Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Job, GPA, the Aquarium, and a Graveyard Shift

Well, Dear Readers of the Herrington Blog, it has been a while since I've updated here. Sorry I have failed you. In an attempt to make it up to you, here are A BUNCH of updates from the last month/few weeks! Enjoy!

#1 A(nother) New Job for Mary!

Since I'm not taking classes this summer (waiting to find out if I'm accepted to start the Nursing Program in the fall), I have been keeping an eye out for job openings online/in the paper and such. One day I found an ad for flexible part-time weekend work that paid A DOLLAR MORE AN HOUR THAN MY CNA JOB!! When I got home that night, I got online to apply and I am now an employee of:
I am a "Product Demonstrator". I'm the person on the weekends that hands you samples of yummy foods! Tonight, I even got to come home early. I did such an awesome job promoting the product I was assigned that the store COMPLETELY sold out of it an hour and a half before my shift was over! Hopefully this will earn me more shifts!



#2 End of Mary's 4.0 Semester

I finished my first semester at Provo College this week! Despite having a cold through finals week, I managed A's in both of my classes! Which made this my FIRST 4.0 SEMESTER in my college history! HOORAY! It also bodes well for my Nursing Application! (To be turned in next week.)


#3 Visit from Jake's Parents and Trip to the Aquarium

Last week, Jake's parents came out for a visit from Minnesota. Jake's brother, Mike, took Friday off of work and we all went on a fun trip to...


Although I've been spoiled by Omaha's Zoo, it was great fun! Especially to see Ethan and Emma!



The only camera we had was my phone. And the lighting was not so awesome in the aquarium. But here is Jake and I next to a penguin.


We got to touch a Sting Ray!!! So awesome!!! It was squishier than I expected! Although their tails are really stiff!


Jake and I at the end of the trip!

#4 Mary's First Graveyard Shift

I worked my first graveyard shift a few weeks ago. It was a rather impromptu thing - I was filling in at the last minute for another CNA. Which normally wouldn't be too much of an issue, except that I had never worked or trained on a graveyard.

It was definitely a night I won't forget.

We had several patients with moderate-severe dementia that required one-on-one attention almost all night long. Which made the evening busy enough.

One of those patients was a blind Hungarian woman who fled Hungary when the Soviets invaded. Unfortunately, due to her dementia we relived the Soviet invasion all night long... Which alternated between sad, amusing, and frustrating.

Around 3:30 AM, one of our patients passed away. This was another first for me. I'd had patients who died, but never before on my shift.

It was an expected death, and quite peaceful. I felt really privileged to be able to be a part of that experience for that family. To be in the room, providing post mortem care for their loved one and listening to their memories and sadness and joy. It was a humbling and sacred experience that I hopefully won't forget.

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