Hello. My name is Diana. Like everyone else in the entire world I am from California- specifically (or unspecifically, however you’d like to see it) from the Bay Area. And I am currently engulfed in the beast that is nursing school.
Here are a few key elements to muddling through my posts:
I am here, at Johns Hopkins, because I really feel that the universe handed me a bone. Although a very hard worker with high confidences in myself (you’ll also find no lack of modesty in this blog), it still feels absolutely surreal to be here. Amazing peers with all with eclectic experiences surround me, and I somehow managed to finagle (sure it’s a word!) my way in here.
I love to learn. I get completely over-excited at the smallest victories in my study groups. I take personal responsibility for the world’s deforestation problem due to my ability to go through note cards like I’m getting paid. I LIVE for all the different colored highlighters that are out there in the world. Another reason why Johns Hopkins has been a great fit for me is you are learning months before you even get here. A little overwhelmed at all the readings, assignments, and quizzes in the first week alone? Absolutely. Totally and completely enthralled when I finally get blood gases and fluid/electrolyte imbalances? Indescribable.
Though it’s been really overwhelming acclimating to a new place, getting around without my beloved 1993 Corolla, on top of what seems to be endless amounts of homework, everything has seemed to work out.
Having our clinicals in an inner-city hospital is pretty fascinating. You see a lot of sad stories, and certainly some extreme cases- major drug and alcohol abusers, severe cases of everything (we have a sickle- cell patient, a paraplegic, and a chronic alcoholic on our floor alone). I grew up in East Bay (Ca) suburbia, and in our hospitals we get the occasional gun shot, and other violent wounds from Richmond and Oakland, but for the most part our hospitals don’t deal with these issues of poverty and violence.
It’s very eye-opening and I’m honestly, despite being stressed, loving being in this environment. As scary and frustrating as it can be, I am trying to soak up as much as I can. If I really want to be in critical and ER/ED care, I better get to know this stuff.
I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about meeting people here. I have such an amazing base back home, and I was worried that I wouldn’t match up with the intellect this place is known for. I was worried that people would be overly competitive, overly grade-conscious, etc.
I was so wrong. So, so, so wrong. I haven’t met one person I don’t like… I’m serious! Everyone has different qualities, different perspectives, but we are all here for one thing- to be the best nurses we can be. There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie that I couldn’t imagine to be any where else but nursing school. I’ll tell you what, when you need to break down (and trust me, in this first semester you will) there is no better place to be than surrounded by amazing future nurses.
Anyway, I’ve got to get back to my beloved Pathophysiology. Hopefully I’ll have a few more helpful insights next time.
Have a great rest of your week!
– Diana (Accelerated ’11)