Final Day on the Floor

After nearly a year working at the University of Maryland, today I walked into the hospital for the last time.  The floor has been particularly heavy over the past few weeks and the last three shifts I got worked HARD.  Thankfully the nursing gods were on my side and I would be working with one of the orientees on my last day. 

The new nurse learning curve is definitely a thing.  Throughout nursing school preceptors and nurses on the floor said it usually takes new nurses about six months to really get their feet under them (keep in mind my orientation to the floor was about ten weeks).  I have come a long way since I came off orientation and even further since I walked onto the floor for the first time.  There is no way I could have handled the four patients I had this past weekend as a new nurse off orientation. 

The crew even got me a going away cake.

Final picture with the 11 East Crew!!

Here's to a new adventure. 
I am sure there will be another learning curve in the PICU, but I am excited to see and learn a lot!

Just Hangin' With Some Wild Horses

Disclaimer: I lost all the pictures on my phone so these have been swiped from the interwebs.  
I tried to steal images close to the ones I took.

 

With things winding down here in Baltimore (big announcement coming soon) I am trying to finish off as many things on my Baltimore bucket list.  While a trip to Asseteague Island wasn't officially something which made the cut, it has been in the back of my mind and helps to chip away at the 30 Before 30. 

This national park, a two and a half hour drive from my apartment, is a 37 mile barrier island located off the Eastern shore of Maryland (the southern third of the island is actually in Virginia).  The national seashore was established in 1965, bus is also maintained by the Maryland State Parks and US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Thankfully you can buy one pass to get you in and it will be accepted at both entrance for a week.

One of the biggest draws for tourists is the wild horses.  There are two groups, one in Maryland and one in Virginia, and are claimed to be survivors of a Spanish ship wreck.  So technically not "wild" as their ancestors come from domestic horses, but they have been allowed to run loose over the island.  While the Maryland horses are owned by the National Park Service, those in Virginia are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department (strange I know).  In order to keep the populations from exploding the Maryland ponies have been placed under a federal contraceptive program while those in Virginia are put up for auction on Pony Penning Day.

The one picture I was able to salvage

While there is not much hiking (something you would expect when you hear National Park) the beaches, especially in the northern section are beautiful.  The first part of the day was spent on the northern part of Asseteauge.  I did get to spend some time wandering some of the smaller trails.

The Dunes trail gave a great deal of information about the park and how it had been formed over the years.  After a few hundred yards I was shocked to come across the Baltimore Boulevard.  This once paved road was part of a 15 mile development project.  A decade later much of the road and buildings were destroyed in a storm.  The properties were never rebuilt as the National Seashore was formed.

The final stop was to head back to the water in hopes of catching one last glance of some horses.  There were a couple off in the distance, but too far to get a good view.  When you get to the water there are signs saying you are allowed to catch crabs and muscles.  While I spotted some I decided to keep my feet on dry land. 

Seeing most of what I could (next time I am bringing a bike and seeing about a campsite) I got back in the car and headed an hour south to the Virginia side.  The first stop was the Lighthouse.  I'm a sucker for a good lighthouse; I blame all the summers on Cape Cod.

As the sun started to sink lower in the sky and the mosquitoes came out I decided it would be a good time to make the long journey home.  The final stop of the road trip before grabbing dinner in Annapolis was a country store attached to a gas station.  Stopping at random road side attractions and shops has become the norm since my SUS summer.  You never know what delicious home baked good and/or gag gift you may find.  This store did not disappoint and I found some great bird feeders.

National Park #11 crossed off the 30 Before 30 List.  

Only four more to go until I can cross another item off the list.

An Afternoon in Old Town

After learning Steph had yet to be to Old Town and it was on her DC bucket list, the two of us decided to spend the afternoon playing tourist.  The first item on the list was The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. 

For those of out of the loop, GW is a well known Freemason.  Dedicated in 1932, this 333 foot tall memorial is likened after the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt (Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). The idea to construct the memorial was proposed by the Fredericksburg Lodge and after fifty years the spot on Shooter's Hill was selected; it was once in the running to house the Capitol building.  In the early 1900s there was a strong desire to construct a fire proof building to house several items owned or used by Washington.  The building has an extensive history so if you want to learn more click here. 

After 45 minutes of seeing various rooms and historical pieces we finally headed to the top.  

From there you got a 360* view of Alexandria, DC and National Harbor. 

After an afternoon wandering around Old Town and the Torpedo Factory Art Center we grabbed Dan and headed over to Port City Brewing.  At the turn of the 20th Century, Alexandria was home to Portner Brewing Company, the largest brewery in the southern US.  Sadly, like many other breweries and distilleries, once Prohibition was enacted the brewery went out of business.  Fast forward one hundred years and Port City Brewing Company was started and has been winning local and national awards. 

The three of us were glad to enjoy some air conditioning and work our way through everything on tap.  While we did hop on the tour, the three of us were busy chatting and missed most of the information our tour guide was giving. 

All in all, a successful afternoon.

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day

In 1956, the League of American Bicyclists began Bike to Work Day which has now become part of National Bike Month.  Cities across the country are providing free coffee, t-shirts, breakfasts and tune ups.  Check out your local bike advocacy group to see what your area has planned!

Happy Birthday Florence

The last day of Nurses Week always falls on Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12th. 

Born to a wealth British family, Florence was expected to marry rich, entertain guests and partake in charming activities like playing the piano and embroidery.  She, however, felt like she had more to offer and after nine years of discussion with her family, she trained as a nurse in Germany. 

Nightingale was drafted by the Secretary of War during the Crimean War to take care of fallen soldiers.  Turns out more soldiers were dying from infection than they were from battle wounds.  Nightingale and the other volunteers soon cut infection by two thirds by cleaning the hospital and providing the wounded with healthy food (novel idea, right?).  At night she would complete her rounds by lamp light and soon earned the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp." 

After the war ended she became bed ridden, but that did not slow her down.  She helped to fund the Nightingale School for the training of nurses, brought sanitation and public health nursing to India and published hundreds of pamphlets and reports related to the field of nursing.

Have a couple of minutes to spare?  Head over to Bio.com where you can watch a mini biography on the woman who changed the face of nursing and public health forever.    

Nurses' Week