First week

Well, I made it through the first week without freaking out! I have a great mix of people in my tutes and pracs. I have to smile though, the number of fresh school leavers who when asked why they want to become midwives say that they love babies, is astounding. Then one young student nurse asks me whether childbirth hurts, and if I was scared for my first, I look at her and have a quick silent war within myself. Do I launch ito an impassioned babble about the beauty and power of pregnancy and childbirth, or do I give a quick one liner with a promise to myself to lay the seeds gently over the next 4 months (she is only in one of my pracs). I decided to lay the seeds gently, so I told her it is a very powerful event where the woman needs to be adequately educated and supported by care providers who trust in birth. I told her that I wasn't scared with my first child, that I was trusting of my bodies capability to birth and also of the hospital doctor and midwives ability to take care of me. Then I bit my tongue and swallowed mention of my 4th degree tear and subsequent history. Though I did say I went on to have 2 more children and 1 of them at home :D She nodded politely and gave me the wide eyed look of an 18 year old who is nowhere near the stage of breeding..

Anyway, there are some great tutors and lecturers who are in charge of my learning so I feel really confident that I can (and will) use them to help me if I hit a blank spot. The only unit that has me squirming is the A&P one, so much information to soak in and understand, then be able to sit an exam on it in about 5 weeks. I am confident that my approach to study for this unit will get me through and I'm not a stupid person, so I feel that I'll be able to scrape through with some degree of certainty. The other units are right up my alley, the theory and politics behind nursing. I can't wait to get my teeth stuck into the theory and politics behind midwifery! (Where is that devil emoticon when I need it!)

Anyway, I must go and do some prep for tomorrow, before friends arrive for lunch. Then tonight I can have a skim read over lecture notes and go to sleep thinking of the 'determinants of health' and the cell membrane.

My first year units

In the first trimester-

Understanding Health
Human Structure and Function
Foundations of Nursing Practice 1 (includes 1 week clinical)
Disciplines of Nursing: Contemporary Issues and Trends

In the second trimester-

Foundations of Nursing Practice 2 (includes 2 week clinical)
Physical Examination and Health Assessment
Introduction to Professional Midwifery Practice (includes 1 week clinical)

I start tomorrow!

Tomorrow is my first day of lectures. How do I feel? Nervous, prepared, confident, a bit apprehensive. I've done the readings and printed what lecture notes I can. One of the topics has an error appearing regarding something about Acrobat not loading, but I'll sort it out tomorrow. I have sorted out my study timetable, though I already have a feeling that I won't be in bed most nights before 11pm, if not midnight. There is so much reading and processing of information, especially for the A&P unit. We'll see how it pans out. I promise to share my joy and distress at the workloads LOL.

Last week was O-Week, or Week Zero, or in laymans terms, orientation week. I went for the first two days, did the tours, had my uniform fitting (thankfully they are only for placements and not every day wear, they aren't the best looking shirts), worked out the important stuff- where the cafe is, where the library is, that the computers are USB friendly, started the vaxxing process, found where the toilets are, where parking is easy and where the shady spots for lunch are. I met another mature age nurse/midder who is lovely. Funnily enough her parents know my in-laws, so we sort of have a 6th degree of seperation thing happening. Not hard in Geelong.. There are a few others who are mature age that I spotted, I'm really looking forward to getting to know them over the next few months. The fresh school leavers, I'll reserve my judgement on them, till they appear in the 2nd year, in case they drop out of the course when they realise that midwifery isn't all about looking at perfectly round pregnant bellies and cuddling clean and sleepy babies.

I have a sick baby today, who has been vomitting and leaving snot trails everywhere. I'm trying not to imagine myself into being sick, I just can't be a puking sneezing mess for my first day! Thankfully my husband is home tomorrow for the Labour Day public holiday, as I can't send my little one to daycare being sick as he is, though they are closed anyway for the holiday.

Anyway, time to go and get dinner sorted and relax until I think it is time for bed. I really should go to bed early, get a good nights sleep, especially if I'm going to have a child disturbing my sleep like last night..

I promise to report in about my first week, each night. Though I may be quite monosyllabic :)