SON Blogs

Halloween in Baltimore

haiyen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:48:00 GMT

I can't believe it's already November. Time goes by super fast. I have only 6 more weeks till the end of my first semester at Hopkins. Let's see. Health Assessment test on Thursday as well as abdominal focused lab write-up. Dosage calculation exam is anytime between 11pm on Tuesday, Nov 4 till 11pm Nov 8th. I feel pretty good about the Dosage Calculation because it is mostly algebra. I did all 100 practice problems in the course package and hopefully that's enough to prepare for the test. About Health Assessment, I need to read the book since a lot of the test questions come from the text book (by Jarvis). Things will be due back to back, one exam after another until the end of the semester. I don't know how I will be able to survive final time with one test every day for 4 continuous days Dec 7-11.

Anyway, that is academic life, which is very interesting but intense. Yesterday I dressed up as mother nature walking up to Gilford with my classmates and their husbands for a small Halloween parade. It's only 15 min walk from Johns Hopkins Homewood campus. Houses there are GORGEOUS. It rained yesterday in the morning so the streets were wet. Nonetheless, leaves are changing color and falling, especially with the wind. Together they make a beautiful and touching picture of the fall in Maryland. In my area (Johns Hopkins Hospital), things are mostly building and cars so there are not that many trees. So it was so wonderful being able to explore such a beautiful face of Maryland.

In the evening, I went to Inner Harbor to eat at Cheesecake Factory. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any parking because they closed the streets down for Halloween block party where tons of people dressed up and showed of their costumes. Next year I know where I'll go for Halloween.

Two of my male classmates dressed up as professor Diane Aschenbrenner and Sheri Lynn and they were hilarious. Some of the faculty here decorated their offices and hallway to celebrate Halloween. That was really cool since no faculty ever celebrated at my undergraduate school.

Got to go back to studying on Sunday evening. Be back soon!

Yay! Blog is up!

jennilyn — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:01:00 GMT

Hello everyone! This is exciting, my very first entry…and I don’t know what to say. I had a really good clinical day yesterday that I should share, but I feel I should introduce myself first.

My name is Jennilyn and this is my first semester at JHU SON (it’s been hectic yet exciting). I’m most currently from Seattle and moved my little family (a husband and two beagles) out east. We live in the Washington, DC (“Washington”) area – I have some fun stories about commuting. I have a degree in Business/Marketing and Art, and had a really good career before I decided to pursue being a Nurse Practitioner – some thought I was crazy. But, I was emotionally unhappy. My job wasn’t fulfilling to me; it wasn’t meaningful. I wanted to help – do more! I’ve always been involved with the health care industry; all but my last job were in health care. I even volunteered at a children’s hospital. So, I knew becoming a Nurse Practitioner was the path for me. So, here I am – my first semester in the RN portion at Johns Hopkins.

Before I leave you, I just wanted to relay a brief story from my clinical yesterday (hopefully a more detailed entry to follow). I was observing/helping with a stress test at the hospital of little old women – very adorable and very talkative. She was from out of state and happened to mention she didn’t have a doctor (I’m guessing a primary care doctor). She told us she wrote Michelle Obama a letter asking her where she could find a doctor – Michelle Obama wrote her back telling her to go to Johns Hopkins. :-)

Sad News from the Congo - October 16

nancyglass — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:45:00 GMT

The day before yesterday, I received an email from my colleague and President of the Great Lakes Restoration Foundation, www.glrbtp.org - Dr. Matthias Cinyabuguma. Dr. Matthias had emailed to tell me my friend, brother and colleague, Dr. Eric Mpanano Ntwali had been attacked by unidentified soldiers and shot in the head at the hospital in Kabera, South Kivu, DRC. Dr. Eric is completing his residency and working in rural hospitals providing care to the very poor who have such limited access to care. Thankfully, Dr. Eric survived the attack and is home in Bukavu, DRC with family recovering. His colleague, Dr. Pascal was shot in the chest and is in serious condition in the General Hospital in Bukavu. Dr. Eric and his family work tirelessly to improve the health and economic resources of the Congolese people - they sacrifice daily to help others in their community. They are my family as well. They care for me, collaborate with me, educate me, understand me, and are always there for me.

As Dr. Eric and his family are always working to improve their country, DRC. I am focused on taking this opportunity to advocate for greater support for peace and to support Dr. Eric and his plan to get back to the work of being a doctor and caring for his community. The soldiers stole his laptop computer, his medical equipment, including his stethoscope, resource books, etc. I encourage individuals who are able to go to www,glrbtp.org and make a donation to Dr. Eric as well as Dr. Pascal. The donation will be used for purchasing needed equipment to help Dr. Eric and Dr. Pascal get back to work - for their own healing and for the healing of their community and country.

On taking notes and refraining from talking.

rachel2 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:37:00 GMT

“Every single thing is tougher in pregnancy, if you are ~~pregnant.~~”

Trust me, that is NOT what my teacher said- she was really talking nutrition (GREAT lecture by the way!) But I wrote it and discovered my little mistake last night when I was studying for our final. Oops…

Nursing for the Child Bearing Family is coming to a close. Terribly sad. In this class you will learn a ridiculous amount about little fetuses, moms, and sweet babies. I say ‘ridiculous’ because your brain will be so filled with fabulous information that you won’t know that to do with it all. You’ll feel like you’re learning information that can change the world.

You’ll want to sign up for La Leche League, you’ll want to call every woman of child bearing age that you know and inform her that she must go directly to the store (right now) and purchase prenatal vitamins and then take them because she NEEDS Folic Acid.

You’ll watch a show about delivering babies that you used to adore, but then you’ll hear the doctor and nurses tell the mom to hold her breath and push while she counts to ten, then they will have the audacity to tell the mom to be silent when she pushes and you’ll be sad and want to teach these health care professionals that they are not using the best evidence based practice to treat their patient (you’ll be thankful again for such an awesome school that DOES teach you the best evidence based practices). Even more sad, is when you find yourself at clinical, bright eyed, first year nursing student- and you'll see practices that might disillusion you. Things you learned there is NO research to support. You'll learn to refrain from giving advice to health care professionals- for now. You’ll find yourself at the grocery store standing in line next to a pregnant woman and you’ll have to literally put your hand over your mouth so you don’t start giving her advice that she didn’t ask for.

Really, your intentions will be great. But you’ll also realize that sometimes, even when advice is really good, it is not the appropriate time to give it. So, last night when I saw the pregnant woman behind me, I really-really wanted to ask her if she’d taken any classes, or hired a doula, or made a birth plan, or if she called her doctor to see if he knew how to deliver her baby with an intact perineum. I wanted to tell her to wait until her contractions were regular and 3-5 minutes apart before she went to the hospital to avoid unnecessary interventions! But yikes. Probably inappropriate- right?

Um yes, so what to do with all this information? Call unsuspecting friends/sister in law’s and give them all sorts of stats and information and then stay committed to life-time learning and always using the best research and evidence based practice to guide my own practices. That’s how I’m going to change the world.

Peace.

Rachel

Fall Classes & Community Nursing Here I Come!

caitlin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:41:00 GMT

Classes started off with a bang this month - they really throw you back into the mix! Pathophysiology is always an eye opener, and SUPER interesting for A&P nerds like myself (Plus, Dr. Laura Taylor really makes the class extra interesting with comments about sangria, UTI's and little snippets about life as a transplant nurse); Pharmacology is dense and difficult, and whatever we learn in class is applied immediately in clinical - it's really great to learn in depth about drugs that our patients are on and learn how to care for them better whlie on these (sometimes intense) pharmacologic agents! I also started my psychology class and clinical. We had the choice this semester of starting with psych or OB, and I went for the one that made me more nervous! I felt it was necessary to get over this fear of working with people with mental illness and really learn how I can better care for this population and so far it has been really wonderful! I work on an inpatient unit where they have three groups of patients suffering from mental illness: a young adult group, affective/mood disorders, and eating disorders. It has been really great to work with these nurses and patients, and it has definitely made me feel more comfortable working with this patient population!

