Nursing Student Online Journal

G. Rodriguez is a second year nursing student at Gavilan Community College nursing school. Her program is three years long. She completed the math and science pre-requisites before starting the program. During her first year she spent time on clinical rotations on the medical-surgical floor in three different hospitals in the south bay area. This year, she is focusing on the mother-baby unit for half of the semester, and then she’ll complete the semester back in the medical-surgical unit.

Even though she is busy with volunteer work and her nursing education, she agreed to share some of her experiences. We’ll post new journal entries twice a month during this school year.

Ms. Rodriguez can’t wait to be a nurse and hopes her journal will provide encouragement for anyone considering a career in nursing.

Journal Entry: October 15, 2004

I'm sitting around the kitchen table with my schoolmates. I can't believe we did it! We moved in together, all of us from the same nursing school. It has been awesome, being able to share our experiences with each other. Right now we are trying to get our brains moving with a little coffee, to study for the midterm.

This semester is flying by us. I'm still trying to recover from last year. Last year was intense, but the more challenging it was, the more I loved it.

This year, my first rotation started in mother-baby (MB) for clinical. About half the test is going to consist of MB, so I have the advantage of having hands on experience. It really makes a difference when you can apply your knowledge to the clinical setting.

My patient (pt.) this week really tested my communication skills. She was a young girl, having her first baby. She had been in labor for too long with failure to progress and was then sent for a C-section. When I came on the floor my pt. was tired, had nothing to eat in the last 48 hours, and was just then getting some pain relief. Her baby girl was in the nursery, and she refused to rest until she could hold her. After doing vitals, assessment, and some reassuring, the baby was finally brought to the room. I was able to help her recover and start her first day as a mother. Although MB was new, fun, and exciting to me, waking up at 0530 was probably the hardest part.

Next week I start my Medical-Surgical rotation. We did that rotation all last year and I am looking forward to going back. I would see something new every day, and learn something new too.