Wednesday, June 15, 2005
More Entries
I've got some time off today, and decided to add more of the blogs I've got waiting in the wings. I'm still pretty primative at blogging, and enter each one individually into the blogger template so we just plod along.I think the ratio of student nurse blogs to working nurse blogs is interesting. I doubt it means that student nurses have more time to get online, but rather that they have more of a familiarity with the internet than students that came before them. I know I looked up every journal article I ever used in school online. I think I started blogging because I found the industry to be so exciting and I was finding stories that were amazing to me.
Hanna goes to nursing school in the UK and has a blog called Student Nurse's Diary where she explores the changes and challenges of leaving home to stay in a dorm-type housing ("nursing accomodation").
Unconventional Student Nurse is setting up a quiet place to study after buying her first unform and lab coat. Isn't orientation fun?
Kendra is happy to get a vacation, but seems like she just can't catch a break at Whoa...It's Finally All About Me. She's going through a lot of changes, and hopefully blogging about it will be helpful. I can't leave a comment because I'm not signed up with passport. Ugh.
Over at the Captn's Log, he doesn't talk much about nursing because he has just finished orientation to school. He's got a lot to say, though, so I'd keep an eye on this one. Darklemon isn't talking about nursing much either, but he's a 12-year vetran nurse who decided to go into teaching. He's in Australia, and talks a lot about his life down under.
Bob's Blog is from a nurse who became a firefighter. He doesn't talk much about work, but he does talk a lot about his charity work and his outlook on life. Sounds like a totally happy guy to me. Posts regularly.
Wow! Look at all these GUYS! How cool is that?! Here's another guy: Chris in Pennsylvania is a volunteer firefighter and in a BSN program. He hasn't got any comments to his new blog yet, so make sure you let him know you're reading The Life I Lead.
I really like the layout at Crazy Tracy's Place. She's a psych nurse who's got some stories to tell - most recently the guy who didn't want the court-ordered injection:
"I'M BLEEDING! I'M BLEEDING! YOU'RE DRAINING OUT ALL MY BLOOD!!!" When I was finally able to get him to stop screaming, I said, "You're not bleeding at all. Look!" And he wasn't. He looked at his arm for a few seconds and then started screaming again, "I'M ALL DRIED UP! I HAVE NO BLOOD! I HAVE NO BLOOD!".Don't you just love psych patients?
Kristin in Florida just graduated from nursing school and starting her preceptorship! Yipee! Life as a New Nurse's last post was in April telling us how she would be graduating soon - I expect she's too busy with the NCLEX and interviews to blog! :)
Where's My Towel? discusses end-of-life issues and a growing understanding of what nursing is about from a student's point of view.
That should keep you busy for a while. Remember to comment often, especially to new bloggers - it's the fuel that keeps the blogging fire glowing! :)
I'm going to run to the store and when I get back I'll try and get some pix from my camping trip posted.
Posted by HypnoKitten at 10:50 AM
Have you thought about using something like Blogrolling to keep your list of nursey blogs? http://www.blogrolling.com/
I've been using it for my list o' blogs and like it pretty well. It's a little weird to figure out how to use it at first, but once you get it going, it's super easy to add new blogs and you don't have to update your blog template! Let me know if you'd like more info.
I did check that out, because so many people do use it, but I did not see how I could 1)Put them in alphabetical order 2)Organize them into categories 3)Put a comment behind each one.
I was trying to make a template in excel so that I could just enter the site address and the code would be put there automatically and it would be alphebetized, but I only got it halfway done before I gave up.
I think the thing I'd really like to do now is get a sort of tagboard-type thing where people can submit their own sites easily. I found some code for this on kali's website (http://www.xentrik.net/html/forms.php) but I couldn't get it to work yet (probably because I mess around with it so much, and I don't know what I'm doing! LOL).
This site is probably always going to be a work in progress as I learn more about what I can do with HTML. :)
Congrats to you too. I take it you have passed your NCLEX also? I just got my license in the mail today. What a relief! Anyway, I got the job on the GYN floor and I started in the last two weeks. So far I have had only two days on the floor. I followed my nurse the first day, and then she followed me as my nurse assistant the next day. In four semesters of nursing school, I didn't do one IV push med (school policy). My preceptor showed me how to do a few and then it was my turn. That was day one! Whew!
Anyway my dilemma is HIPAA. How does one blog about work as a nurse in the HIPAA era?
Kristen, RN
Kristen: I knew I'd be posting about patients when I started this blog, so I purposefully left out information that would identify me like name, city, state. I don't post patient's names or much about their diagnosis and I'm not giving out identifying personal information. That still leaves enough room to be able to tell a story about an interaction and let people know how your workday has been.
I am surprised when people use their real names and locations when blogging - thats too much info to give out, in my opinion. Not for HIPPA reasons but for your own safety!
Impressive list! Now, if only you could get ALL of them to submit entries to the Nursing Moment!