Two other courses I'm taking are electives, and have been very valuable! The first, Forensic Nursing, is taught by Dr. Dan Sheridan on Monday evenings for three hours... it is the day I have (literally) 9 hours of in-class time (for a total of 11 hours at the school of nursing with my small breaks) and his class is my last - yet I find myself wide awake and laughing most of the time! Dr. Sheridan really brings in his experience and expertise to the class, and finds ways to make some of the most depressing material I've seen be engaging, interesting, and fun! I have a list of possible fields of nursing that I want to look into for my future and Forensic Nursing has made it on there due to this course and Dr. Sheridan's passion. I'll be sure to give more updates on this course as the semester rolls on!

The second elective course I am taking is called Community Outreach to Underserved Communities in Urban Baltimore (or as we refer to it: Communities class!). This course has given me a small glimpse into various community organizations, agencies, and resources for Baltimore city. It has also allowed me to apply for the Community Outreach Program at the School of Nursing (SON COP) - and here is the exciting news (and my segway into my Community Nursing part of this blog)... I applied for the somewhat competetive HIV Counseling and Testing Program and found out this past week THAT I GOT IT!! WHOO HOO!!! I have been very interested in this program since I started applying to Hopkins last year, and am very grateful for the opportunity to work in the community and learn to be an HIV counselor and patient advocate. I know that this experience will help me both as a nurse and as a community participant. Since coming to Baltimore I have realized just how much this city is both amazing and gritty, and how competent and "community savvy" nurses are much needed. I am excited to continue my life here in Baltimore, and for my career in community nursing to begin so soon with this program. I start training next weekend, and I'll let you know how it goes once I start!

So, I think I'll leave it at that for now. We have a Pharmacology exam next week that I should be studying for, and my last few weeks of psych clinical to prepare for (including another exam!).

-Caitlin :)

Brain Pain

whitney — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:27:00 GMT

Subjective Data:

Name: Whitney

Address: Baltimore

Sex: Female

Race: Caucasian and very pasty. Pt. Denies being able to go outside for any sun exposure.

Dependents: None. Pt. states, “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t have time to even feed them.”

Contact Person: God. He’s the only one that can help!

Source and Reliability: Whitney, the pt., is reliable.

Chief Complaint: “My brain hurts.”

History of Present Illness (HPI):

Pt. first began noticing brain pain at the beginning of September in 2009 when school started. Beginning in September of 2009, pt. noted sleeplessness, increased anxiety, irritability and a decrease in concentration. Pt. eats well balanced meals, gets regular exercise 5-6 days/week, and recently tried a YOGA class in an effort to relax and relieve stress.

Past Medical History (PMH):

General State of Health: “I could be a Navy Seal I’m so healthy.”

Major Childhood Illnesses: None

Current Health Status:

Allergies: Tests (Hives), Homework (Hives), and especially Research (Anaphylactic Shock).

Immunizations: Up-to-date.

Exercise and Leisure: bike/run/walk/swim 5-6/week

Current Medications: None

Personal Habits:

Tobacco: None

Alcohol: 1-2/week with friends (pt. is above 21 and does not drink and drive!)

Caffeine: Continuous IV infusion

Illegal Drugs: None

Diet and Nutrition: A variety of Whole Food specials and School of Nursing Me Latte items. Pt. states, “I don’t have time to cook.”

Primary Care Provider:

Dr. George Clooney and Dr. Pierce Brosnan

Family History:

We are all a little special.

Me:

Doc, just tell me what’s wrong already. I have work to do. Let’s skip the objective/review of systems (ROS) part. I thought Electronic Medical Records (EMR) were supposed to be faster and more efficient.

Doc:

Well, Whit it seems you have nursing schoolinflamatitis related to course work. Brain pain is a classic sign for schoolinflamatitis. I see it all the time. Very common. I recommend that you take the weekend off from studying and give me a call next week.

Me:

Are you going to charge $1,000 for that diagnosis? If you are, you better give the fabulous nurses a raise!

Fall Frenzy

chrisb — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Welcome to the Fall Semester of 2009. Where did the Summer go and the "no more teachers no more books"? The quiet times are over with, but honestly, when is it truly quiet around here? The students are back into the swing of things, the classrooms are alive with lecture and discussion, the labs are packed with new nursing students learning new skills, the NIRC is "alive" with quiet chatting, the click-clack of keyboards typing, and that flipping sound that textbook pages make when they are turned.

In additional to the new Accels who started back in May, we welcomed the new 119 members of the Traditional Class of 2011 in August. To give you a little information about them, we have 108 women and 11 men. They range in age from 19 to 53 with the average being 26 years olf. 89 of the new Traditional students entered this Fall with a previous Bachelors Degree, and 36 different academic majors were represented among all of our students (everything from Accounting to Women's Studies)! Our students have also attended 86 previous colleges and universities (including three from my Alma Mater).

The Traditional Class of 2011 comes from 29 different states and South Korea, with 14 students originating from 11 foreign countries. The largest single representation was from Maryland with 28, followed closely behind by California with 24, the next closed was Pennsylvania with 8 students. The record for longest commute would go to our student from Alaska.

Finally, 10 students represent our Articulation program schools, and 6 represent the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Fellowship.

There they are by the numbers. Welcome back students, good luck to you all in the Fall Semester from us in the Office of Admissions and Student Services.

Resonding to E-mail - September 17

nancyglass — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:08:00 GMT

Yesterday, I received an email in response to my blogs about my experience in collaborating with Congolese NGOs and individuals working to address the many health, justice, and economic issues in Eastern DRC. The author described him/herself as "having spent the last 20 years working for a wide variety of these organizations in 30+ countries, mostly in Africa but some in Asia and Latin America" initially caught me off-guard with its challenging (that is putting it nicely) tone with negative assumptions. Luckily, I am in Gerome, Turkey and was able to take a lovely walk in the gorge with plenty of time to get my thoughts together and think how to best respond. So, I decided to blog.

After reading the perspective of the author of the email, I am even more certain in our approach of supporting the Congolese to develop and implement solutions to the multiple and complex health, justice, and economic issues in the region. Specifically, let me take one example from the email. In one entry in my blog, I noted a concern about the number of 4X4s driving around with flags of their organizations, creating traffic jams, while many parts of Goma (a major city) after several years still does not have potable water, electricity, education, health care, etc. The response by the emailer to my comment was: "although you probably do see the expats in the 4x4s who are going to yet another meeting with the local government or donor agency or whatever, in order to try to make things work. Or maybe they are on their way to blow off steam in a bar with a 14 year old prostitute--this is also a part of the humanitarian scene."

A "part of the humanitarian scene"? I think this statement provides ample support to my Congolese colleagues assertion that "humanitarian aid is commerce." I can't imagine defining rape (sex with 14 year old prostitute) as "blowing off steam." In a country ravaged by war, like DRC, often the only people in the area with money are the aid workers and peacekeepers and in many cases, this is taken advantage of. Let's explore the impact of "blowing off steam" on the community in which these humanitarians are working. I am providing below an excerpt from testimony of Anneke Van Woudenberg before the US House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health Rights and International Operations, March 2004.

MONUC’s (UN Peacekeeping Force in DRC) credibility has been undermined by the exploitative and abusive behavior of some of its own staff. Investigations carried out by Human Rights Watch found that MONUC personnel have been involved in a pattern of sexual exploitation of Congolese women and girls. We interviewed girls, some as young as 13-years old, who had been raped by MONUC soldiers. We also spoke to girls aged between 12 and 15 who engaged in what is commonly called “survival sex”—sexual relations they entered into in order to get some food, money or protection. These relations are frequently exploitative and are particularly easy to establish in environments of conflict and massive displacement where women and girls have limited options. The U.N. response to allegations of sexual abuses by its staff in Congo was slow. The U.N. had earlier taken steps to establish a code of conduct prohibiting such actions and stressing there would be “zero-tolerance” for sexual abuse and exploitation. Despite these clear rules, not enough was done to stop the practice. Between September 2001 and January 2004, only sixteen cases of alleged exploitation or abuse were investigated by MONUC’s security branch. Some of those accused were rotated out at the end of their tour of duty with no further consequences. Further in-depth investigations were finally carried out in 2004 which concluded that sexual exploitation was a much wider problem.

