Week in Review 10/2/16

I didn't have to work on Monday!  For the next 8 weeks I will be working on Saturdays so I will have Mondays off.  This Monday I felt really ambitious.  I have needed to do some serious cleaning in my bedroom and was planning to get started on it first thing Monday morning.  Then, just as I was climbing out of bed - Kim climbed into bed.  I totally forgot that he would be sleeping!  DANG!  That plan wouldn't work at all.

New plan, it was a beautiful day and so I went outside and did a little yard work.  My daises were tall and dead and pretty much out of control.  I lopped them all off and did a little maintenance.  It looks so much better.

Then came the fun!  Tammy, Robin, Ashley and I went to Costa Vida for lunch.  I just love Costa Vida, especially the pork burritos, I just wish that they weren't 48 million calories!

That night my favorite show, Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) was only half as long as usual due to the presidential debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.  I make it a habit not to discuss politics, but let me say that I'm not very impressed with either Clinton or Trump.

I took Rox for lunch on Tuesday for her birthday.  We went to a really great Cantina near her office.  I wasn't sure if I wanted Mexican food again since I went to Costa Vida the day before, but this food was totally different and very good. I took pictures, but somehow I lost them.

I have been assigning students to do presentations in lab class about different skills and tools they will use as nurses.  I have been so impressed at the great information they have been presenting.  This week M. gave a presentation about different wound dressings that was absolutely fascinating.  I learned a lot!  I feel really good about having the class participating the the teaching-learning process.
Friday I joined the other faculty to attend an INPD (Intermountain Nursing Professional Development) Conference.  It was a two-hour drive each way to get there, but carpooling made the trip much more entertaining.  Carrie volunteered to drive since she has a van designed for her disability.  As we were all piling in we realized that we had one more body than she had seats.  The space at the very back of her van was taken up by an electric scooter that she uses to get around.  Dustin, our newest faculty member, is young and flexible and stated that since he had nine brothers and sisters he was used to being stuffed in the back.  He then proceeded to climb in the back and snuggle up next to the scooter.  The rest of us balked at the idea, first because it didn't look very comfortable, and second because it wasn't safe because he wasn't able to wear a seat belt.  He wouldn't listen and insisted that he would be more than fine.  So off we went.

The silly man rode all the way to and from the conference scrunched up in the back of the van!

The conference was really good, however the we were not able to pay close attention during the first part because we had a problem with a clinical instructor and the students at a facility.  Carrie and Tanja actually left and drove back to the facility to try to get it straightened out.  I had the students in my class and clinical last semester so they kept calling me to try to get things worked out, I then would have to pass the information on to Carrie, who then would relay the information to clinical adviser who had not been able to locate the students.  It was a big mess that took several hours to resolve.  Thankfully everything turned out alright.

The conference included both breakfast and lunch that were absolutely fantastic!  When I left I felt like I was totally full, both in my belly and in my brain.  We learned a lot of ways to make our classes and learning experiences more meaningful for our students.  We learned how to use color in our presentations - both personality colors and the way different colors invoke feelings and emotions.  We learned how to include some creative ways to include media in our presentations and also more ways to involve students in the learning process.  Tanja brought some coloring pages and markers and our table colored while we listened.  I'll admit that I like to color while I listen!

Clockwise starting with top left:  Carrie and Sue, my colored picture, Tanja and Dustin,
Demonstrations on using hats in the classroom, Tanja, the great artist.

I had to get up VERY early Saturday (3:30) so that I could arrive at the University of Utah hospital early for my first day as clinical instructor.  It was a great day and I feel that the students all had fantastic experiences working on the Labor & Delivery, NICU, and Maternal/Newborn units.  I have to say that I LOVED it!  I really do like the women's service part of nursing.  The students got to participate in three births, observe treatment for a postpartum hemorrhage, feed babies with tube feedings, and give lots of postpartum help with breastfeeding and education on taking care of a newborn.  The students all stated that they felt that the learning experience was fantastic.  Although a lot of my day is just spent walking the halls to do rounds or waiting for the next round, the conference at the end of the day is so worth it.  I just love to hear the students report about the things they did and saw and learned.

I was able to catch up with my friend, Rondi, for lunch.  Rondi was in my nursing class and is now working at the Huntsman Cancer Center on the Bone Marrow Transplant unit.

It was so good to catch up with her!  I'm so proud of how well she is doing and all that she has accomplished in her nursing career.

Unfortunately because I was at the U on Saturday I missed the first day of talks of General Conference.  Raelynn was at our house all day Sunday so she "watched" conference with us.  She is such a cute little bug and really tried to sit quietly and color and listen to the talks, but she didn't last very long.  We had my dad come over for brunch in between the sessions, but he had a headache and didn't stay very long.  Kalel came home from his dad's right in the middle of the afternoon session and tons to talk about.

I feel that I didn't really have the opportunity to immerse myself in the talks during conference this weekend.  I'm looking forward to reading/listening to them throughout the next few days.  The little bits that I was able to focus on felt like teasers to get me to seriously study them.

I remember that Jodi said that she often makes German pancakes for her family on conference weekend so I decided to give it a try.  And guess what!  It turned out pretty good if I don't say so myself.  Kim was surprised because he rarely sees me cook and because we haven't had German pancakes for AGES!

The kids didn't leave until late, but they were good and just watched a movie.  I spent the evening reading through some histories of my ancestors.  It it actually addicting to me, when I start reading I just want to keep reading and find it difficult to stop.  I learned so many interesting things about my grandfather that I can't wait to see him to talk about his life!  He died when I was only 8 so I don't remember much about him.  How grateful I am than someone took the time to write down these histories!  I learned that my grandfather, Art, lost his mother when he was quite young.  His father couldn't work and take care of the six children efficiently even though he tried.  The children were all farmed out to family members and friends to help raise.  Art didn't want to live with anyone else and so he stayed with his dad for a few years and then when he was 10 or 11 he left home to work for room and board wherever he could find work.  That is so incredibly young to be on his own.  He grew up to be very dependable and a great worker and always provided well for his family.

This week I am grateful for:

Stories and memories of family members.