vital signs - College of San Mateo

Volume 3, Issue 1
October 19, 2010
College of San Mateo
VITAL SIGNS
Nursing Newsletter
I am honored to welcome and congratulate the nursing students
Inside this issue:
1-4
Relay for Life
5
Coping with Stress
6
Advancing from ADN to
BSN
to the brand new building 5 of College of San Mateo. On behalf
of the CSM Nursing Student Association, I commend all first
year students on being selected for admission to the Registered
Nursing Program. The next year will go by very fast, be filled
with plenty of knowledge and before you know it, it will be
summer. Remember to take one day at a time, study hard, and
enjoy every bit of it in the program. Oh, and remember to have
fun. To my fellow second year students, we are nearing the
completion of our journey. So hang in there, and stay focused.
We are all in this together.
 --Melinda Winans, NSA President
Relay for Life
By: Michelle Nerona
6
Med Dosage Calculations
7
Getting to Know Your
Fellow First Year
8
Match-Up Terminology
9
Crossword Puzzle
10
Answers
11
2010-2010 NSA Members
12
2ND Year photos
13
1st Year Photos
14
Nurstoons
14
References
During the second semester we
First lap around the track during the Opening ceremony
Raise $100 and you get a free T-shirt!
were told that we would have to
do 15 hours of volunteer work
for our psych rotation. Just like
me there were a lot of people
that didn’t know what to do to
fulfill this. There were ideas
going around but one of them
stood out, it is considered a
―CSM
nursing
student‖
tradition.
This tradition is
joining the Relay for Life. In
the past, CSM nursing students
participated in the Relay for
Life in Pacifica, but this year
we decided to do it at Millbrae.
This was the first time it was
going to be held in Millbrae so
it was nice to see how it all
came together.
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Continued from page 1—Relay for Life
The morning of, we brought food, and drinks,
and helped set up tents and tables. When we
were all done setting up, most of us were
catching up. For me it has been 2 months
since I have seen any of them so it was nice
to hear what everyone has been up to. As the
day went on there was always someone from
our school walking or running the track.
While walking the track, I enjoyed the
company of many classmates; I even got to
know a couple of them better. Later, there
were many stories told from cancer survivors.
I found their stories to be inspiring.
However, there was one particular person I
spoke to that I will never forget. His name is
Walt. I discovered from him that there can
always be relapse but it doesn’t mean it’s the
end of the world. If a person can be
diagnosed with cancer 3 times and live to tell
about it, that is truly a miracle. It’s amazing
because this man is 87 years old and appears
to be in great health and very happy. He said
the secret to him surviving and living such a
long life is a good sense of humor and not
worrying too much. I will definitely try to
take his advice! In the end this experience is
something I will always cherish and
remember, from the enormous amount of
food we had to share, the Scrabble game we
played, to the fun we had just spending time
with each other. I can’t wait to do it again! I
end with the poem I wrote for my journal:
Listen up
Up you guys!
It’s way too early
for this!
S
CSM nursing students working the information booth
The night crew
Page 2
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Continued from page 2—Relay for Life
Family Members Joined Their
Loved Ones for Support
Page 3
Walking this relay
Gave me an exciting day
I enjoyed talking to classmates
This is definitely a day not to hate
There were cancer survivors
shedding a tear
Though you can tell there is no
more fear
For the cancer is no longer there
To interfere with their every being
down to their last strand of hair
Cancer is a disease
But it doesn’t have to bring you
down to your knees
We can beat it with all our might
That is why I joined ―Relay for
Life‖
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Continued from page 3—Relay for Life
Highlight of the Day!
Sev- Performing to ―Careless Whisper‖ by George
Michaels
Lena, Hilka, and Brandi speak no evil, see no evil, hear
no evil.
Amber, Mindy, Katie, Connilee, Jill, and Brandi smile for
the camera!
Page 4
Kristen, Melissa, and Xue are getting ready for a night of
story-telling and walking the track to support cancer victims.
The LVNs are enjoying this beautiful day! (Left to right:
Carmen Lescano, Christine Tang, Nina Hecht, Joanna Garcia,
Yvette Benito, Jocelyn Baltero)
In memory of:
Carol Westberry
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Coping With Stress
By: Sara Recinos
Laughter is another strategy that
helps to cope with stress; after all they
say it’s the best medicine. It promotes
deep
breathing
and
releases
neuropeptides that decrease stress and
lower blood pressure. Mental exercise
outside of school is just as important as
physical exercise. Meditating and
thinking of something not school related
for thirty minutes a day can help relax
you. Listening to new music or trying
out new games also stimulates the brain
and helps keep your mind off all the
other things you have to do in life.