The Congolese may not know which humanitarian or peacekeeping group each individual works for, but they do know and see the exploitation of their community by some members of these groups. There are consequences to these actions "blowing off steam" and rarely is it a negative consequence for the humanitarian or peacekeeper.

Meeting Ben Carson

whitney — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:04:00 GMT

I have read three of Ben Carson’s books, and I have been impressed with all of them. For Christmas, my mom got me his book, Gifted Hands, and it was my favorite present that year. I was a Ben Carson fan after reading the first sentence, and I knew he was someone I wanted to meet. I quickly added him to my “Must Meet before I Die” list. I now have one less person on my list because I got to meet him last night after his lecture.

He was everything I had imagined him to be except that he spoke in a much softer voice than I had imagined. He had such a calm voice. Exactly the kind of voice I’d want to hear if a doctor walked into the room and said, "Whitney, I’m going to crack your skull open, fix a bunch of stuff in there and then I’m going to put it all back together. As you know with any surgery, there is the risk of death. Now just sign this consent form and we will be on our way."

He was methodical, honest and respectful as he answered student questions from the audience. I appreciated that. Also, I found him to have a charming sense of humor that I don’t remember being expressed in any of his books. That was a great surprise!

After his lecture, I got him to autograph my nursing journal, and I got two pictures with him. Not a bad way to end my day.

Hopkins Summer Experience

whitney — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:16:00 GMT

Welcome back blogger fans! School is back in session and the semester is well on its way. Before telling you about my current semester, I need to bring you up to speed on how I spent my summer.

I spent three months working in the Weinberg Intensive Care Unit (WICU) at Johns Hopkins. The WICU is a surgical oncology adult intensive care unit where we primarily care for patients that have undergone some type of surgery in an effort to have a cancerous mass removed. You may have heard of the Whipple procedure. If you haven’t, you should look it up at http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/whipplePop.html. I don’t remember a week going by where we did not have a Whipple patient. For all you Whipple fans, I know what you’re thinking. Did you get to see Dr. Cameron? Yes. I saw Dr. Cameron almost every day. He is an early bird. In fact, he is seeing patients before the birds start singing in the morning!

Working this summer gave me the opportunity to put my nursing knowledge (especially pathophysiology and pharmacology) and my nursing skills into action in a carefully guided and safe way. I recommend that future nursing applicants really consider the traditional programs because you will have a summer in between your first and second year to digest what you have learned from the first year and a chance to apply some of your knowledge to the nursing field. You can sit in a class all day and no matter how interesting or great the class and professor are it will not compare to work experience.

My Typical WICU Shift

1. Come 15-30 minutes early to get patient assignments, review patient history and design worksheet in hourly increments. This is most important for time management.

2. Meet with nurse and other people taking care of patient and listen to a report on the patient.

3. Go talk to the patient! Tell them your plan for the day and get to know them! One of my favorite parts of the day.

4. I did my beginning shift tasks and then I went on rounds with the nurse practitioners, doctors, pharmacists and other nurses. This was a time for me to think about the reasons behind the care for our patients. It was a great processing time. Everyone was great to explain things to me and I always got great diagrams, handouts and articles from rounds.

5. Continue with my hourly nursing tasks and read the patient’s chart in between nursing responsibilities.

6. I made an effort to read at least one article per shift pertaining to an ICU issue or procedure. I think it’s important to build your foundational knowledge bank! Nurse educators are great resources and I found that medical students, residents, pharmacists, and attendings were all more than happy to share and explain information to me. That’s the beauty of working at a teaching hospital. People expect questions and are there to teach among many other things.

7. Clean and organize the room. No Clutter and No Germs Allowed near my sweet patients. I love the Caviwipes and hospital heavy duty Clorox wipes! They are our friends.

long time, no see.

rachel2 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:55:00 GMT

I know, I know... It's been a long time...

Insert- 'excuses'

1. Finals time/week. Busy bees we were! One final per day. I have to say, as brutal as it sounds to say "I had a final Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!" It actually wasn't so bad. You're not going to believe what I'm about to say, but... it felt kind of like a breath of fresh air. And maybe that's because literally, during finals week, we were out of that nursing building that we were pretty much confined (sorry for the harsh verb) to, all summer. I mean- I walked, I ran, I walked some more, I sat on some benches, and studied outside. Amazing. Being in class for one hour per day seemed like a piece of cake. Oh and by the way, just so we're clear, the tests were not a "piece of cake", being there for merely an hour was the cakey part :)

2. Summer break! Oh my sweet sweet three weeks of sweetness. I read books- recreationally. It was extremely exciting and relaxing to sit on the beach, toes in the sand, waves and breeze all around, text books... miles and miles and miles away.

3. Getting acclimated. We've just finished our second week of fall semester! Amazing! I am so excited for this semester! It just took me a teensy bit to "get back into the groove," as they say.

For my fellow accelerated friends and myself, our schedule is:
OB (first seven weeks), Psych (second seven weeks), Pathophysiology, Pharmacology (all fourteen weeks)... and that's it! Can you believe it?! Three classes at once!

Craziness, I know. This semester, the idea of "free time" is a true reality. So for this semester we got some options:

Some people are working a tiny tiny bit at the school and such. Some girls are training for a half marathon. One girl I know of is training for a marathon in October. Our fabulous pathophysiolgy instructor, two other students and myself are signed up (and were wait listed!) for a team marathon. (I'll let you know how that pans out!)

Some people are knitting, taking up recreational reading, studying a lot, or sleeping. All awesome ways to fill up the time!

Here comes the plug... Since I can't knit or run a solo marathon, I'm taking extra classes along with a lot of other people. We have choices like Forensic Nursing- (big hit, I hear), Medical Spanish (another big hit), and Community Outreach (huge hit!). I'm taking Faith and Health- awesome class, look into it if you come! It's a wonderful breath of fresh air, (and not in a "it's finals week" type of way). Then there's Birth Companions where we will be trained as doulas and will the amazing opportuinty to work with women who are are in labor. I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get some experience. I'm also auditing a class at the School of Public Health next door, Humanitarian Emergencies.

So I'm telling you all this so you understand that if you come to Hopkins, you too, will have the opportunity to take your core classes and more! The opportunities to pursue that which most intrests you, is here for the having.

I'm off to bed! Hope to see some of you readers tomorrow at Perspective Student's Day!

Rachel

New Needs for the Congo - September 4

nancyglass — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:16:00 GMT

I have been reviewing the interviews and data from our work in Bukavu and Goma, DRC. As I have been thinking about next steps for collaborations with Congolese partners – I started to think about Major Honoriene, she is the policewoman in charge of the Child Protection Unit in Bukavu, DRC. The unit (which is Major Honoriene) was formed in 1996 as a response to the impact of the war on child health and rights. As the rapes against women and girls continue the mission of the unit is to arrest the perpetrators of violence, assist victims through referral to health care, documentation of violence, and referral and follow-up with criminal justice system.

Major Honoriene is committed to her work, she has been featured in Lisa Jackson’s documentary, The Greatest Silence, and testified to the Congolese parliament on December 11, 2008 about rape in Eastern DRC and the need for policy and financial support. Even with her exposure internationally and plea for support to her own leaders and international NGOs, she still has no means of transportation to reach women who have been raped, or to help them get to the health care center. Raped women often need to provide the money to pay for the paper for the Major to take the rape report. Major Honoriene calls for the ambulance at Panzi Hospital to take the victim, but the ambulance rarely comes. Major Honoriene – has no recorder or even a camera to take pictures of the injuries for the legal case. The raped women have to pay for their health care ($25), their transportation to the police, health care center or lawyer, and then they need to pay the lawyer to take the case. When there is no functioning government in the area – there is no financial support for victims of crimes. The majority of women give up, they just do not have the resources to pursue the perpetrators.

