I didn’t get a chance to write about this yesterday, because it was a pretty busy day, but we had our check-out exams in the morning, and they both went very smoothly. There were de facto slip-ups, of course, but both my partner and I did well, even though I was so nervous that my hand was visibly shaking when I held up the penlight to check her extraoccular movements. I didn’t completely blank on anything, though, and I didn’t fumble too much, and the minor things which I did forget I was able to go back and correct on my own. The good news? Both my partner and I passed with flying colors, and even got a compliment from the professor about how organized we were, which is a bit surprising, since I felt so nervous, and we both felt like we had made lots of smalle gaffes. It took me three attempts to find the Southern Belle’s cervix during the speculum exam, even though I was always able to locate it right off the bat during all of our practice attempts! The even better news? It’s over!! We’ll be starting clinicals next week, and examining actual patients, instead of each other, so it feels a bit as if the really fun part is about to begin (not that examining your partner isn’t fun, but you know what I mean.) Our clinicals for this class will be held at an abortion clinic, actually, which should be a very interesting, and certainly a good way to get to examine lots of different women at different stages in their pregnancies. I’m a bit nervous about it, for sure, but mostly excited.
Worked last night…started out in antepartum, where I was taking care of one woman with severe pre-eclampsia, one woman with preterm premature rupture of membranes and oligohydramnios, and one woman with a complete placenta previa and vaginal bleeding. Then, around 3:00 am, I was transferred to postpartum to help with the sudden influx of admissions. Sadly, I didn’t get to see a single birth. It’s starting to feel like it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a one. I haven’t been working that often, and when I do work lately, either none of my patients deliver, or else I’m in postpartum. Hopefully a pattern that will break next week. It was a long, exhausting night, and I’m glad it’s over. Plans for the weekend? Sleep!
