Grace Flannery - Week 2

        So far this week was just as good and maybe even better than the first week. I went into the ICU Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and I stayed longer than I had the week before just because there was a lot going on. I think this week gave be a better look at what its like being an ICU nurse and the best day was Tuesday when I was shadowing a 22 year old nurse because she had just graduated from college and had only been working for a year. I was able to connect with her better and she talked to me more about what her experience with nursing school was like and then she talked a lot about her first year as an ICU nurse.

        The two main things Madi talked about most on how to stay balanced in life while working in the ICU was working out and having a meal plan for the week. Being in such a stressful environment the entire day or night is a long 12 hours and its draining. The days you have off are very important to get rest but to also get some exercise to release endorphins which is extremely healthy. Also having a meal plan for the week makes going to work 10x easier and its a more effiencent way of making sure your eating well and having nutritious food to get you through a long day of work on your feet. 

        While shadowing this week I was also given the opportunity to work more hands on and it was really cool. It can be overwhelming watching the nurses giving a ton of medication to one patient and it stresses me out and I get worried that if I ever went into the ICU I'd be worried about not remembering to give all the medication. However they have medicine cabinets that light up and tell you every single medication and how many you need for your patient and its very very organized which I like and need. This week just got me more excited to work in hopefully a hospital after I graduate college. 

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