Major Honoriene makes $25 a month as a Major in the Police. She has taken two raped women and their children into her home and paid for the children’s schools because their young mothers had no support. I asked her why with all the publicity and all the NGOs working in Bukavu, she had not received any of the resources she has asked for to do her job – her only comment – the money rarely flows to those who need it.

I asked Major Honoriene what she would do if she had funds, she laid out her plan:

1. Develop a system of communication and transportation for victims from villages to needed support systems (police, health care, legal)

2. Develop a system of communication and collaboration between all the needed support system (health care, police, legal, family)

3. Obtain appropriate tools for documentation of the rape (recorders, paper, pens, cameras)

4. Computer to develop database to track cases and write reports and proposals for funding

5. Support economic reintegration of rape survivors into their family and villages (microfinance)

We could easily support this work – here at the School of Nursing, we have Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners that could work closely with Major Honoriene to implement the health care and legal documentation component of the project. For not a lot of money, we could train the nurses in the villages and nurse and physicians at the local reference hospitals to complete the physical exam, provide post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and document the case. Certainly, I can provide a tape recorder, paper, pen, and camera to help the Major do her work. Even a computer – not that hard. We can also connect this work to our Pigs for Peace program – helping women rebuild their economic resource through animal husbandry. The only difficult and big expense – transportation – the Major needs a 4X4 to get out to the villages to the victims – what about one 4X4 that Major Honoriene can share with Rama Levina Foundation – the Foundation needs transportation (they rent a 4X4 now)to go out to the villages to provide health care for rape survivors. Collaboration and sharing resources is critical to the success and sustainability of this work – so, if we could get $100,000 of Secretary Clinton’s 17 million pledged – I bet the Rama Levinia Foundation and Major Honoriene would be able to demonstrate impact in one year –rape survivors getting access to appropriate and timely health care, rape case being documented and brought forward to justice and rape survivors having access to economic empowerment through Pigs for Peace – that would be real impact.

Teaming with Makerere University - August 15

nancyglass — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:06:00 GMT

We arrived in Kampala, Uganda after a brief flight from Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday.

While there, I was able to meet with Dr. Sara Groves, a Hopkins School of Nursing faculty member. Sara is based in Uganda and is serving in the role of liaison between Hopkins and Makerere University for the Gates Learning Grant. As well as being the liaison for this multi-disciplinary (Hopkins schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing) and multi-component project, Sara is working very closely with the faculty of the Makerere University Department of Nursing. In her role, she is providing mentorship and guidance to young and developing faculty in several areas. But let me give an example of one specific focus area developing research infrastructure and evidence-based programs. The faculty of the Department of Nursing identified an area of research interest and focus for their department--malnutrition in young children in rural villages. As well as identifying an important research area, the faculty identified a potential funding opportunity for their collaborative research. They invited Sara to meet with them to discuss the research opportunity. In her role, she creates the environment through encouragement and expertise for the faculty to openly discuss their research ideas, including research design, methods, analysis and dissemination of findings. She works with them to develop the timeline for submitting the proposal, the budget, and the resource support that is needed and that is already available. For example, she encouraged the faculty to consider leveraging existing resources to complete the research, such as undergraduate public health nursing students to assist in data collection and analysis in the rural areas where they are participating in clinical learning.

It was exciting to sit with the Department of Nursing faculty and listen to their discussion on how to improve the health of Ugandan children and families, and the role of nursing research in developing evidence-based health programs. I think this example illustrates the importance of collaboration, mentorship and support for our nursing colleagues who are taking on challenging and complex health issues with great passion but with limited resources.

With the Gorillas in the Eastern Congo - Aug. 5

nancyglass — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:49:00 GMT

Yesterday with the Gorillas was incredible. We left at 5am with Henri, the Director of the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. The trip to the ranger station is about two hours on roads--well it is hard to explain roads, other than you must have a 4x4 as the roads are dirt paths with many holes and rocks.

We arrived at the station and started off to the park entrance by foot. There were three of us with two guards and a guide. Although the park is open, the rangers are still very concerned with rebels and poachers. Over 100 Congolese rangers have died in the war trying to protect the gorillas. As we walked, the Volcana was in the distance with villagers out planting sweet potatoes, cabbage, corn, cassava and many other vegetables. The soil is very rich near the volcano. As I walk the children yell out "muzungu" -- white person! We reach the park entrance and the ranger pulls out his Garmin GPS for the coordinates -- they take the coordinates each half hour when they are tracking the gorillas. We were looking for the largest family, a group of 35 gorillas with 10 young gorillas. The treking begins and this was very demanding -- the guide led as he cut his way through the forest with a machete. We followed up the mountain, down the mountain and up again -- we trekked for two hours looking for the family. The gorillas average about 4km of travel each day. When I first saw the female gorilla, she was in a tree six feet away enjoying a lunch of leaves and vines -- it was spectacular. Then one of the curious babies came within two feet -- I was able to film her playing and trying to figure me out. We kept watch of the family for about an hour and moved with them. The silverback, the male in charge, ended our trekking when he charged us. I got it on film. He was basically telling us enough -- go away -- so, we did and the long march back to the ranger station began.

I am leaving Eastern Congo in the morning -- the month went too fast -- will be taking a bus to Kigali then a flight to Uganda to work with colleages at Makerere University. I am very sad to leave -- the work has been difficult but my Congolese colleagues inspire me with their work and vision of peace.

Slow Going in Goma - August 3

nancyglass — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:19:00 GMT

Work in Goma is slow going. We have run into the multiple layers of UN
authorization. There is an extremely large UN peacekeeping force
(MONUC) in and around the city and a large population of
internally displaced persons (IDP) on the outskirts of the city. The
UNHCR is everywhere and with the UNHCR comes many other humanitarian
aid NGOs, like MercyCorps, UNICEF, International Rescue Committee and
many others from around the world. You can see why the locals called
it "commerce" rather than aid - the NGOs are driving around in 4x4
vehicles with flags - creating traffic jams - but the locals report
limited improvement in access to clean water, basic healthcare,
education, and education.

Yesterday I had received permission from the Section Chief of UNICEF
to interview child soldiers who were being reintegrated into
communites. I managed this after explaining my research objectives in
French - no easy process for me. I provided a copy of questions for
review. All was well and I confirmed permission this morning and set
interview time for 2pm before heading out to site visit of Women to
Women International program for women living in the IDP camps. On
returning to the city to go to the interviews - I received a call from
the Director of Communications telling me that they had decided that
my interviews may not be possible. She said she would call back in 20
minutes with final decision from the Chief (who gave permission the
day before). Two hours later I received a call that although the Chief
had not confirmed, she did not think it was possible to conduct the
interviews - but would call back if anything changes--starting to feel
like I am getting the run around. The reason given for the change:
many donors are arriving to see UN programs and that the child
soliders will be closely monitored by donors so asking questions of
them at this time is not seen as a good idea by administration. I
think in short that Secretary Clinton arrives in Goma next week and they
want no issues--and having me ask questions of the child soliders in
the program may potentially raise important issues around the health
and social needs. I understand this concern on some levels but am also
concerned that there is tight control on access to any UN program
which can limit access to information that could ultimately be used to
improve program and outcomes.

My Congolese colleagues were not surprised by the change in plans.
They say this is how they are always treated by UN and partners.

So when the going gets tough, the tough go mountain gorilla trekking
in Virunga National Park -- the park reopened in May after being closed
for several years from the war. We are going with my colleage Henri,
who is the Director of Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. For more information
on their important conservation work, check out www.gorillas.com.

