It Is Finally Term III!

I cannot believe it has been this long since I have updated on here, but that just goes to show just how busy and time consuming being a nursing major is! However, with that said, it was absolutely am amazing term filled with lots of fun and many new experiences. I finished my OB and ICU classes and clinicals and did very well, but I also was able to get so much from the experience at clinical. I dealt with many types of patients, did an ER rotation, went to the OR again, saw numerous babies be delivered, and enjoyed bonding with many patients of various ages. I loved both classes and am still stuck in regards to what I am interested in because yet again, I want to just do everything! But that was just for classes! In the social and extracurricular world, I was very busy! The tap show finally happened and it was amazing. The theme was Around the World featuring music in other languages and from other countries. The girls performed amazingly and everyone that attended loved the humor of the MCs as well as the intricate and exciting tap numbers. I was re-elected as VP for next year and hope that the incoming class of 2017 has some members ready to join! EC Tap also participated in Relay for Life to raise money for cancer and represented our team strong walking for many hours and performing to keep everyone entertained! To conclude this year, we gave all the members tap t-shirts custom made as gifts and now we being prepping for next year! I also turned 21 since my last post, and it is definitely different being 21 on campus! Women's Varsity Ice Hockey won the NCAA tournament and took 1st, putting EC on the map and showing everyone that women's sports are just as awesome as the men's!

 The officers at the tap show!

 Steph and myself at Relay for Life!

Some of our wonderful tap team at Relay for Life!

But now, Term III is starting with a bang! The campus is gorgeous with flowers everywhere and trees blooming. The fountain is flowing and the weather is beautiful, so many of the students have already been laying in the sun, playing games outside and just enjoying this beautiful weather. I myself did some homework outside today and played KANJAM with some friends. Day 2 of term III is officially over and on Wednesdays, most students have no class so I am sure the campus will be buzzing with a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Many of the trips for term III have already left including the groups that went off to the Bahamas as well as the group who landed in Turkey yesterday! I went to Ireland my freshman year and I had an incredible time, so I am sure everyone abroad is having the experience of a lifetime! Back on campus, we will be keeping busy with intramural softball which begins this weekend and some of the tappers and other friends have formed a team. Although we might not be skilled in the softball department, I know we will have a blast playing! As a junior nursing student, I am doing my psych clinical and class this term. So far, I am loving it. I will spend every Thursday 8-4 at the psych center working with patients and learning to understand and communicate with people better, which is an essential skill to master as a nurse for the future. I am excited for my first day and I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. In the meantime, I will be enjoying the fun and relaxed atmosphere of term III and be spending lots of time outside! I will update again soon now that I have more time!

This is the view by the side entrance of my dorm, Tompkins! Absolutely beautiful!

Term II Craziness

Term I came to a busy and intense end as I pushed through my finals, finished out my clinicals, and completed my projects. But before the term ended, lots of exciting things took place on campus. First, we had all of the holiday traditions including the ball and the banquet. Many students attended and dressed to impress as they enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner with the professor of their choice as well as danced the night away the following evening. My friends and I exchanged gifts for each other as well. Here are some pictures from the holiday banquet of my friends and me!

After all of the holiday fun, finals started with the annual finals breakfast where all of the professors came and served breakfast for us students to kick off exams. Exams flew by and soon after I was headed back to NH for a much needed break from classes. Now back on campus, term II is in full swing, however while we were all home, the campus underwent some serious changes. First, wifi has been installed in all the dorms, many of the classrooms have been upgraded with new desks, smartboards and presenting desks. Finally, Harris Hall now has a small cafe with ready made food and drinks for those of us who are on the puddle side of the campus all day, making it much easier to get to class and not be hungry with such busy schedules.

My schedule is busy as always, with my first OB and ICU clinicals this term, which I am extremely excited about and loving so far. On Monday, I watched a c-section and took care of the new baby which was an amazing experience that I really enjoyed. I will head to the ICU on Friday and am looking forward to working with challenging patients. Today in ICU we did a mock code with a mannequin which proven to be a fun and different way of learning and good practice for the real things. I am also taking a holistic nursing class offered on campus as well as an upper level psychology class. So far I am really enjoying all of my classes and I am learning so much, so quickly. 

Tap is coming to a close quickly as we have our show coming up in about a week and a half, and I am very much looking forward to seeing my family and friend at the show. I will post pictures of the show once it is completed, and I am sure it will be a blast. In the meantime, I am off to study...have to start the new term off right!

