I’m pretty sure that the majority of my friends and family think I’m making up how busy and stressful school can be at times. By ‘at times’, I really mean ‘every single day’. In an effort to give you all a little look-see into my daily life, I’ve compiled a chronological following of my day-to-day activities. I know you’re thinking right now, “if you’re so busy, why the hell are you spending time writing this blog post”.
That, my friend, is a very good question. And I don’t really have an answer for you. I actually should be studying Anatomy & Physiology right now. I told A&P to suck it- because it can’t talk back.
Monday Morning:
0501: alarm rudely awakens me. I think to myself that I could use one of my vacation days- I don’t have to go into clinical today. I really don’t want to get up out of bed. I hate this. Why did I decide to go to school to be a Nurse Anesthetist. I hate my life.
0502-0521: Eat Breakfast, feed the dog, brush my teeth and head out the door. All the while thinking “I should really go back to bed”
0522-0535: Drive to the hospital. Make sure to come to a complete stop at all the stop signs leaving my subdivision so the douchebag cop won’t pull me over. Hope that I’m with a nice CRNA who is not going to yell at me all day.
0540: Walk up to the O.R. board, crossing my fingers. I’m with Mark. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not. I remember the time he asked me what the resistance of the O.R. floor was in Ohms. Set up my room. Think to myself that I could still go home and call in sick. No one has seen me yet, or even knows that I’m here. Why the hell did I want to do this.
0620: Go see my first patient. Fill out all his paperwork, history & physical. Find out that my first surgery that was supposed to be at 0730 is now at 0830. Pissed that I could’ve slept in another 10 minutes or so. Plan in my head how I can pretend to be sick and go home.
0700: Find a dark, hidden, corner behind a curtain and hide from anyone who might yell at me. Try to sleep in an upright chair. Doesn’t work so swell.
0712: Go talk to my CRNA, Mark. Realize that it might not be that bad of a day. Still am contemplating pretending to be sick and going home.
0720: Learn that my 1st case that was originally supposed to start at 0730, but then got moved to 0830, is now once again going to start at 0730. Glad at this point I didn’t sleep in an extra 10 minutes.
0730: Take my patient back to the O.R. Give him some nice drugs, and stick a spinal needle in his back. Rocked the spinal(like an epidural but different). Mark leaves the room. Watch as they begin to prep my patient for surgery. Not so sure if spinal is working. Think to myself- what happens if Mark is not back in the room and I have to switch to a general anesthesia. Have my plan of action figured out in my head. Mark walks back in room right as they begin the surgery. Spinal worked- I rock, and also breathed a sigh of relief.
0750: boredom begins. Total knee replacements are not all that exciting. Glad I wore my knee high socks and long underwear top because ortho rooms are freakin COLD! Contemplate warming my hands on the patients pee in the foley catheter bag. Decide not to.
0920: First case finally over. Think to myself that I wish I would’ve used a vacation day. Man am I tired.
0940: Same song and dance with second patient. Throw the spinal in like I’ve been doing it since birth. Got an “outstanding” from the Anesthesiologist. The start of another long boring case.
0950: A different CRNA comes in to relieve Mark as he’s going to be going into a different OR. He asks if I want to come with him. Some chick fell out of a tree and broke her back- Hell yes I want to come! Leave boring ortho room without a backward glance.
1000: Go see new patient (the 40-something woman who fell out of a tree). Start thinking that maybe I’m glad I didn’t call in sick.
1015: Put in a-line. (an arterial catheter- like an IV that goes in your artery to measure blood pressure). I should rephrase- I try multiple times to put in a-line. I happen to suck at this. Give the patient more sedation. Mark ends up putting it in.
1030: Sweating underneath my extra surgical gown. Wishing at this time I didn’t wear all my warm undergarments. Put in a triple lumen in the Right IJ. Actually put this one in. (a BIG IV that goes into the internal jugular vein). Managed to suture it in without poking myself or Mark. Feel a little bit of sympathy for new surgical residents.