Cheers,

Nancy

Sunday in Goma - August 2

nancyglass — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:05:00 GMT

From Goma today -- it is Sunday, so this afternoon we will take a few hours to go up to the mountains.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit a small Congolese orphanage and center for vulnerable children, called Flamme d'Amour (Flame of Love). There is a nun who opened this small Center as a result of the war. She originally had the Center in the rural area but was chased into the city because of the violence. The Center is the home to 27 children ranging from age of 6 months - 18 years. Some children have lost their parents in the war, some were born as the "products" of rape, then cast out of the family for being "cursed" or "witches." Other children -- their parents are just so poor -- are homeless and the children are sick with malutrition and other illnesses. Lastly, I met with 6 girls ranging in age from 3 years to 9 years - who were raped by soliders or rebels. There is a belief among some men, especially in the armed forces and rebal groups, that if you rape a child under 10 years of age, even 1 year old, you will be protected from HIV/AIDS. Several of these girls are then abonnanded by the family -- as they are now "cursed" or bring shame to the family. The children are now in school, eating 3 meals a day, and have a small bed to sleep in. They have a safe place to play and a few volunteers to care for them and love them. The nun in charge works with the families to reunited the child with a family member. She also helps to educate families about rape and the trauma care needed for the child -- she even pays for the medical care or seeks free care for the children who are raped at the Heal Africa program. She gets extremely limited support from the hundreds of international aid agencies in the area. When I ask why, the nun says the aid agencies want to take the children to the refugee camps rather than reunite them with their families. So, she continues to accept children into the Center and figures out ways to support the children--through donations, small commerce she has with food, and animal husbandry, etc. Her program costs about $600 month and includes food, school fees, and medical care. For example, a child can go to primary school for $12 a quarter in Congo. Can you imagine how much an international aid agency receives to care for 27 children a month? The nun refuses to send the children on to a refugee camp, and frankly, based on what I see, I completely understand her unwillingness to give the children over to the large aid agencies -- and refugee programs. They tend to become just another number in the camp, with very limited opportunities for future reintegration with family and community.

I continue to be impressed with the efforts of Congolese groups to address their country's problems with limited resources and support. I continue to have limited faith in the ability of big international agencies to do more than create greater needs for the people.

July 31, 2009...You know what???? We have made it!!!!

kristen2 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:28:00 GMT

Upon starting this Accelerated program, I was repeatedly told, "Just make it through the summer, and you will be fine!" Well, I am holding all of those people who have told me this to it!!! They never could explain exactly what makes other semesters better, so I will be sure to take notes and let you all know if this statement is true, and if so, why.

Today was our official last day of classes, what an adventure! I felt as if I were on a roller coaster ride all summer! On June 1, I climbed on, buckled up, and tackled the ups and downs of the Accelerated program day by day, with twists, loops and turns unexpectedly occurring. When classes were over each day, I wasn't able to exit the ride, it only slowed down a bit because at home, I still had to figure out what I was going to do to prepare for the next day, complete papers/assignments, or prepare for an upcoming exam. I also had to fit in things that kept me sane such as working out, watching my favorite TV shows, and squeezing in social time. I can admit, even though there were some challenges, I enjoyed all of the twists, loops, and turns that made me have to bear down, let the wind hit me in my face, scream once in a while, and take it like the student I have been trained to be. Now as I am exiting the ride, I am walking away with a smile, and even contemplating getting back in line for the rush again! Yes, I would do it again, just like a real roller coaster ride, the first time always makes you anxious, increases your heart rate a bit, and makes you wonder how exactly the ride will make you feel. When you get off, you realize, you took the ride to the bare minimum by holding on tightly to the hand grips, strapping yourself in extra tight, and that picture of you that was snapped in the middle of the ride, right after a big loop or during a big drop was horrific! When you get off, you want to do it again to figure out how you can make the ride even more exciting, how to take advantage of what you learned from the first ride, and how to perfect that mid ride picture. This is what I mean when I say I would do it again, except the second time, I would learn from the first, relax and let go of those grips, throw my hands in the air, smile, and just go with the flow.

Here are my tips on how you can make your first ride exciting:

1. Just go with the flow (day by day), there is really no way in the summer to "plan ahead." There is so much to do each day and each week, you have to keep tabs on what is going on currently and not worry about that paper that is due in two weeks. If you try to work like that, you are bound to forget something.

2. Make sure at the beginning of the summer, you go through all of your syllabi and write down all due dates and exam dates in your own personal planner. I suggest color coding, or anyway that it good for you to keep track of what is going on in which class. I found it quite challenging to know which assignment, reading, or even book went with which class because many of the books and readings will go with multiple classes.

3. Make sure you allot "you time." There is no way you will get through the summer and the program if you dedicate all time to studying and practicing course material. Take advantage of all the free concerts, movies, and events going on in Baltimore. Dedicate a day each week to lock up the books and explore.

4 Learn to multi-task early on! Most of the material on exams in our classes pretty much overlap, so if you are studying things that have to do with the cardiovascular system in P&A, pull out your Health Assessment book, open to the cardio chapter and study the them both! (that way you study for 2 tests at once!)

5 Don't give up, if you feel as if you are on the verge of quitting, put everything down, take a deep breath, and treat yourself to your favorite dessert or meal, there is always time to get the work done, hey, we are Hopkins students, it WILL get done either in advance or in the hour it is due.

6 Oh, and most importantly, don't get caught up in grades! Focus on learning the material and skills to make yourself confident in what you know and can do. Don't let how the person next to you is doing affect your performance and confidence. Everyone has different backgrounds, learning styles, and strengths. Peoples' performances will vary, don't base how you are doing off of how others are doing (I witnessed many who fell for this, and it just caused unnecessary stress).

I tried to keep these tips as general as I could based off of everyone's reported experiences. If I think of any other tips, I will let the blog world know! Now I am about to relax on this Friday night before finals! It is time to release! I am so happy :-) !!!!!!!!!!!

7 days and it will be Vacation time!!!!!

July 31 - Taking the Ferry to Goma

nancyglass — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:11:00 GMT

Today, we are taking the ferry, Miss Rafiki, to Goma. The ferry takes about 6 hours and my first class ticket including a breakfast of eggs and coffee was $25. Goma was developed as a strategic city on Lake Kivu by the Belgiums in response to the German presence in the boarder town of Gisenyi, now in Rwanda. In 1977 a major volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo destroyed the city and killed 2000 people. Mount Nyiragongo erupted again in 2002 -- the lava flow came right down the center of the city. The city has changed hands many times during the war, especially from 1998-2003. The rebel leader, Laurant Nkunda, has been a major source of terror in the area over the years. MONUC, the French term for the UN mission in DRC, has provided realitive stability in the city for the past few years -- with the airport open and people returning to more normal life. The town is also close to the Virunga volcanoes and the national park where many mountain gorillas are found. I was able to go to the park and see the mountain gorillas in 1991-- not sure I will have time on this trip as we only have 6 days for the research before I need to be in Uganda for our Gates project.

Work will start tomorrow morning!

More soon...

July 26 - Children of War

nancyglass — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:36:00 GMT

Yesterday morning I joined my friends again for some basketball--I feel
much better if I can get a little exercise it prepares me for the
work. After a game or two, I took a break and sat down beside Ginny
and Ben -- we had lots of children around us talking and laughing
(mostly at us). A young boy approached--maybe 10 years old--it is
hard to determine age with malnutrition. He demanded money and became
very angry and aggressive, he had been drinking alcohol. He is street
child who likely either lost his parents to war or was born from rape
-- often children who are "products" of rape are considered cursed by
the family and sent away, so many end up living on street.

As the young boy became more aggressive the other children called
over the men playing basketball to assist. Our friends came over to
try and calm the boy -- they soon realized he was very drunk and would
not be calmed, so they asked him to leave the area -- he finally did.
The men were clearly shaken with his behavior and we talked about the
impact of war and the destabilization of families and community. The
men fear, as do many here in Congo, that the next generation is at
terrible risk of living through many wars--as the youth only know war.

July 25 - Saturday is a Work Day

nancyglass — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:32:00 GMT

Well it is Saturday morning, in Congo Saturday morning is a work
day -- we work until 1pm and then the weekend begins. The last three
days of work have focused on interviews for my study on the factors
that influence the exile or reintegration of women into family and
community after experiencing rape. We have interviewed rape survivors
who have been exiled and reintegrated, husbands who have exiled and
reintegrated wives after rape as well as community leaders, doctors,
nurses, priest, community health workers, lawyers, police, and rapist.

