Coffee Date

It's my day off and I still woke up at 6:30am. Sleeping in is not my lot in life. So I trekked down to the new stand-alone Starbucks with Brother and my yoga elective homework. Here are some coffee date tidbits of life.

~ Currently I have three weeks left of third year. 

~ Currently I am drinking a Venti White Chocolate Mocha with soy milk.

~ Currently I am a little obsessed with the character Roy Harper on Arrow.

~ Currently I am wanting to buy flowers for myself to celebrate Easter & spring.

~ Currently I think that Easter Sunday should always be sunny or else something is wrong.

~ Currently I am hoping UNE jobs get posted soon.

Currently life is good. And on fire :)

Happy Thursday!

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Don't forget about the transition from Google Reader to Bloglovin'.

This is effective July 1st, so don't forget to follow A Silver Snapshot here.

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Friday's Letters

Dear Nursing:  You are crazy and intense and challenging and weird. I like it :) Dear Winter Storm: Everyone just stay home. A 60 car pile-up is enough. Dear White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha: You are my new favourite drink. I am now adopting you and calling you mine. Yum. Dear C & C: One year ago I was celebrating your wedding, and now I am celebrating the birth of your beautiful baby girl. Congratulations. Dear Mexican Bulldog {second beverage letter}: I can't actually finish one of you. Such a lightweight. Dear Sister: I love getting up early with you and visiting. Dear Alicia Keys: "This Girl Is On Fire" is my new life theme song. Heck yes!

Happy Friday!

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Don't forget about the transition from Google Reader to Bloglovin'.

This is effective July 1st, so don't forget to follow A Silver Snapshot here.

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The Little "+"s

Kudos to K & R for this idea.

+ Two shifts on Surgery this week. Smiling like an idiot, because it's what I'm supposed to be doing.

+ New standalone Starbucks. 

+ Sleeping in this morning.

+ Late night cuddles & laughs with the siblings.

+ Going to watch Oz The Great And Powerful with Sister. Realizing it's a kid's movie.

+ Sunny weather and spring.

+ Hanging out with 1st & 2nd & 3rd year nursing students. Unite!

+ Dressing up for a banquet.

+ Fun lifeguarding shifts. 

Life has so many pluses. Why focus on the negatives???

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Letters

Hand-decorated mini jar to hold my chalk collection :)

Dear Weather: I am 100% for no jackets, no tights, no scarves, and no boots. Bring it on! Dear Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" Goat Edition: Funniest thing you will ever watch, ever. No seriously, go watch it here. Harlem Shakes begone! Dear College Tuition/Fees: Why? Why? Why? Beginning to think we should go back to the trading & bartering system. Dear IV Medication Administration: Please go smoothly during clinical and don't give anyone speed shock or mix incompatible drugs. Dear Lifeguard Training: I really don't want to swim 400m in 10 minutes {I know, I know, that is not difficult}. Why am I still training? Isn't 8 years enough proof that I know my stuff??? Dear Saturday Night Banquet: So pumped to dress up and do my hair and makeup! Gonna be a good time. Dear Reading: I haven't touched a fiction book since Christmas. Feel free to make a re-entry into my life at anytime! Dear Blog Commenters: I kinda sorta really like your input. Thanks!

Happy Friday!

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Scrubs Style

I know, I know, in what universe are nursing scrubs considered "style". Well, none, but since I chose a career where high heels, flashy bracelets, and lipstick are out, I decided to do some pics of my normal daily outfit {especially for the next seven weeks :)}.

Not gonna be lie, I'm looking forward to the day when I can be more choosy in my scrubs choice :)

Happy Wednesday!

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Four Tips for Finals Week

The date: November 28, 2012
The objective: Complete Nursing 394 {aka half of 3rd year}
The plan: Get through finals week
The assignments: 1 class + 1 lab + 1 self-evaluation + 2 finals + 1 paper = 6 total

Tip #1: Prioritize. Figure out what needs to be done/studied first, second, etc.

Tip #2: Make study guides or outlines. Nothing wastes time more like opening up a textbook at the beginning and expecting to get through an entire course's content.

Tip #3: Sleep. Minimum 6 hours a night. You WILL NOT PERFORM WELL IN AN EXAM with no sleep behind you. Proven fact.

Tip #4: Let it go. You've taken the class, you've put in the work and hours. Don't over-stress it. Just write the exam and move on.

Now, wish me luck as I attempt to make heads or tails of Inferential Statistics . . . perfect bedside conversation for all my patients :P

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November Photo A Day Instagram Challenge

So, some of my nursing gals and I are doing a November Photo A Day challenge on Instagram. It's been a blast so far, and I am loving being back in the photography challenge mindset again. Here is what I got so far.

Day 1 {something beginning with "c"}: Clock

Day 2 {colour}: And it was all yellow

Day 3 {breakfast}: Haha, I messed up my pancakes...

Follow me at asilversnapshot to see more of the photo challenge!

Happy Sunday!

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OSCEs 101

As some a few most of you know, I did my OSCE {Observed Structured Clinical Examination} on Monday. 

I PASSED!!!

However, I would just like to share with you the moments leading up to and within this practical exam.