Term I is Flying By!

With Thanksgiving break quickly approaching, Term I of this year is truly flying by. With that said, many exciting things have been taking place on the EC campus, and many more exciting events are soon approaching. 

This past month, classes have been absolutely crazy. Everyone has been busy with projects, assignments, and for nursing majors like myself, clinical. I have been on the med-surg unit at Robert Packer in Sayre, PA. This term I have had some truly interesting patients and have been able to practice many unique skills and better my technique on previously learned skills. I also got to watch open heart surgery, go to the cath lab and watch numerous patient's receive pacemakers, spend the day in the ICU and work with two intensive care patients, and soon will be heading to the ER to work with emergency cases and patients. I have had some really great experiences this term with so many different patients. Next term I will be moving to ICU one day a week, and labor and delivery on another day. I am really excited for this clinical because I have yet to have any experience in labor and delivery, and I already love ICU, so it will be great to get back to that. 

In the non-nursing world, the EC campus is busy as always. As I am sure many were affected by Hurricane Sandy, EC was prepared for getting some extremely high wind and rain. Classes were cancelled for an entire day as well as the afternoon before to give professors and students time to prepare for emergency procedures in the case in which evacuations would need to take place. For some time it appeared that Hurricane Sandy was going to pass directly over Elmira, and the RAs and RLCs of the dorms were prepared with emergency procedures to protect students in the case of dorm damage and power outages. Fortunately, the hurricane changed path and all we really ended up with was a lot of wind and rain. The area had some power outages but nothing too extreme. All of the students on campus are thinking of those negatively affected by the storm.

Of course all of the students celebrated Halloween in style, and the campus sponsored a dance and various activities. Before that, EC celebrated our annual Mountain Day, or now known as Founder's Day, where students enjoyed a BBQ and played numerous games, as well as participated in the boat race across the puddle. Who wouldn't like a free day off from classes, right?! Anyways, it proved to be another fun day with good weather. The dining hall sponsored their annual themed dinner and since it was right around Halloween, there was a cash prize costume competition. Neeedless to say, the entries were competitive and very creative. Men's and women's hockey has started up, and many of the students have been heading to the rink to support the Soaring Eagle teams. Basketball has also started, and this Thursday will be the annual Hoops Hysteria event where the basketball players make their big debut and students have the chance to win prizes just for showing up! Also, Orchesis, the campus dance club and class is having their Encore performance this week. I am very excited as I am in 3 of the shows numbers and have been working hard to prepare for the performance. Myself, along with two other tap officers, also choreographed a tap number for our club members and we auditioned it into the show and it got in, so we are excited to show the student body what we have been working so hard on. As you can see, the campus is busy and there is always something going on to keep everyone busy! I think the entire student body is looking forward to having a week off for Thanksgiving, because as soon as we come back, holiday festivities begin on campus! With that said, I must get back to homework and studying!

 Beautiful fall day on campus...but the leaves are quickly disappearing and I am thinking we will be seeing snow in the near future!

Ballerinas for Halloween this year!

Fall on Campus: One Month Down of the 2012-2013 School Year!

The first month of school has officially come and gone, and with one month gone I have so much to tell you all about the new school year! First, as everyone knows we have a new President, President Champagne. As the new President, he has initiated many new changes on campus. First, we no longer only have purple and gold in the book store! I know, it seems crazy, but it seems to be going over well with the student body. We also no longer have a traditional Mountain Day, but instead a Founder's Day which is essentially a scheduled day off from school where activities will be taking place all day! With so many new changes, the Elmira College staff and student body is working to keep Elmira traditional but still bring it into the modern era. Thus far, the changes seem to be going over well and Elmira still continues to have it's own unique spark!

Extra-curricular activities have all started now, and like before I am again dancing in Orchesis and this year, am dancing and teaching as VP of Tap Ensemble. Both of these clubs performed at Octagon Fair and just this past weekend at Parent's Weekend! Octagon Fair took place a few weeks ago and the theme was "Under the Big Top" or circus theme. It had a great turnout despite the rain and all of the clubs had great booths with the circus theme throughout! 

