practice on each other. Big fun on the board for tomorrow in hygiene lab: giving each other baths, brushing each others teeth. Luckily we can just wear shorts and a tank top and we'll just be bathing extremities. We have to bring a basin, soap, washcloths, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc to class tomorrow. Also the big hygiene quiz. Hygiene lecture was today, covering baths in all their varieties, perineal care, shaving, oral care (dentures, brushing teeth), eye care (contacts, prosthetics), hot and cold applications, back rubs, TED hose, and I'm sure a number of other things I'm forgetting.
We had a special guest speaker today - a massage therapist from a local day spa. All I can say is, now I really want to go have a massage done. Sounds like a really interesting job as well as training, something I could see myself doing if this nursing school thing hadn't panned out. Felt even further isolated today. I always try to reach out to those who are different, been doing that since high school. I hate to see someone else snubbed or ridiculed, myself included. Today at lunch was a stinger. Another quiet, less "trendy" girl and I sat together at lunch. In the cafeteria, a couple of classmates came over and asked the table next to us if they'd like to come sit with the rest of the nursing students. Not one word was mentioned to either myself or the girl sitting with me. I'm hoping she didn't intentionally leave us out, but it's obvious that we're all in the same class... Bummer. On tomorrow's docket, in addition to the hygiene lab/quiz and nursing paper due, we'll have a stress and professionalism lecture. At lunch, the Student Nurse Association reps will come to deliver our supplies (steths, cuffs, penlights, scissors, etc) and take our applications.
We'll also receive some info about the "Big Nurse-Little Nurse" program where the senior nursing students mentor us lowly juniors. Ought to be interesting to hear more about that... I guess I'm going to have to break down and see my plasma or something in order to buy MS Office Suite LOL. I can't seem to get anything done without it - downloading PowerPoints, marking up docs in Office.... just what I need, more expenses in an already strapped budget.
Prayer request>That I'll be more disciplined with my own spending/bill-keeping practices and that somehow my money can keep up with my months... Eek! :) I have so much more respect for nurses out there in practice now, after only 4 days of school. The amount of material to learn is staggering. Who'd have known there was 42 steps in making an occupied bed? Or that giving someone a bath could be so complicated? Or that inumerable number of types a day you'd have to wash your hands.
I don't see how floor nurses manage to give tihs kind of care and get anything done with the patient loads that I hear rumored... So, at the end of this blue Monday, as I sit down to cram in my APA before my 8:30 am paper tomorrow, my hats off to all you nurses - whether LPN, ADN/BSN/diploma RN, MSN, or any of the other number of titles/degrees you hold. You guys definately don't get the credit you deserve.
:) 
