Ok - at Darla's request here is the low down on consolidation practicum (final 2nd yr nursing practicum): Well I am sure we were all more scared that we should have been because after one grueling year of being pushed, stretched now 3 of the 4 insructors are on contract (meaning they are nurses from the local hospitals who have decided to teach ). There is a real lack of nurse's educators right now (and nurses in general). Anyways- our instructor is great because she had last semester's surgical group at CGH- and she works there so she can bring us in more smoothly (I think so). The RN's and LPN's are really nice (that I've worked with) and now on with what Ive done: Well, I have done lots of iv meds (from last semester and during this rotation)- unfortunately for the first time ever I have been having trouble with air and occlusions in the iv lines (this means that the pump won't run until i fix it and it beeps and beeps I jsut want to scream!!). So, that's my learning needs from last week- but the other students and my instructor have been really good with helping out (I also had a very emotionally draining pt who made it hard to concentrate). Other skills: I pulled a JP drain out of a lady's neck (she thanked me), I removed one saline lock and one iv (I'm an old pro at that now). Also, I have been getting to know the different charting too- at CGH they use care maps for some of their patients (like a flow sheet that has indicators for each day post-op and your chart variances for anything abnormal). Oh- and the post-conferences have been a gong show- we could't book a room all week- so we were meeting in the LOCKER ROOM/LUNCH ROOM- needless to say those meetings didn't last too long and not too much discussing going on with some housekeepers eating their lunch around the corner. Overall- consolidation is amazing, I love it- but i do look forward to being done on May 18th!