1050: go eat lunch quickly before the case starts. Think to myself that I’m glad I’m here today.
1105: Lunch done- run upstairs to see my patient being brought back to the room. Intubate with a double lumen tube (tube that goes down windpipe into trachea). The plan is for a left lateral thoracotomy- lateral/anterior approach to the vertebrae.
1115: Surgery starts with Cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon opening up the chest. Gape over the drapes at the biggest incision I’ve ever seen in my life. (which isn’t really saying much- but I believe almost everyone in the room had never seen an incision that long- probably at least 2 feet). Starting from the posterior axillary line coming anterior down to her belly button. See the ribs being cracked open and think to myself that I’m glad I’m not climbing trees anymore.
1130: cut off ventilation to one lung so it doesn’t inflate and get in the surgeons way.
1215: Think to myself that I’m reallllyyyy glad that I came to clinical today. Because this is freakin’ awesome. (not so awesome for poor lady who fell out of tree and broke her back, but she’ll survive).
1315: Vascular surgeon leaves, and Neurosurgeon comes in to deal with vertebrae. Surgery is long.
1445: Take lady to ICU to recover.
1500: Leave the hospital for the day. Extremely happy that I dragged my sorry butt out of bed this morning.
1520: Get home. Change into PJ’s. Wash my feet in the sink because I’m too tired to bathe my entire body. Get into bed for my daily nap.
1550: Alarm goes off. Fell asleep for the 30 minutes- don’t feel all that rested as I dreamt about surgery, anesthesia and being in the operating room the whole time. Drag myself out of bed once agin.
1600: Sit down and start studying for the night for my huge A&P test the next day.
1800: Still studying.
1900: Hear the dinner bell ring. (yes my mom rings still rings the bell for dinner). Come down and eat. Thank God that I’m living at home now, and I don’t have to cook for myself.
1920: Come back upstairs and study.
2020: Shower and shave my legs in preparation of my husbands arrival the next day. Think of all the shaving time I’ve been saved in the last 7 months by having a husband that lives across the country. Not to mention money saved on razors.
2047: Continue studying.
2130: Take the sheets off my bed and put them in a washer, in an attempt to make myself stay up late and study since there are no sheets on my bed.
2215: Go dig out my extra set of clean sheets because I can’t keep my eyes open. Make my bed.
2220: Bed time. Earplugs in, facemask on, lights off.
Tuesday
0602: Alarm goes off. Think to myself I really don’t want to get up and study.
0605: eat breakfast. Start studying for today’s test.
0930-1400: class
1414: Take hardest test I’ve taken in the past 7 months. Hope I haven’t just failed out of the program.
1530: Leave Flint to drive to Detroit airport to pick up husband.
1900: Start studying again.
Wednesday: Repeat class day
Thursday: Repeat hospital day
Friday: Repeat hospital day.
You get the picture. This was just a really long and drawn out way of telling you that I’m not ignoring your phone calls, texts, emails and messenger pigeons because I don’t love you- it’s just that I’m a little occupied with school at the moment. And I will continue to be occupied for the next 17 months worth of moments. Please don’t take it personally.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know how you do you it. Sounds very intense, and inspiring all at the same time.
” I’m not ignoring your phone calls, texts, emails and messenger pigeons ”
– no worries, since as a random visitor, I won’t be sending you any – especially no poopy pigeons.
But I did want to tell you that I’m very impressed with your hard work. I hopw your next 17 months go quickly. Good Luck!
I’m thankful that I won’t be receiving any poopy pigeons from you!
Thanks for the encouragement! I need it!
Curious if you’d like to do an audio interview about nurse anesthesia? Please let me know by e-mail since I couldn’t find an e-mail for you…
I found his page on google and wanted to say thank you for taking the time to author and publish it. It has really helped to reinforce my desire to become a CRNA, as well as shed some light on the rigors of graduate study.
Thanks!
Jose Castro