Nearing the End...

Tomorrow is my last clinical of nursing school. I cannot express how happy that makes me. For three solid years I have been to nursing homes, rinky dink rural hospitals, large hospitals, mental health facilities, senior centers, health departments, and even to people's home to care for them. Three years of getting up before dawn to be at a facility so I can change beds, attend to patient's GI needs, give medications, perform assessments, and do whatever my instructor tells me to. I remember my first real patient from sophomore year. Keep in mind that I was a 19 year old college girl with no experience whatsoever. I get assigned this 70 something year old black man with dementia who was combative and dug in his diaper. Can you believe that? That should have been a warning sign of the years to come! I have had some great patients and great experiences, but I am not sad at all that tomorrow will be my last clinical experience as a nursing student. By the way, I will be getting up at 4 am to go to this clinical site!