ICU Day One.

My first day on the ICU was NOT what I expected! I was supposed to be on Progressive/Stepdown but instead was put on the Medical ICU! Thank goodness for stroke certification! :) I had a wonderful day and I learned so much! AND I got to see Amy! She's such an inspiration to me and is a wonderful encourager! :) My patient was pretty critical and since we just discussed MIs it was a great way to apply my knowledge! :) I got to see a ventilator, and also calculate CVP and PA pressure .. which I know is a foreign language to most of you ... but I got to apply more knowledge and it was GREAT!! :) I have to say that I am loving Hillcrest and my experience there so far has greatly swayed my vote of where I want to work! :) I am also very grateful for not having to wake up at 4 AM! WooHoo!! I got to sleep in a little bit! :) I can't wait to see what else the semester has in store for me! :)

25 Randoms about ME

I have been tagged by a FEW people so I'm gonna go for it! :)

1. I love love love fashion. If I wasn't in nursing I would definitely be a designer or stylist. :)
2. I am addicted to FOOD NETWORK (esp in HD!). It's EVIL because it makes me eat lots of food while I'm watching it! ha
3. I want to have a Labrador in each color and I will someday!
4. I am marrying the man of my dreams on June 27, 2009! He's absolutely perfect for me and he's my best friend. What could be better than that?! :)
5. I am totally fascinated with Pearl Harbor and the Titanic. If any documentary comes on the tv, I HAVE to watch it. Nerdy, I know.
   
6. I am addicted to Mystery Diagnosis on the Discovery Channel. I love learning about medical diagnoses that I have never heard of before.
   
7. Death scares me. I cannot go in the room of a patient when they have passed away. It freaks me out. I blame that on my first clinical experience of nursing school. I got TRICKED into bathing a patient who passed away.
8. I HATE driving on the interstate. It scares me and people do not know how to drive. Too bad I have to drive it every day!
   
9. I love daisies. I would take daisies over roses any day! Maybe that's why my bouquet is full of Gerberas! :)
   
10. I think nursing school is the equivalent of BOOT CAMP! I mean who in their right mind would put themselves through such agony?! Only a nurse ... haha.
11. My iPhone should be surgically attached to my hand. ha.
    
12. I do not have a relationship my biological father and I could really care less if we never see each other again. He has in NO WAY made me the woman that I am. I can that my ONE AND ONLY DAD for that! :) He's been there through everything and has encouraged me more than anyone I know. He wants me to be the best I can possibly and won't stop until I get there! :) Best.Dad.Ever!
13. I am an emotional TIME BOMB lately! Between school and life I am overwhelmed. Maybe it's that lack of sleep kicking in?
14. I can't wait to have a baby. Okay, I CAN wait ... just excited! Last semester on the Maternity floor was a BAD idea! Stephen can't wait either. So we are planning to start trying later this year! :) (Moms don't FREAK OUT!! hahahah!)
15. I am terrified of AIRPLANES!! I keep having nightmares every night about being on a plane. There is never a bad outcome but I'm just scared. Any suggestions on how to overcome this?
16. I have way too many shoes (as you can tell by the last post) AND I just ordered another pair! Ha!
    
17. I love cooking for Stephen! It's so rewarding to make him happy! :)
    
18. I am so house-wifey ... even though I'm not there yet I love being home cleaning, cooking, baking. :)
19. I left the country for the first time last May! It was an awesome experience except for the plane ride. It was my first time ever in a plane and I definitely panicked! NOT COOL
20. I cannot go one day without checking facebook. Now if I could only get in the habit of reading ahead every night ... yeah right!
    
21. I change my hair color often! I love change and having a different hair color makes me feel like I'm starting over! :)
    
22. I could very easily buy out Target in one trip. Such an evil store! haha!
    
23. I have 2 tattoos and plan on getting at least one more. I can't wait! :)
24. I get really excited when people ask me about my wedding plans! I love to talk about weddings and I am really considering being a wedding planner on the side! :)
25. Lastly, I CANNOT WAIT TO GRADUATE! It can't come soon enough. There is a little glimmer at the end of the tunnel. I hope this hard work pays off! :)

I'm tagging:
-Lindsey
-Krista
-Lauren

xoxo. Brittany

Ice Ice Baby...

SO clinicals today were canceled due to the ice on the roads. YES! :) I got to sleep in and take a day to relax and do some much needed shopping. It was so nice and I got some super-fab shoes!! :)












TOMORROW starts my first rotation on the ICU and I'm still scared. haha. I hope it's not as bad as I am anticipating! I'll update on my REAL first day tomorrow! :)

BrRrR!!!