In DR Congo as in all the world, rape brings great shame to woman and
family -- the Interhamwe (Hutu rebels who perpetrated the genocide in
Rwanda) continue their genocide targeting Congolese women. Simply,
and it is much more complicated, the rebels have destabilized
families and communities through rape -- bringing great fear and trauma
too all, so they are in complete control of communities in some rural
areas.

There are amazing and strong Congolese doctors, nurses, health workers
and advocates that are working with families and communities for
reintegration of victims and educating women and men on health and
trauma, as well as building skills in agriculture and animal
husbandry to support economic well-being. It has been a pleasure to
work with these men and women -- I am very fortunate.

Finals, and Tubing, and Break! OH MY!

caitlin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:37:00 GMT

...Yes, I sometimes feel like I am in the land of Oz (i.e. a long and difficult journey through nursing school to reach Emerald City, or in my case, CAPE COD! But more on that later...)

It hit me last week that I have one year to go. ONE YEAR!?! Yes, 12 months from this past Friday I will be looking at my name in a booklet for graduation and thinking "Holy cow, did I really just do this?" The accelerated 2009-ers just graduated (CONGRATS YOU GUYS!), and it makes me feel like it is all really possible. Looking at how much I've learned in just this summer is astounding - I really do not think I've ever had this much to memorize, repeat, be tested on, and apply in an actual setting ever! And in two shorts weeks I can say that I am 1/4 of the way done... but I have to make through the next two weeks ;)

One more week of class, one week of finals. A test a day seems a bit intimidating (how did I do this in undergrad?), but the light at the end of the tunnel is break - and we will get there. In celebration of one year to go and a birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEG!) we decided to go tubing this weekend. I know, I know - you are thinking, "tubing? when you have SOOO much work to do?" Well, yes, nursing students need a break, too (and as I always remind myself - being able to get away from it all will make you concentrate more efficiently when you return). So, a group of us went to West Virignia (just across the border) to go whitewater tubing down the Potomac River. And as one of my friends kindly pointed out it looked like "dorks day out" because of our SUPER cool lack-of-tan because we spend all day in class... haha. But, we had a great time lazing down the river and getting sunburned. If it hadn't been for me falling out of the bus on the way back (with a nice step-shaped scrape/bruise to show for it) it would have been perfect... but, it was just what I needed to get back into school mode and buckle down to study (or write this blog.. haha!).

Then break. AHHHH break. I won't spoil it too much, but I am heading back to the midwest (where I went to undergrad) to say goodbye to a good friend who is leaving for China, then to CAPE COD! WHOO HOO to work on my non-tan and explore the area, and finally some Baltimore-time, because summertime here is really wonderful. Three whole weeks of friends, sun, and sleeping in past 6am (WHOO HOO).

Well, off to study - we have a skit tomorrow about communication and two sets of sign-off this week. Talk to you in August :)

-Caitlin

hey there!

rachel2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:19:00 GMT

Oh goodness! I realized that I have not updated my blog in some time. This may have scared you! You might have thought to yourself- "She must be craaaazy busy! Will I be that busy?" Well my friend, you are totally right! Yes I was crazy busy, and if you come here, you too will be feeling the same way. I won't start rattling off all the quizzes, exams, papers, exercises, and such that I've crossed off of that handy dandy little planner that I once told you about. BUT, know that my planner looks so cool- it's all scribbled and worn and the cover is 1/2 gone! I've even witnessed the greatest act of sacrifice (that an accelerated nursing student can make) last week! In my lab group this girl opened her planner, handed her friend a pen and actually let him cross out exam 3 for P & A. I was stunned! I told them they must be really really great friends! That's commitment! Oh friendship!

But I digress, back to the "craziness"- Don't fear! I've been busy with not just school, but I've been enjoying my weekends too! My brother and sister in law live in DC, so last weekend I was able to visit them in DC. We hiked some of the Appalachian trail and ate lots of really good food. On the 4th of July I watched fireworks in Newport RI...so yes, you can get away, if you work ahead and compromise a little bit. I'm pretty sure that it makes you much happier and relaxed in the end!

Tomorrow is our very last day of clinical for the semester! It's exciting, sad, and a time for reflection all at once! It's exciting because wow! One week of classes and we are done for the summer! Also, we will officially be that much closer to being 1/4 through the program. It's sad because you become attached to your unit and the nurses and your patients and it's sad to move on and say goodbye. It's reflective and exciting again because once you step back and look on where you were on week one, or your first clinical, you realize just how far you've come! I mean, we can put in catheters and clean wounds, transfer patients, do assessments, and our group has even given shots! Our nursing vocabulary has gone from zero to 20%! It's been awesome! :)

Okay, I'm off to bed- clinicals are early mornings!

Rachel

David '09

Mfonobong — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:07:00 GMT

Superlatives of the SON
26 June 09 10:15 PM | david

Let’s be honest here. I have minimal advice to bestow anyone concerning nursing, for I have yet to graduate. However after two years in this program I have a plethora of advice regarding nursing school. So for those of you who will be beginning this program, or have already begun, may the following wee niblets of advice help.
I give you…the SON superlatives:

Best Place to Study:
4th Floor quiet rooms in the School of Public Health. Unmarked, few know about these gems. Their deafening silence can crush the ADHD in the most squirrel-ish of students.

Best Way to Save Money:
Do NOT buy required new books from the bookstore. You have a couple options here. Either purchase your books from a graduating student, or get your tail online (www.half.com, etc). If a class requires you to have a book that you have no interest in upon landing in your professional career, then you can always check the book out from either the Nursing School Library or the larger Welch Library (for a longer period of time).

Best Bang for Your Buck:
Not to many faculty or staff will tell you that you’re able to take classes at other Hopkins schools free of charge. For good reason of course as you will have your academic plate full from the buffet of nursing. However working one or two School of Public Health classes into your schedule from one of the best public health institutions in the nation is an opportunity that should not be passed up. If nothing else, audit the class.

Best Underutilized Resource:
When in search of a job or direction, go have a chat with the Alumni Office. They have a list of alumni in every nook and cranny across the globe and often times these fine folks are more than happy to help give you advice, direction, or perhaps even a job.

Best Place to Eat:
Northeast Market, only a couple blocks away from school. This place offers an eclectic mix of edible delights from a number of continents. The people that eat there are as varied as the foods that are offered. It’s great to see the nations top neuro-surgeons wait in line for veggies and noodles with Baltimore's welfare recipients.
And it’s affordable! Keep your wallet and waistline plump.

Best Room to Avoid:
Third floor, the copy machine room in the SON’s library. You have a choice when you walk in this room. You can either 1- pound your head against the wall trying to get these two machines to work, or 2- stick a catheter in your eye as you wait in a lengthy line of a dozen other students attempting to convince these decade old beasts to function.
If there is no line and they work, great. If not, walk your Danscos over to the basement of Welch Library where there is an entire room of copy machines with not a soul in sight. Copy until the cows come home.

I hope this helps. If you need clarity or more advice then feel free to contact me. I see no point in reinventing the wheel every 13 or 21 months. In closing, keep in mind that energy begets energy; never underestimating the power of a good laugh and a smile. May you find these to be more contagious at the School of Nursing than ringworm, pneumonia, or god forbid, a ripe case of herpes.

Now I Remember...
26 January 09 05:27 PM | david Now I remember why I wanted to be a nurse.

First walking into the school of nursing is somewhat likened to walking into a snow-globe. Shaken up, disoriented, and all around me are shiny things floating about...classes like Issues in Aging, Research, Brown Bag lectures, student organizations, etc. Thinking to myself "ya, gerontology seems like a noble cause" or "I guess I could see myself in research."

All the while, the initial reason for diving into this abusive educational relationship was in truth, D- none of the above.

What originally put nursing school on radar were aspirations to work with the organization Doctors Without Borders. After taking, in my opinion the best class offered at the SON, Nursing in Global and Humanitarian, as well as making a trip down to Haiti this past December, I am reminded of my motives.

Now I know it can be said, "well David, did it really take another international experience and a one-week course to remind you of this?"

Apparently the answer is yes. As nursing school for most is a case of survival, it is also a case of exposure. For someone who walks in without a lot of health caring experience, zero blinders, and ADHD, it's kind of a gateway drug (a hypertensive if you will).

