Back to School

School starts tomorrow and I. Am. Ready. I have a year under my belt and I like to think I have some idea of what I'm doing. Fake it till you make it, right?

I thought I would share some of the things I do to stay organized and sane during the school year. (Read: not cry and/or pull out my hair. I save all that for finals week!)

1. Use a planner. Religiously.

Now this may sound like a no brainer, but finding both a planner and a planning system that works for you is, I believe, half the battle when it comes to surviving graduate nursing school. If I'm not organized, everything falls apart; I can't prioritize, things don't get done, etc.

I personally use a written planner. I color code it and spend roughly 30 minutes on Sunday nights planning my week. Classes are pink, clinicals are orange, teaching assistant stuff is yellow, work is blue, and so on.

I also have a version of this on a bulletin board directly above my desk that I can easily add 'To Do' post-it notes to. I find that writing everything I need to do in my planner takes up too much space and makes things messy, ultimately defeating the purpose of having a planner in the first place.

2. Set all of your monthly bills to auto-pay. And sign up for electronic statements.

Not going to lie. There are some weeks when I check my mail maybe once a week. I have to drive up to the thing and get out of my car. Who has the time?

Electronic statements remind me that the bill is due soon (Is there enough money in my account to cover this?) and I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing it will automatically be paid on time. No late fees! And it's one less thing on my 'To Do' list.

3. Meal Prep.

If I can do this, you can do this. You'd be amazed at the things you can make in a crock pot! This is not only a time saver, but it is easy on my wallet. And who doesn't need to eat better?!

Hope this helps. And I hope you have a great first week back to school!

How are you organizing yourself for the new school year?

Medical Trip Pictures

Home sweet home! I can not tell you guys how good it is to be back! And I could not be more excited to share my pictures from my 6 week medical trip to Peru!

I am a packing ninja! I only took 2 backpacks with me.

I split my time between an outpatient pediatric clinic, an emergency department, and a private surgery center. It was fascinating to witness the many differences between the U.S. and Peru's healthcare systems.

Some things truly are universal.

For example, there is no such thing as HIPPA (patient privacy). It is also rare for pharmacies to have licensed pharmacists in house; clerks sell prescriptions without legal, written prescriptions. Hello antibiotic resistance!

Crash cart = the only medical supplies available in the ED. Use sparingly!

When a patient presents to the ED, they are triaged and given a prescription for every medication and any medical supplies (ex. syringe, gauze, saline, etc.) they will need. A family member then goes and fills the prescription prior to the patient receiving ANY treatment. The turn around time on this is about as long as you would suspect.

Triage (aka patient waiting) area.

I worked with several wonderful physicians, surgeons, residents, and nurses. Everyone was eager to not only teach, but to learn. During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) the surgeon and I played 'Name That Organ.' I would respond in Spanish and he in English. It's harder than one might expect in a second language!

Do you know how to say gall bladder in Spanish? Hint: it's not gall bladdero.

The OR is not air conditioned (I have never sweat more in my life!) and the doors are left open. Eeek! The surgical equipment is at least 20 years old (with the exception of the lap equipment) and eye protection is not a thing. Double eeek!

Machu Picchu. Pictures will never do this place justice. 

And of course Machu Picchu! One of the volunteers and I traveled to Cusco and the Sacred Valley to witness this wonder. We did not do the Inca Trail, (I feel I paid my dues during the first five weeks going without a hot shower!) but we did hike the small mountain and watched the sunrise. Truly breathtaking.

I wish that I had more pictures (and of better quality) to share but I stopped carrying my phone with me when two of the volunteers were robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight. I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone!

All in all, it was a wonderful trip!

Thanks for stopping by!