My mom drove me to MedEx today,,, so I ended up getting to the nursing school about an hour early. I was okay with that because we got to go to Dunkin' Donuts before MedEx started. I enjoyed riding with my mom and I got to give her a quick car tour of where we do things.
Simulation Lab
I love going to the simulation lab because it gives me a visual and hands-on experience.
1.
We started with an Anaphylaxis simulation. We got to play around with the Epi-Pens and act out what it would be like when someone is reacting. It reminded me of when I ended up in the hospital with an allergic reaction while my mom and I were on vacation. I remember being extremely scared, especially when they told me they couldn't give me steroids (such as epinephrine) because it would mess with my blood sugar. The simulation helped me understand what other options are out there for people like me and helped me process what happened to me. It also reiterated the importance of wearing a medical alert bracelet and having a medical alert on my phone. It also, reassured me that I was taking the right precautions for an emergency by having a medical alert on my phone and in my wallet and that paramedics look for things like that even if I do not have my medical alert bracelet on. Overall, I appreciated being able to understand the options and precautions that I have and must take if I end up having another reaction.
2.
After that, we went to an infant drowning simulation. The simulation was a bit depressing, but it was very educational. The instructor taught us how to react in the situation, including reacting to overreactive parents and relatives. While the simulation taught me how to act under pressure, it also taught me how to react in a situation to make sure the paramedics can do their job to the best of their ability. When I was diagnosed with T1D my parents and I were extremely emotional, but we just let my doctors and nurses do whatever was necessary (at least, until they started to give me insulin shots, in which case I told them to hand me the needle and let me do it myself). This simulation showed that sometimes, those types of people (those who let the medical staff do their job) are the safest people in an emergency, and it allows the best possibility for the survival of a patient.
3.
Then, we went to a trauma simulation. There is absolutely no way I could explain this simulation. It was extremely messy and terrifying, but fun. We got to put tourniquets on the leg of a mannequin as he bled out. The goal was to get the bleeding to stop without letting the mannequin lose too much blood. The mannequin was covered in fake blood (which I thought was hilarious because it was the same type of fake blood that my theatre company uses). The simulation showed us how gory the things we might see can be and it taught us how stressful it could be to act as quickly as possible for the betterment of the patient.
4.
Finally, we went to a burn simulation. The instructor showed us how to quickly treat the different types of burns and explained what would be done in the field for 3rd-degree burns. He spoke of his experience with burns and some special cases he has seen. At one point, I was crawling in my skin as he spoke of what he has to do for diabetics. Because our veins can collapse very easily when we are in DKA, he said that instead of an IV, he has to do an OV (which goes into your bone). He has to drill a hole into the bone and stick a tube in it. I realize now, just how lucky I was to be diagnosed when and how I was. I thought that having to move my IV to my hand was the worst thing ever, but I couldn't imagine having to have a hole drilled in my leg. Even though scary, it was also interesting to hear just how many options are out there and how far medicine has come. They have options for each person and plans for every different scenario.
Connections
At the end of the day, we had a team-building activity. Someone would close their eyes and their partner had to speak to them to guide them through the field of other people who were also telling them where to go and what to do. It was a lot of fun. Even my parents got to join in (since I accidentally butt-dialed my dad in the middle of it). It taught us to listen to one person and trust them to tell us where to go. It was good to learn since, in healthcare, we will have to trust one person in an emergency while others may be telling us otherwise. Also, the same thing will happen in college. We will have friends who try to lead us astray but we must stick to what we know is best for us (that one voice trying to truly help us). The activity was a lot of fun, but I felt bad because I accidentally hit one of our lead interns, Jada, in the face whilst being an obstacle (although technically she walked straight into my arm).
Quote of the Day
“Sometimes, the sun sets earlier. Days don’t last forever, you know. But I’ll fight as hard as I can. I can promise you that.” - Marie Lu, Champion
Final Thoughts
I'm pretty sure that simulation days have become my favorite. I am a very hands-on type of person and I love being able to put what I'm learning into action. Today marked the halfway of MedEx, but I know that these people and connections will last longer than that. I wish MedEx could go on forever, but It won't. All that means is that I must make each moment here special and today I certainly did that. I can't wait for day eleven. I give day ten 5 out of 5 stars.
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