Sunshine

This week was my first week of my CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) course. I go from 8am to 5pm everyday, and to be honest, it's exhausting. The majority of the time I'm taking notes and trying not to freeze to death in our little room. But aside from that, I LOVE what I'm learning. It is so fascinating to me and I soak it all in like a sponge. Today was our first day of clinicals. I made a mental checklist. Wake up call at 5am? check. Cute scrubs? check. Notebook and pen? check. Watch with a second hand? check. Hair pulled back? check. I was set to go. I arrived at the hospital and was assigned to work on the first floor in the geriatric unit. This is where all my knowledge was put to the test. I caught on pretty fast and the time flew by so quickly. There were of course those not so pretty moments that CNA's always get to work with, but there were also some really awesome experiences. I got to talk to the patients and learn more about them, and got to talk with my CNA about her life. But my personal favorite was talking to a little old lady and having her burst out in song to me. She sang her favorite, "You Are My Sunshine," at the top of her lungs. It was the cutest. thing. ever. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear and after she was done. I applauded her and told her she was MY sunshine. It literally brightened my whole day. It's moments like that that I think make nursing so worth it. That, and taking the time to listen to and talk to patients. Learning more about them and their needs, and carrying out those needs to make sure they're as happy as possible. After all, the patient is with the CNA 90% of their stay. The rest of the 10% is with the Nurse/Doctor. I can't wait to continue on this road of nursing that I've just set out on. It will definitely be long with lots of hard work, but more than worth it in the end. 
image via google