This, That, and The Other

The first week back to nursing school is done. I hope this semester goes by just as fast. I'm sure it will.

This semester I have...
an online nursing research course;
an advanced adult health lecture course with matching weekly 8 hour clinical in the ICU;
and a community health lecture course with matching weekly 6 hour community health clinical.

The first half of my community course will be spent at a very nice community retirement home - this place is HUGE. The second half (after about 5 weeks) I will be accompanying a community nurse to people's homes to assist with nursing care out in the community.

I'm really excited for my experiences in the ICU for my advanced adult health clinical. I've never had a patient on a ventilator, or a patient with chest tubes, a tracheostomy, or anything severely invasive that could mean the difference between life and death for the person.

I've been told the ICU nurse's job is very unique when compared to other nurses. ICU nurses usually have a better knowledge of, and better relationship with, their patients. Also, because ICU patients require constant care, ICU nurses are only assigned to 1 or 2 patients at a time - as opposed to floor nurses who can have anywhere from 5 to 10 patients at a time. That, by no means, makes an ICU nurse's job easier. It is a hard, active, "always on your feet" type job.

Anyway, I should have some amazing experiences this semester and I really look forward to it!

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Kitty is still around. Paul named the cat "kitty". Paul also bought a 10 pack of tuna in water and when we see the kitty outside we usually say hi, give it a pet, and give it some food. Paul doesn't want to be caught with cat food in our apartment because then they may think the cat is ours, and try to charge us $50 more a month.

Kitty has also made herself a little nested area behind a bush outside the front of our apartment. She curls up there most of the day and sleeps. The weather outside right now is awesome. It is the perfect coolness, so I am not worried about the cats discomfort or anything. If it rains, she usually comes and sits on our door mat or near the railing on the stairs.

The other day I opened the front door cause I heard kitty crying and the cat immediately ran into our apartment. It began investigating the area, sniffing the air, and the it ran into our bedroom. I hurriedly picked her up, and while gently tossing her out the front door and saying,

"No kitty, you can't come in here,"

my neighbor walked by. We don't really talk with our neighbors - they're all pretty unfriendly or scary - believe me, I have tried to be social/neighborly/nice and it just doesn't work.

Anyway, so now I am afraid my neighbor might think it is our cat, and we are just cruel, animal abusing people. I think next time I see him, I am going to ask him straight out if he knows who's cat it is. Then he'll think, "Awww I guess it's not their cat. I was terribly, terribly mistaken."

Of course, I really have no idea what our neighbor thinks, I just assume these things. He probably doesn't care. Therefore, neither shall I.