As a junior nursing student now, I have had a wonderful first term back. I am currently on the Med-Surg unit at one of the hospitals in the area, and I am really enjoying it. This term I have given various medications, including many injections and IV's. I also was able to do my first foley catheter on a patient which was such an accomplishment and wonderful learning opportunity. I have had a variety of patient's and learned about a variety of illnesses, diseases and health complications. This term, I had the unique opportunity to go to the OR. While there, I watch two full knee replacements and was able to see the entire surgery up close and truly understand the physiology of caring for a patient after a ortho surgery. I absolutely loved this experience, as it opened my eyes to a new area of nursing. I also was able to spend a day in Endoscopy where I watch two endoscopy procedures and one colonoscopy. It was so interesting to see the inside of the human body on camera and really understand the intestinal system. Both of these opportunities are so great to have because it allows for us as students to get to learn about various departments of nursing and gain a better understanding for our patients and what they go through with all of the testing, procedures, and surgery while in the hospital. Also during this term, my clinical got the unique opportunity to participate in a disaster drill simulation with a local hospital. We acted as the simulated patients, and as you can see in the picture, we made the story come alive. This was a really fun experience and truly helped the staff of the hospital prepare for the potential of a real disaster! With six weeks left of clinical, I am sure that I will continue to get these learning opportunities and have many more stories!

 Clinical Disaster Simulation!

To have some fun this term, my friends and I have taken a break from the textbooks and careplans and gone on a few adventures. Last weekend we spent the entire day apple picking and visiting a local store, the puppy patch, to play with all of the sweet puppies! They love having students come to visit, and for nursing students it is a great place to just have fun and relieve stress. SAB has also sponsored many events this year, including a welcome back dance which was widely attended as well as 2am Club, a band that played in Mackenzie's and also had a great turnout. There have also been weekly movies in Gibson, Pub Trivia, and various other sponsored trips and activities. There is always something to do on campus and if someone is uninterested in the campus sponsored events, one can always adventure off campus and find something else to do. 

 

Puppy Patch Visit! (Yes, that is a real puppy!)

 

 Climbing Apple Trees!

 Nursing Major Apple Picking Adventure!

 My Apples!

The campus is beautiful right now with wonderful fall colors and fall weather. Midterms are this week, and everyone is hurrying to get all of their work done before the start of break. I will be spending much of this week in the library with the other nursing majors as we study for our midterm on Friday. In clinical this week we will all be heading to the local health department in Elmira and be doing flu shots for residents of the area, as well as for each other! This is a great opportunity to really become injection professionals and I am looking forward to having so much practice, because practice makes perfect. After midterm break I will have much more to update as October starts to fly by! Until then, off to the library!

Term III...ALMOST DONE!

Term III may be a short term, but it has been filled with fun this term! Last weekend was May Days, an annual celebration put on by SAB each year. This year the theme was Aztec, and since I was not at May Days last year, since I was in Ireland, I was extremely excited to attend! The celebration started on Friday night with the May Days dance. Everyone was dressed to their best and the decorations impressed as always! After having fun there, the next morning is the May Days carnival. It included rock climbing walls, carnival rides, bouncy houses, bouncy obstacle courses and challenges, carnival games with prizes, a bbq, sandart, smoothies and slushies, free tshirts, and the clear fan favorite...the slip and slide down the hill...nothing short of hilarious! It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed May Days! 

Just a few days later, Elmira College students and staff honored Doctor Meier with an honorary Mountain Day singing, with a BBQ and puddle raft racing the next morning. Needless to say, the raft racing across the puddle always gets lots of viewers, as members of campus construct their rafts from cardboard and duct tape. It was quite funny when half of the racers sunk in the middle of the puddle, however this year there was one very well built raft done by the Anderson boys. The freshman are definitely stepping up their game! 

 This picture, taken by a staff member, shows just one side of campus celebrating May Days!

 Before the May Days dance...dressing for Aztec is hard, so I figured this skirt was in theme!

Enjoying the carnival, with my free May Days T-shirt!

Intramural softball is still in full swing! Both the men and women's teams have been busy competing against one another for a shot at the championship game. My team is doing well, and we are hoping to keep progressing. Some of the other teams are really competitive, while some others are a little less focused...but all in all, it is really fun! Those who do not enjoy playing softball have been relaxing in the fountain...yes, with floats, rafts, and pool toys!

Term III is almost complete, and all of the students who went away on trips are finally returning with lots of stories of their adventures. I remember Ireland last year was such a blast, I still recall some of my adventures overseas! With just under two weeks left including finals, campus is busy preparing for the big move out! But classes are still in full swing...

