Final week of the summer school term

The end of the summer term is definitely in sight! I have finished writing my market research paper on midwifery, birth centers, and consumer/health care provider knowledge of those two topics. I need to edit the paper and submit it, and I am DONE! Well, at least with that course............

I can also see that opening a freestanding birth center in my neck of the woods may end up not working out so well. Bummer. The need is there, but the actual number of people who would utilize it ..... ??? And would it really work financially .... ??? Two very big questions. To be continued when I write up my final birth center proposal paper, which will be next Spring.

Intrapartum - I have my last exam to finish studying for and to take. THEN I am truly done with this summer term.

Summer was a short term - only 11 weeks long - so things were just a little bit more compressed. (Only by one week.) I was only taking two classes for a total of five credits, so it wasn't that bad. If I had to take a 3rd class, or two intensive specialty courses, it would have been nearly impossible for me. I am incredibly glad for choosing the part-time (per the school) route for my midwifery education.

The definition according to the federal student loan servicing of a full time graduate student is one who takes at least 9 credits in a 6 month period of time. I take more than that in 6 months. Yet, full-time in the school's eyes is pretty much consistently taking 8-9 credits per term -- which is double what the loan servicing people define as full-time. Crazy confusion, eh? Yeah, that's what I thought!

Want to here something funny/frustrating/stupid? Yes, this would be something I did, thankyouverymuch. I thought I had my CPR renewal at work on one day, but it was actually the next day. I showed up on the wrong day. Go me! I stayed and worked because I was scheduled to work after my CPR that day anyway. Good thing too, because it was slamming busy on the unit, and they really worked me hard. No births for me that day, but a whole lot of triage patients. I really don't mind triage, in fact - I kinda like it. It keeps me hopping, and helps to hone my assessment and diagnostic nursing skills.

One of the docs and I were discussing past cases that we have seen of very insidious onset of preeclampsia into eclampsia. And the fact that all blood pressure elevations need a full evaluation, especially when occurring in early or active labor. Those rising blood pressures may indicate a pain response (in most cases), but when it's actually preeclampsia coming on - BAM! Eclamptic seizures. Which are absolutely devastating for a family to witness, and will make any seasoned health care provider want to crap their pants. (Yeah, I went there.) I am so grateful to have rarely witnessed true eclamptic seizures. I have definitely seen pseudoseizures! (Another story for another post.)

You wouldn't believe the dramatics I have seen on L&D. But I will definitely leave those stories for future posts!

(Just what does that cup of espresso above have to do with any of this? Absolutely EVERYTHING! It's how I keep running every day. Can I get an Amen? Thank you.)