1. Scrambling to figure out what content we'll be tested on and what content will be left out.
2. Stress headaches . . . or as I am now calling them . . . stressaches.
3. Chips & Cheesecake. Yep. I'm not proud. One whole month of no sugar or chips down the drain. Hey kids, don't eat junk food while under studying stress. It doesn't help.
4. Role playing clinical scenarios.
5. Waking up at 4am and wondering why.
6. Shaking uncontrollably while attempting to draw up Demerol. Those ampoule openings never seemed so small.

However all of that was not in vain, because there are no more OSCEs . . . EVER! That's right, I just completed my fourth out of four, and I couldn't be happier. I said to a friend yesterday, now I can graduate, haha.

Also a little funny picture of me practicing NG tubes for your viewing pleasure.

I think I missed my nose. And I look a little crazy. I probably was.

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Two Hundred & Twenty-Seven Days...

...until the end of THIRD year {the picture was taken yesterday}. I mean, what?!?!?!? I still remember sitting in Indonesia wrestling with this decision with God over whether or not nursing was my calling, and now I'm over halfway done. I am so thankful for where I am and ready to face the year one day at a time.

A Few Facts

• I am in the classroom setting until December, and then in the hospital from January-April.
• My rotations this year include Mental Health and Medicine/Surgery.
• My shadow day in ICU will have big implications for the future.
• I am in a class of twenty-seven.
• I am excited ;)

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365 Photos Recap: Funniest Picture

And the winner is . . . No. 234: Changes & An Announcement!

I know the picture itself is not funny, but I found the story surrounding it hil-ar-i-ous! Basically, I posted this picture along with this huge story about how I planned to transfer to the University of Alberta in September for my final two years of school, except it was April Fool's Day! I was actually able to fool quite a few people with this post :).
Read the whole story here.

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No. 156 - Frustration

Normally, my blog is happy or meaningful, and I am perfectly fine with that. Today, not so much. Today, I am frustrated. Let me explain. In school, we have these 20-question nursing quizzes every week on the weekly topics. In order to be successful at these quizzes, I usually spend the majority of my weekend researching/studying for them. Normally, that amount of effort for that small of a quiz would be more than enough, but you see, here's the thing about nursing quizzes/exams. More than one answer (it's multiple-choice) is correct. So it is a "pick-the-best-option" scenario. Now, I don't know where my hang-up is. Maybe, I don't excel very well in the exam setting. Or maybe my critical thinking is just really underdeveloped. Either way, this week's ferocious effort resulted in a whopping C+. Boo. So my frustration lies in the fact that despite all the effort, I still cannot figure out how to be successful at these dang quizzes!

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No. 127 - Reflection on Medicine

Today was my last day on Medicine. My group and I went out afterwards (pictured above). These past few weeks have been life-changing. I literally feel like a different person than in October. The biggest thing I learned during this rotation was preparation. I know it's cliched but it is important to be prepared. Only then can you offer the best care possible. 

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No. 123 - Sunday Study Session

This is how my morning started out! Off to a good start.

Then, just like a little kid, I wanted to go out in all the beautiful, new snow.

I mean, who could resist this?

Instead, this is what my day consisted of...

...and this. Gotta love those long study hauls before final exams!

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No. 107 - Reflection on Surgery

I feel as if I learned a lot in the past three weeks. You go from nervousness and dependence to confidence and independence. It was awesome to grow my skill base and to have different kinds of interactions as a surgery nurse.


I think the biggest thing I learned on the surgery unit is communication and time management. Through all the charting, medications, assessments, and vitals, a nurse is constantly rushing around. But once you enter that client's room, I learned you have to slow down, take a deep breath, and concentrate on them at that time. It doesn't matter about the other things that need taking care of. In that moment, you are with the patient, and they are your priority. 


I am excited for my next few weeks on Medicine!

No. 106 - Centre of Hope

Today, we were able to work with the homeless at the Friendship Centre through a health promotion day put on by the Municipality and Centre of Hope. I'm practicing my blood pressure skills on Jen.

No. 98 - OR Day

Today was an amazing day. It was my shadowing day in the OR (Operating Room) during my medicine-surgery rotation. What an experience! I saw five different surgeries, all of them so very different. They were all so very fascinating. It was empowering to discover that blood and organs and whatnot don't have any queasy effect on you :) 

I learned two things today. The first was how efficient the OR is run. Everyone knows their respecting roles from the scrub nurse to the circulating nurse to the anesthesiologist to the surgeon to the assisting surgeon to the charge nurse and so on. They can get a patient in, set up, operated on, and taken to the recovery room in less than an hour. 

The second thing I learned was patient care. Now, I had been told how important nursing care and communication was, but today I experienced it on a whole new level! Patients are the most vulnerable as we bring them into the OR and prepare to put them to sleep. What an "out-of-control" feeling that must be! It is in this moment that I discovered how powerful nursing is. We can stay with the patient until they are asleep, comfort them, and encourage them. I will never forget the interactions I had today with those patients in the seconds before the surgery.

Today was amazing. Yet another milestone. Can't wait to go back!

No. 91 - Round Two

Back to the hospital I go. Today was my first day in 2nd year clinical, 

and I absolutely loved it. I feel like I am connecting so many more links, 

and my knowledge base has grown. I still have so far to go, 

but I feel better about how I getting there. 

No. 65 - OSCE Practice

Karen and I practicing for 5 hours in the lab to prepare for OSCEs on Tuesday - either insulin, demerol/gravol, or dressings.

No. 56 - Lab #5

Dressings, Staples, & Sutures :)

No. 52 - Big Picture

Trying to keep it in sight