Here is a few pictures from my Term III trip last year!

 

Sightseeing in Ireland!

Edge of the Earth!

 Cliffs of Mohr! Top of the world!

For nursing, I am currently in clinical on a medsurg unit, which I am really enjoying. This term I have given many more meds including IV meds, and even shots! We are expected to take full care of our patients and have been busy with careplans and patient care. This term has taught us all to be more skilled after learning how to do IVs, foleys, and NG tubes. We have learned new techniques for care as well as more about various medical diagnoses and procedures. In Term I, we will continue with medsurg and hopefully perfect these newfound skills. Overall, Term III has been a lot of hard work, but the most exciting and interesting term thus far!

With the term coming to an end, I am more focused than ever. 

Next week I will recap the final days of the term!

Term III...SNOW?!?

Yes, it is in fact true...term III started with SNOW...and then rain, and now finally we have a little sun. After a nice and well deserved break after finals, school is definitely back in the swing...just 6 weeks until summer! But anyways, on the positive side, this questionable weather did not inhibit the student body from jumping into term III head first. 
 
Spring sports including men's and women's lacrosse and women's softball has been playing anyways, and intramural sports are off to a good start too! I am playing on an intramural softball team, and we have some games this week. Term III means no Wednesday classes, so I am hoping for some sun so all of the students can enjoy swimming in the fountain, some can jam, and music on the campus lawn. Everyone is taking new and exciting classes, including Fermenting Through the Ages, make your own beer, and nursing students like myself are in clinical again...this time MedSurg! So far I have met and seen many new things on site, as well as practiced and learned new techniques including IV administration and higher level patient assessment. Soon we will all be giving meds to our patients post surgery, and that will be a huge step for us as growing students. With only 6 short weeks, the time flies by and students are constantly busy trying to get everything done. All of the term III study abroad trips have left, and I reminisce that this time last year I was studying abroad in Ireland learning about a new culture and making lasting memories. This term, I have friends in Alaska, the Bahamas, India, France, England/Ireland, and Poland/Prague. With so many choices, I am wishing I was traveling too but I am enjoying my time on campus anyways.

As the term progresses, May Day's is quickly approaching...this years theme is Aztec, which should provide a unique decor for the dance and bbq/carnival the following day. Since I have never been to May Day's before, I am looking forward to enjoying this day and making a new on-campus memory with all of my friends. It provides a good opportunity to just relax and have fun outside so lets all hope for NO more snow! With that said, I am off to bed as I have clinical tomorrow and a new patient to care for. Next week I will post pictures of things going on around campus!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Guess what time it is?! THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!
Just like the winter term, student association sponsors the final countdown on the Sunday night of finals week! All the students on campus head to the dining hall where we all get served breakfast by our professors, and they give us motivation to really focus in on our finals and do well! Finals week is always busy and stressful, so seeing our professors in a laid-back setting serving us food really makes it less worrisome. I have finals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and I plan on driving back to NH on Wednesday after Anatomy and Physiology! I am excited for this second spring break, as EC does it differently by having two breaks; February and April!

Classes have officially come to an end! Today was my last day of clinical, and for me it was bittersweet. I have really gotten to know the residents on the long-term care ward, and I truly enjoyed my time there. By having this as my first clinical, I was able to gain skills that will be essential to success in my future as a nurse. It is sad to know that I will never see my patients again, however I am proud of myself for making it through clinical and doing so well, and I feel as though my clinical group had a very positive impact on the patients we worked with. Next term I am starting medsurg, which is suppose to be a very exciting clinical. I am looking forward to coming back to school after break to learn even more!

This week I presented my women in society blog to my class as my final project. The presentation went great and it appeared that the blog was a great success both in and out of class. I hope that you were all able to check it out. The other projects were especially well done too! I like to hear what other people decided to do for their projects, as Elmira College is filled with people with creative and unique ideas. I will definitely miss this class as I have learned a lot about people in the world as well as about myself. I am actually considering continuing to write the blog I used for my project, as I feel it is important to stay involved in issues involving women in today's world.

Break is just a few short days away, and campus is crazy with students working extra to finish up papers and projects. The studying has begun and the library is filling up fast! This upcoming week the library has extended hours which is always nice...that means late night study groups with the other nursing majors! It should be a busy week! I will post about the start of the new term when we arrive back from break! In the meantime, it is study time for me, as I will be in the library for all of the extended hours next week! Enjoy Easter!