So now that I'm about 6 months out from graduation, it's nice to be able to recall the why; for it is this why that drives the where (to work), who (to work with), what (type of nursing to go into) and how (to go about doing it).

You Know You're a Guy in Nursing School When...
09 October 08 05:38 PM | david

You know you're a guy in nursing school....

10. When a conversation about shaving involves more than one's face.

9. When you find you have something to contribute when discussing mom's menopause.

8. When professors are able to notice your absence from a lecture.

7. When your lunch is twice as big as those who you are eating with.

6. When you have to either go up or down a flight of stairs to use a school bathroom.

5. When you ask your friends about the football game and the answer involves Project Runway.

4. When you're the only one on the unit receiving daily requests from elderly ladies for a sponge bath.

3. When when you see as many men in a day as there are groups in the food pyramid.

2. When you're unable to tell your OB patients "I understand"...cause really, you don't.

1. When ***/testicular exam day is the most awkward experience of your life!

Mile High Catheter Crazies
16 July 08 06:53 PM | david

I have a dirty little secret.
Without the rigors of nursing classes to hose off my new car smell…I've gotten soft this summer.
My shoulders aren't tense, I chew my food before swallowing it, and I sleep 7 plus hours a night. I almost feel guilty.
Almost.

And what is it that's been filling my dog days of summer?
Buckets and buckets O goodness.
I'm fortunate to be in a grand place (Denver) doing great work (at University of Colorado Hospital's surgery unit) having good fun (hiking, biking, feeding) with fantastic folks.

My official title at work is referred to as Advanced Care Partner (as opposed to the Primitive Care Partner I suppose?). But make no mistake about it; Custodial Engineer is to janitor as Advanced Care Partner is to nurse intern. Dare I say, a spade is a spade. Apparently the Colorado Board of Nursing thought having the word 'nurse' in the Nurse Intern title was confusing to patients and gave them too much street cred. So walla…they birthed the title of Advanced Care Partner and I've been explaining my role to patients ever since.

Patient: So what is an Advanced Care Partner?
Me: I'm in the middle of nursing school. Basically I'm a nurse intern.
Patient: Oh, then why don't they call you a nurse intern?
Me: Because they thought it would be confusing.

Somewhere in that exchange is a lesson on the beauty of simplicity.

The patient population we see on our floor is quite eclectic ranging from Thyroidectomy’s to Pancreatic Cancer to Cellulites to Kidney Donations to MRSA to VRE to Prostatectomy’s to Pelvic Exonerations to Bowel Obstructions to you name it we get it. Apparently we are the busiest unit in the hospital. The work I do is CNA in role (i.e. taking vitals, giving baths, checking blood glucose levels, cleaning code browns) with a few exceptions. For example we perform phlebotomy, insert IV’s and catheters, and change wound dressings. Stuff you’d like to write home about but can’t cause daddy gets squeamish.

As this has been my first hospital work experience, everything is new and shiny to me. So the other day when a patient pulled his fully inflated Foley catheter out, Murphy’s Law says I’m the one who walks in to find it. Great for no one, bad for all…that’s the lesson learned.

With 2 months completed and 1 month till my Advanced Care Partnership ends, I hope to sponge up as much as I can before headed back to 525 North Wolfe Street!

Team Sport
18 May 08 02:25 PM | david

You know that feeling you get after you've changed into clean underwear, ran a marathon, or been found after 40 days lost at sea? It is the same feeling I now have after completing one year of nursing school...relief.

The main take-away lesson learned from my time thus far has been the following: nursing school is a team sport.

Just as in any program, there are classes you love and digest effortlessly while others are as palatable as a ball of earwax. But as with any adventure or journey in life, it isn't the place that makes the difference; it is indeed the people you share it with. To this I must say that I've been one funky lucky ducky. My schoolmates, whether in either of the Traditional Classes or the Accelerated Class have been an all-in-one gift...a support system, informational resource, study buddies, advisor's, meditation partners, and an overall lifeline. So I tip my hat, raise my glass, wipe my brow, and dance a jig to each person that has made this trek so flavorful.

Now thanks to Hopkins alumni (i.e. see above paragraph) I have landed a summer job in Denver at a Hospital as an intern on a med surg floor doing things that will surely make for good writing fodder. Splitting my time between nursing knowledge and mountain mounting will bring the necessary balance needed to polish off that last year of nursing school. Bottoms up!

Summer Up
15 April 08 10:45 PM | david

Remember when you were 10 and mom and dad wouldn't let you open your Christmas gifts until the entire family was up, awake, and showered...oooooh the anticipation!

That’s exactly what I feel like with only 3 more weeks till summer. Note to self if you will be attending nursing school here. The 2nd semester is a much bigger bear than the 1st. And from the second year students I've spoken with, the 3rd and 4th semesters are even bigger yet. It’s cool though. It’s more of a challenge than when I tried to drink a gallon of milk in an hour...and I’m a lactard. Ugh.

So as the summer approaches, my energies are focused on finding hospital work as an intern/extern/CNA/tech in the land of John Elway, Coors Light and mile-highness...Denver. What is the difference between an extern, intern, CNA, and tech? Well, come to find out it depends on the institution you're asking. There isn't a standard definition of skills for what a student does at one hospital verses another. Slightly frustrating, majorly confusing. Phlebotomy, IV's, vitals...you never know what you're going to get.

Now I must take this opportunity to tip my hat and brag about Hopkins Alumni. As I am in hot pursuit of work out in Denver, I'm very aware that it is often not what you know, but who you know that lands you a job in this day and age. So I sent a few emails out to Hopkins Alum in the greater Denver area and they have been amazingly helpful in their responses. Some send advice. Some send contacts. Some even send an invite to stay at their house and offer a ride to and from the airport. It really is a wonderful community to be associated with. Fingers crossed, I will have employment in Denver soon enough!

What Nursing School Does to You
15 March 08 09:38 PM | david Nursing school impels you to do a grab bag of things. Now I haven't quite danced an entire years worth of schooling yet, but from what I've experienced thus far, it drives you to:

1-Combine. You find yourself combining studying while eating, driving, cooking, cycling, walking, showering and/or _________ (fill in the blank with just about anything).
2-Prioritize. Studying over eating. Eating over sleeping. Sleeping over spending time with friends and family. And at the end of two years you may find yourself hungry, tired, and alone, but definitely the most intelligent nurse in the hospital.
3-Change lifestyle patterns. That is unless of course you already spend 25 hours a week studying pharmacology, consider an 8 minute walk a day's workout and find Florence Nightingale making nightly appearances in your dreams. Yikes.
4-Ingest knowledge. While it may be somewhat likened to opening a fire hose in front of your face, the amount of information presented to you and subsequently digested is nothing short of awesome.
5-Love. Love for the job, love for the challenges, and especially love for the people who are sharing in the rollercoaster known as nursing school. Which I suppose makes the take-away message: do what you love and love what you do.

Shifting into 2nd Gear
19 January 08 01:20 PM | david

At 8 years old I was rejuvenated by feasting on Twinkies, watching 3 hours of Saturday morning cartoons, and strolling down any isle in Toys R Us. Now, 20 years later, recharging my batteries is accomplished in a slightly different manner.

Over this past holiday break, it consisted of a trip to British Columbia, meters of snow, hot springs, snowshoeing, skiing, and a wee mountain hostel.

Round two of nursing school starts up next week and I'm surprisingly ready for it because of this lengthy holiday break. I found that five weeks is a long time to go without manhandling a catheter, fretting over an IPOC, or neurotically scribbling in scantron bubbles. Pathetically enough, I had withdrawals.

Alas, in 72 hours, I will be sitting in class squirming about in a feeble attempt to stifle my squirrelish ADD while sponging up pathophysiology and pharmacology. Realizing my excitement may be curbed this time next week, I will ride the wave while it's here.

Hopefully, throughout this upcoming, trying semester I will keep in mind that being stressed is a choice...as is happiness. My new years wish for 2008 is that the latter will continue to weigh more than the former for everyone in the program. But most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing the familiar smiling faces scurrying around within the walls of the school of nursing.