Finally, taking time out, maybe one day
of the week to go out with family and
friends for a fun activity is always
helpful. Always remember to take it just
one day at a time.
“As nursing students, we
need to make taking care
of ourselves a top
priority.”
Page 5
We can all agree that stress is an
inevitable part of life, but the way you
cope with it can go a long way toward
managing it and keeping it from taking
over your life. Currently we are all
experiencing some level as stress as we
go through this intense program. As
nursing students we need to make taking
care of ourselves a top priority. This is
essential because to effectively take care
of others we must first make sure that
we are taking care of ourselves, and our
health. There are several self-care
strategies that can help relieve stress,
one that is at the top of the list is
exercise. Incorporating at least thirty
minutes or more of physical activity
such as walking or jogging on a daily
basis is very helpful. Exercise increases
the production of endorphins in your
brain, which is often referred to as a
runner’s high. It is also a way of
meditation and getting away from all of
the chaos that happened in your day.
Lastly, exercise can help your mood,
decrease anxiety and improve your
sleep, which is often disrupted by stress
and anxiety.
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Advancing from an ADN to a BSN
By: Rachel Canindin
If
you are as busy and
overwhelmed as I am, then thinking of
applying for a BSN is probably the last
thing on your mind. I’m sure you came
across the information Alma sent in
previous emails to apply to the BSN
program at SFSU and probably bypassed
the information or erased the email
completely. I have to tell you—after
sitting in on our wound care lecture held
by a Nurse specializing in wound care at
Kaiser, furthering my education has
definitely become my next goal. She
emphasized the importance of becoming
marketable; especially with the current
job scarcity that has effected all
professions. She also mentioned that
nursing is taking a turn by creating
specialties for each division of care.
After hearing it directly from a wound
care specialist, reading about the new
advances in healthcare, and considering
the limited positions available for new
grads, I strongly believe that further
education and specializing in an area of
care is the future trend for nursing. With
that in mind, I did some research and
would like to provide you all with a list
of BSN programs in our neighboring
cities.
Cal State University Chico – Online RN to BSN offered
Cal State University East Bay – RN Advanced Placement
Option
Cal State University Bakersfield – RN to BSN Program
Cal State University Los Angeles – RN to BSN Program
Cal State University Sacramento – RN to BSN Program
Med Dosage Calculations
By: Sanjani Kumar
(See page 10 for answer key)
1)A patient is ordered cimetidine 300mg, orally. In the
ward are 200mg tablets. How many tablets should be
given?
(See page for answer key)
2)750mg of ciprofloxacin is required. On hand are
tablets of strength 500 mg. How many tablets should be
given?
3)The stock on hand of diazepam is 5mg tablets. How
many tablets are to be administered if the order is
diazepam 12.5mg?
4)Digoxin 125 mcg is orderd. Tablets available are
0.25mg. How many tablets should be given?
5)A patient is ordered paracetamol 1g, orally. Stock on
hand is 500mg tablets. Calculate the number of tablets
required?
Page 6
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
Get To Know Your Fellow First Year
By: Lena Ngo
First year nursing student: Mary Huynh
Why did you choose to go into the nursing field?
I chose to go into the nursing field because I wanted to have a stable career and I have always liked the
one on one patient interaction. Nursing is something that also fits my personality because I am very
social. Overall, I enjoy helping people and giving care.
How do you like the CSM nursing program so far?
The CSM nursing program is excellent. What I like about this program is the open lab and its hands on
experience. Practicing is very important because it makes me feel more confident in my clinical skills.
What challenges have you come across so far in the program and how have you are will you
overcome it?
A challenge I have come across in the program so far is the different type of environment that I am not
predisposed to. I have never had any clinical experience before, however after practicing in open lab and
going to clinical I was more familiar and comfortable at the hospital.
Is the program work load more or less than you expected?
The work load in my first semester of nursing school was expected. The work load is overwhelming, but
it can be done with time management. I knew that I had to devote the majority of my time to studying
and going to open lab to do well in nursing school.
Do you have family in the healthcare industry?
I do not have family in the healthcare industry.
Do you have an idea of what part of nursing you would want to specialize in?
I am interested in specializing in pediatrics or even adult telemetry. I want to go into pediatrics because I
am a current camp leader for the City of San Jose. I enjoy working with children because I am
surrounded by them constantly at work and am familiar with the environment. Personally, I grew up in a
family with many siblings and have always loved to interact with kids. My other choice, telemetry is
because I have always been interested in the heart and how it works. I hope to have more clinical
experiences in both specialties before I can make my decision.
What do you do during your free time?
