So much to do so little time.....

Winter break came and went just like that, with that being said graduation is right around the corner and this semester is in overdrive. There is so much to do and so little time. Registered respiratory therapist will soon be my title and I am so excited. So much hard work and dedication and soon it will all pay off. These weeks are just so busy sometimes I find my self freaking out and waking up in the middle of the night wondering where I am suppose to be or what day it is and whats the next thing due with my busy schedule of juggling school, clinical s at the hospital, a full time job and still try to manage to eat and sleep in-between.

The first week back to school we attended NMSRC annual state conference in Ruidoso, NM which was a blast and set the tone for the rest of the semester. While we were there we received our laid out schedule of where each student needed to be during the semester 15 full pages of schedules for different specialty rotations as well as our hospital schedule. The program in itself in a full time job. My first two sets of clinical rotations are my specialty rotations. Being able to see and work in the different areas of our career field. The first stop on my list was going to the Hyberbaric chambers in El Paso, Did I forget to mention that most of our clinical experience are out of town so I spend a lot of time in the car on the road. The hyperbaric chambers is a type of oxygen therapy that consists of a chamber which patients go into which are set at different atmospheric pressures while receiving 100% oxygen. They are typically used for wound care to help heal wounds faster usually in diabetic patents as well as many other things. the second day on my schedule was my teaching rotation where I had to teach the first year students in the program a specific topic, it was crazy because that was me just starting out now here I am about to go off into the real world in this career. Finally the last day of the first week back I got to do my ER rotation at the trauma hospital in El Paso Friday night which was exciting.

This past week has been a busy one as well I went to Alamogordo Monday and Wednesday for an intubation rotation. Which was awesome because we got to go this year, the class before us was not able to go. I got to attend several surgeries and help the anesthesiologist intubate and manage the airway while the patient was having surgery. Let me say its harder to doing on a real person vs a dummy doll. But I did it. I was also able to observe some pretty cool surgeries and be up close to see it all. I saw a rotator cuff surgery, a gallbladder removal, and a few foot surgeries and many more. I was a little nervous if I was going to be able to stomach it but once your there and up close you see how cool and amazing the body is from the inside and the way surgeons work that you don't have time to freak out. Thursday I went to the sleep lab and observed how they perform sleep studies which was pretty cool but I'm sure its hard to sleep somewhere else in a room hooked up to a million wires, One patient decided to leave because she couldn't fall asleep. In the midst of all that a busy week at work and school I passed my NRP which is neonatal resuscitation, Next week we have to test out for my PALS certification which is pediatric advanced life support. So much to do and so little time. I can only imagine what the next few weeks have in store. We have to get out licence in so many things before graduations and prepare to take our boards to get registered. But like I said so much to do so little time......

But all the stress and struggle will all be worth it :)