It is sooooo cold outside! This Texas weather is just crazy! It's 80* one day and then 28* the next! No wonder I'm so sick!

Tomorrow I start my S1 clinical rotations ... I'm totally completely terrified!
I have 2 days in the Progressive/Stepdown Unit with TWO patients! OMG!
Then I'm on Surgical ICU for 2 days next week; and following that I will be in the Ambulatory Care (starting IVs!!!) and then back to Surgical ICU. THEN I will be heading on to my Mental Health Nursing rotation and I'm MORE SCARED of that! haha! We were taught how to block kicks, punches, and even how to get out of a chokehold. YIKES! Then I do it all over again!
I really hope this semester flies. I'm so stressed and overwhelmed by it all that I can't really enjoy it! I did really well on my first test today so hopefully that means I'm going to be fine! The first and last tests usually get me!

In wedding news: We are going to be deciding on centerpieces for the table this week and then hopefully all we have to do next is get the food ordered, get the invites ordered, and book the honeymoon! :) I'm sure there's a few more minor details left but not anything stressful! :) I got a photographer for my bridals and the wedding/reception and I couldn't be more excited! He's really good and is married to one of my mom's really good friends! :)

I hope all of you are staying warm out there! I might even bring out the hot cocoa again! :) Oh, and BE VERY CAREFUL - The roads are super slick! I'll update tomorrow on my first day in ICU! Pray for me and my patients! haha! Goodnight! -Brittany

Honeeeeeeymoon! :)

I think we've finally got the honeymoon spot chosen! It's absolutely beautiful!

http://www.sandals.com/main/negril/ne-home.cfm

I'm so excited that everything is coming together!
We finally have the pastor confirmed for the ceremony!!!!! My dress is DUNZO! Now still trying to get the bridesmaids dresses, dinner, and decorations figured out.

woohoo! now i'm off to spend my weekend studying for critical care. yay for EKG strips and heart attacks! lol! -B

158 days!!!!!!

I just looked at my countdown and noticed I have 158 days until I marry the man of my dreams! :) YAY! :) Soooo Excited! I love you, Stephen!

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

I love this song by the Fray ... and even more I love how it describes a tough time in life ... a total let down and heartache. Not that I am suffering a heartache or anything - but definitely a tough time.

I'm so very ready to be done with school. The stress that accompanies nursing school is sometimes unbearable. Am I always going to question if I am truly meant to be a nurse? I hate feeling like I'm in over my head (no, that's not another Fray song reference-ha!)... I don't like feeling like I am learning absolutely NOTHING! I pay way too much money for my education to feel like a moron. I know my S1 friends can totally relate with me right now. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel - it may very well be a big black train ... or it could be the outside of the tunnel - the REAL world!! I just need to pray for the strength to make it through this very last semester of tedious learning and frontloading; and then lastly NURSING BOARDS EXAM! I know I can do this ... I'm fighting with everything I have to kick this program in the butt and get that diploma I have poured so many tears into for the last year and a half!

This semester is especially rough. I am not very fond of Mental Health Nursing and it's definitely kicking my butt already. I cannot get interested in it ... the disorders I will probably love learning .. but not the history of psychiatry! BORING! Critical Care freaks me out!!! I don't know if it's because I'm still this very timid nursing student and a life and death situation scares me ... or if it's because I'm terrified of killing my critical patient!!! AGGHHH! I don't like EKGs because they are too complex. LOL! Please pray for me as I move through this semester and kick butt so I can walk that stage in DECEMBER!!!! I can't believe it's so close!!! :) I file for graduation and such around march/april so I'm very excited and that's when it will feel REAL! :)

In wedding news:
We booked the reception site. Hughes-Dillard Alumni Center at Baylor and it's beautiful. We ordered both cakes and they are everything I had wanted them to be! :) The flowers are ordered and are absolutely beautiful(thats the bridesmaids bouquet in the picture!)! I finally have my dress back in my possesion after getting it altered! It's GORGEOUS and I can't wait for Stephen to see it! :) We have a few other details to work out but I'll be updating those as we go! As far as the honeymoon - we are looking at Sandals in Jamaica!! WooHOO! :) I'm excited! I think thats about all thats going on in my neck of the woods!! Hope all is well out with all of you!!
xoxo!