During my free time I enjoy eating out and sleeping if I can. I also like hanging out with my friends to
relieve stress when I get the opportunity to do so.
Page 7
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
(See page 10 for answer key)
Match-Up Terminology
By: Alice Yee
a)
Diagnostic test that determines which bacterium is causing an intestinal infection
b)
Kidney stone or calculus formation in the urinary system.
c)
Involuntary urination during sleep
d)
A disease that a patient contracts while in the hospital
e)
Predicted outcome of a disease
f)
Inflammation of the bladder.
g)
Enlargement of the kidney due to constant pressure from urine
h)
Congenital condition in which the urethral meatus is incorrectly positioned
i)
This radiolologic procedure is used to identify polyps, diverticula, ulcerative colitis and
colon cancer.
j)
Functional unit of the kidney
k)
Drugs used to treat heartburn and peptic disease by neutralizing acid in the stomach
l)
A radiologic procedure that uses a liquid contrast dye that is swallowed
m)
Radiological procedure that uses a contrast dye to outline the bile ducts
n)
Disease with an unknown cause
o)
A surgical procedure that is done to create a permanent opening from the
abdominal wall into the stomach to insert a tube
p)
Patients in a hospice setting receive _________________ care
q)
A surgical procedure to remove the diseased part of the colon and create a new opening in the
abdominal wall from which feces can leave the body
r)
Surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder is called:
s)
Drugs used to treat constipation
t)
A surgical procedure to remove the diseased part of the colon and create a new opening in
the abdominal wall from which feces can leave the body
u)
Diagnostic test to determine the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach
v)
Uretheral opening to the outside of the body
w)
Hollow cavity that collects urine
x)
Body area where kidneys reside
y)
Tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder
Page 8
__idiopathic
__nosocomial
__palliative
__prognosis
__stool C&S
__barium enema
__cholecystectomy
__laxative drugs
__gastrostomy
__cholangiography
__gastric analysis
__retroperitoneal
__ureters
__bladder
__meatus
__nephron
__nephrolithiasis
__cystitis
__epispadias
__enuresis
__hydronephrosis
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
N211 Crossword Puzzle
By: Mike Palapinyo
1st year students practicing wound dressings!
Brenda Van Fossen, Elsa Hagner
Page 9
Mary Huynh, Brenda
Fossen, Kelly Bastick
Van
Carolina Puentes & Karina
Shannon
VITAL SIGNS
ANSWER KEY:
a idiopathic
d nosocomial
p palliative
e prognosis
a stool C&S
i barium enema
r cholecystectomy
s laxative drugs
o gastrostomy
m cholangiography
u gastric analysis
x retroperitoneal
y ureters
w bladder
v meatus
j nephron
b nephrolithiasis
f cystitis
h epispadias
c enuresis
g hydronephrosis
Page 10
Volume 3, Issue 1
ANSWERS TO
MED DOSAGE
CALCULATIONS:
1)1 ½
2)1 ½
3)2 ½
4)1/2
5)2
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
2010-2011 Nursing Student Association Members
Faculty Advisor: Tanya Isaeff
President: Melinda Winans
Vice President: Don Scherba
Treasurer: Connilee Hayes
Secretary: Elsa Hagner
Student Advisory: (2nd years) Jill Wylie & Geraldine Olivar
(1st years) Carolina Puentes and Rey Vargas
NSA Representatives: (2nd years) Melissa Sharp & Kathy Yan
(1st years) Rhea Abella &Angela Ballesteros
Activities Coordinators: Heather Wilcox & Ria Guerrero
Newsletter: (2nd years) Amber Rhodes, Alice Yee, Lena Ngo,
Michelle Nerona
(1st years) Rachel Canindin, Mike Palypino, Sara Recinos, and
Sanjani Kumar
Page 11
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
2nd Year Nursing
Students!!!
Hello from
group FX!
Taking a
breather!
Group EX and Judy Ward!
Alice, Michelle, & Robert poster-boarding!
Group CX at San Mateo County!
Page 12
Keeping
busy!!!
VITAL SIGNS
Volume 3, Issue 1
NOW FOR A GLIMPSE:
Mandy
and
Donna
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS!!!
Tanya
teaching in
skills lab
(Left to right) Brenda Van Fosson,
Elsa Hagner, Carolina Puentes, Mary
Huynh
Page 13
Don Scherba teaching Brenda Van
Fosson, Mary Huynh in the skills
lab
VITAL SIGNS
REFERENCES:
Nurstoons: Please visit www.nurstoon.com for more nursing cartoons.
Crossword Puzzle: www.theteacherscorner.net
Page 14
Volume 3, Issue 1