10 best ways to avoid studying for finals
09 December 07 12:37 AM | david

10. Eat. You gotta do it to survive, so why not feast twice as much as normal to kill all that study time.

9. Clean your room. Since it hasn't seen windex, 409, or pine-sol for the past 3 month, now is an excellent time to start scrubbing.

8. Open a facebook account. And then open 5 more. No time to study when you're trying to make 700 "friends."

7. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. This makes for a great excuse once you've failed that P&A exam and you have to answer your professor's question..."why did you fail?"

6. Alphabetize your CDs. Oh wait. Music is digital now and alphabetizing it only requires pushing a button. Instead organize your t-shirts...by color.

5. Call grandma. As it usually takes her 10 minutes to remember your name anyways, this conversation will easily burn an hour off the clock.

4. Put up holiday decorations. You could spend an entire morning untangling Christmas lights or bandaging the 2nd degree burns you received while lighting the menorah.

3. Take a walk down the wrong street in Baltimore. Not only will you not have to study, you probably won't have to take that exam from your hospital room.

2. Start flossing. You never knew how long it took to floss. And now that it's either that or studying...get those gums a bleedin.

1. Blog!

Hot Dogs For Homeless
22 November 07 09:32 PM | david

Ahhh Thanksgiving! A time to give. Give what, you may wonder? A time to give thanks. A time to give love. A time to give hot dogs.

For today, after getting rejected from multiple soup kitchens and homeless shelters, I did the latter. It is wonderful to see these Baltimore non-profit social service organizations saturated with help during the break, but I wondered if there was another niche to fill; and that’s when it hit me. Realizing not all homeless folks are mobile or drift into shelters, I decided to combine two of my loves in life to tackle this hiccup...hot dogs and cycling! So after cooking up a grill full of dogs, wrapping them in aluminum foil armed with condiment packets, packing them into a handlebar bag and backpack, I pedaled into the streets!

And this is how pathetic I am...for the first 20 minutes, I couldn't get one homeless chap to take a hot dog. Not one. Absolutely zero interest. Never mind they were still hot. Never mind they were organic. Never mind that I had become the person begging them to take my food. Then I recognized I was cycling around the heart of the soup kitchen district and everyone had already eaten lunch. Sweet. The problem was in my location. So off I went further west and further north.

Alas, it took no more than 45 minutes to get rid of 30 hot dogs. I chatted with some amazing people who live a lifestyle so foreign to most of us that it is hard to relate. It is in this difficulty relating that detachment from homelessness occurs. Without the ability to see myself in their shoes, I cannot develop empathy. Without empathy, I lack the motivational mechanism to help. Without...well, we can see this spiraling already. Exit soapbox stage left. Oh, and most shocking site of the day award goes to the two homeless individuals playing videogames on their Playstation 2 atop cardboard boxes. Baltimore…what a city. We are all, to some extent, products of our environments and after 3 months I find myself delighted at the caliber of people who contribute to this daily Baltimore/Hopkins circus show!

Now…can I interest anyone in a hot dog?

N.I.T.s
27 October 07 04:51 AM | david

There is a name for people like us. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but the best I've come up with thus far are NITs ---Nurses In Training.

While we're only eight weeks deep into nursing school, the program here hasn't wasted time in getting our education and training process underway. The seem long, while most weeks fly by. If it doesn't make sense, it will when you're here. So I came to Hopkins to become a great nurse. That’s it. Simple as that. Take the appropriate classes, get good grades, learn the skills, and point me to a patient.

However since arriving my peripherals have been blown off with all of the various opportunities secondary to our core objective. Center for Global Health...what's that? Student government...sure, sign me up. Intramural sports...lets play. Community Outreach program...okey-dokey. Not to mention just across the street is the School of Public Health which offers keynote big-name speakers and fascinating elective classes. One of the most powerful moments in the program thus far came during a class within the first two weeks. Up on the screen our instructor put a picture of a Johns Hopkins diploma. She then asked "so where is it?" "Where is what?" the class responded." The GPA. Where is the GPA on the diploma?" It was a point well made, as GPA's don't exist on diplomas. I could almost hear a collective sigh of relief leave the lungs from everyone in the room.

The lesson stands though; am I here to get good grades or am I here to get an education? Make no scruples about it, there is a difference between the two and I for one have made my choice. I wish you luck in making yours.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to study before our football game.

July 21, 2009 - Pigs for Peace

nancyglass — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:42:00 GMT

Yesterday, was my day to tour our Pigs for Peace project in the villages surrounding Bukavu. We left early in the morning to reach the villages and have plenty of time to meet with women and families who have received the pigs - my research assistants - Dr.Octave - a physics and math teacher at a local high school and Dr. Maphie - a physician at the general hospital - will be conducting interviews in the Mashi language with the women as part of our evaluation of the program as I go out to tour the project. One challenge to the research is my lack of knowledge of the local language - the RAs translate the Mashi to French for me at the interview - they write the responses in French - I am recording the interview as well - then I have hired another Congolese teacher here to transcribe the interview to English - so I can review with Hopkins team to see if we need to do follow-up on questions - etc. I am lucky to have such good colleagues here because we are making it work well.

Back to the pigs - we were welcomed to the villages of Ciriri at 8am with women dancing and singing - the team walked to the village followed by the singing and dancing of 30 women, children running along side and lots of greetings - we great in Swahili - Jambo- we all walked to the village meeting room for a formal welcome - which consists of introductions, more singing, and speeches from the village and program leaders. After - we are off to see the women who have received the project pigs and briefly talk with them about the project. As I am touring - Ben Brinton - Hopkins med student and research assistant will stay in village with Dr. Octave and Maphie to have more formal interviews with project participants. So - I am off up the mountains over the hills to meet women and their families - and by 1pm - I had managed to visit about 25 women. All the stories were impressive but some will stay with me forever - up a very steep hill - I met a 70 year old widower who used her money from selling piglets from her pig to build a house for herself and grandchildren - her children were too poor to support her so she was struggling to live - after selling her piglets - 7 from first pregnancy and 5 from second - she had enough to build the house, buy clothes for family and buy seeds for planting.

More later time for work...

July 17, 2009

nancyglass — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:45:00 GMT

We just arrived back from a productive and busy day. Sunday morning is
when my colleage who directs Rama Levina Foundation plays basketball
with his Masters team - so I invited myself along to play- I was in
need of some serious exercise following a week on interviews with
victims and perpetrators of rape - and seeing the trauma of 15 years
of war. I think it is also important to try and make life as normal as
possible when working in a conflict zone. So we met at 9am and played
until 11am. I was so excited to play that I forgot Bukavu is almost a
mile above sea level - so the altitude hit hard at the beginning.
After the game, I had a focus group with the men on the basketball
team about violence and rape in DR Congo, the reasons, the impact on
women and families and what has to be done to stop the violence. After
the group, several men wanted to talk individually about their
understanding and experience. We set up several individual interviews.
We arrived next to my good friends house - Remy Matima - he directs a
microfinance program and we co- found our microfinance project Pigs
for Peace - an animal husbandry program for rural women and families
who have experienced rape - we have provided 85 families with pigs to
start breeding and raising for funds for food, medicine and school
fees. We have done all this with $4000 - imagine what we will be able
to do with more donations - a pig costs only $50. I will be working on
the evaluation of Pigs for Peace next week - more then. After a
wonderful meal with the whole family - Remy has 9 children. After
the mea, we had a meeting with the Supervisor of security for the UN
peacekeepers. I met him last Sunday and had a great conversation - he
called me to talk about our research and health care program - he is a
good advocate for our work. He also wanted to touch base on our
security as we had been in the rural areas - we made sure he knew we
were safe and planned daily to return to the city before night - and
we are very safe as I only do what my Congolese colleagues tell me is
safe and they know best.

It was a great day but perhaps the best part - I had a full
conversation with a native French speaker - a Belgium woman here
working on justice issues- and she understood my African French - now
that is progress.