Jennica- I thought you might smile when you think of this day- what a fun day it was!!!

I had my first patient die on my shift today. I really thought he would pass this evening- but at 1:35 pm today he was with his sons, two nurses to pronounce and I popped in b/c my instructor thought I should be there for closure at the end of a busy stressful day. I worked in "isolation" with this patient- he had pneumonia and was "C-Diff pos"- and today he basically went through multi-system failure. He had the nicest family- and when he passed away there was not a dry eye in that room (including me)- it's good to know that nurses still can have a good cry over the loss of a life with the family. It shows we are human, we care and that we respect life.

Okay now some reflections about the nursing program: so it's getting intense now- I got to give 3 injections and my patient say "ow" once (she was just joking though :) I have realized that I am better at building relationships with my patients then the anatomy and physiology of nursing science. I had a 2 patients in a room with 4 people, and I had one of the patients ask me if I could be their nurse!! I almost cried when I saw how upset my one patient was when I told her I wouldn't be her nurse the next day, as I had class...... I have been studying constantly, and lately classical music on i-tunes has gotten me through the material. I have been prepping lots, but sometime I feel that doesn't show in my clinical practise- and then my instructor told me she was impressed with my preparation for clinical!!!! I start pediatrics rotation in 2 weeks:) I might see an angiogram surgery on Tuesday. Also, after my 12 week surgical roatation starting in January I am having surgery myself!!!!(on my foot)

So, all in all I am surviving the rigors and stress of the program- there are day I just don't know if I am cut out to be a nurse, and then I think to myself "what else can I do???" and I can't think of anything else......

so I am going to be the best "patch adams" nurse I can be- laughter after all is the best medicine :)

Church sunday morning- instillation of new senior pastor- Jermey Cook- mom sang beautifully. And sunday night turkey dinner

The anniversary of Jennica and Jamie's engagement- and this is the hike where it happened. The Lucas-Buckland, Splain and Suttie family on the beautiful Golden mile hike at Tinhorn Creek Winery: Oliver, BC Thanksgiving weekend

This is my wonderful, beautiful , supportive parents- Mary and John Suttie. These pics were taken recently in Oliver, BC- my hometown :)