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February 2021 CNSA - SACRAMENTO STATE CHAPTER VOLUME 38, ISSUE 1

Considering the Needs of the Pediatric

Population in This Time
By Anita Novak
4th Semester

The pediatric population has suffered

uniquely in this time of isolation, in
Clinicals: Where All the hospital, and at home. In some
Knowledge Meets hospitals, children can only have one
Page 2 visitor. This means that caregivers
Daylight Savings, need to divide their time and switch
Halloween, and a Blue out to see their child. Some mothers
Moon?? have just given birth days before who
Page 3
need to find a ride home or just wait
Bed, Baths, and Way...
in the car so the father can see the ba-
Way Beyond
by as well.
Page 4
The Nursing Journey Some children do not have any visitors at all, as they only have one caregiver
Page 5 who needs to support their siblings at home. This is difficult for the caregivers
Congratulations Yellow who want to support their child, but also the children who desire to be with
Badges! someone they trust in uncertain times.
Page 6
Congratulations Green At home, children are experiencing health risks associated with isolation. Kame-
Badges! netz (2020) explained that social isolation increases the risk for many forms of
Page 7 child abuse, substance abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation. Thankfully,
Congratulations Blue many schools are partially open this recent fall. Even so, healthcare workers
Badges! need to consider the difficulties this population has, whether symptoms are ob-
Page 8 vious or not. Overall, while it is saddening to learn of the consequences and
Special Thanks hardships people of all ages are experiencing in this unique time, this is an op-
Page 9 portunity for the healthcare team to show compassion, patience, and practice
Mental Health Matters
critical thinking to serve whichever population they are caring for. It is im-
Page 10
portant to care for the patient holistically, whether they are affected by this pan-
Campus Resources
demic physically or emotionally.
Page 11 Reference
Announcements and
Reminders Kamenetz, A. (2020). U.S. pediatricians call for in-person school this fall. NPR.
Page 12
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 2

Clinicals: Where All Knowledge Meets

By Karina Gerardine Lee
2nd Semester

Five weeks ago, I remember timidly

knocking at a patient’s door at seven in
the morning to get my first set of vital
signs. She was sound asleep, and I, a
bundle of nerves not wanting to disturb
her peaceful rest. My clinical instructor
came in to give me the extra push to fi-
nally wake the patient and put the
blood pressure cuff on her. Five weeks
later, I have made the vital links ma-
chine my best friend and easily collect
four vital signs for patients early in the
morning. The clinical experience is con-
sidered one of the highlights of a nurs-
ing student’s educational journey. This
is a point where we get to take our
learnings from lab and apply them to a
clinical setting, minus the controlled en-
vironment. Here, you enrich your clini-
cal knowledge, improve your skills, and
learn how to effectively communicate
with patients, families, and the health
care team. I vividly remember all my
first times, from my first set of vital
signs to my first injection all coupled
with feelings of nervousness. The great
thing about the clinical experience is
that you get to learn something new
every time. For every medication I gave,
I learned a better way to go through the
process and see how I can improve my
actions.
Feedback from clinical instructors and the nurses helped me to be better in my practice. Patients and
their family members have taught me new things too, from how they change their ostomy pouches to
learning more about their experience with their disease. A day does not go by without me acquiring a
new skill or understanding of a topic. If I had to describe the clinical experience with one word it
would be growth. Every encounter I had with a patient and staff was distinct, and with its uniqueness,
I get to obtain a new tool I can use in my future encounters. My learnings from lab, simulations, and
zoom calls all come into a full circle every time I enter the hospital doors and I cannot wait to grow
even more in my upcoming clinicals.
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Daylight Savings, Halloween, and a Blue Moon??

By Olivia Tran
Former Class Representative
Class of Fall 2020 Alumna

It was the night before Daylight Savings, the night of Halloween, and a Blue Moon on the trauma
floor. A 13-hour shift, spooky vibes, and the second full moon of October were bound to make for
an interesting shift. Tensions were high. Coffee was flowing. The anticipation of what the night
may bring with an extra hour had everyone on their toes. It was about one o’clock in the morning
and the night was quiet. A bit too quiet if you ask me. Everyone had watched the unmistakable
time change back an hour on their Epic home screen and groaned. My medications had all been
passed, my charting was done, and my patients were sound asleep.

For a student, this was the perfect time for me to ask and
observe any interesting conditions, skills, or just talk with my
preceptor and the other nurses about tips and tricks (note to
other semesters, it’s always a good idea to have all of your
stuff done for your own patients before venturing out). Thus,
IV hour started. The nurses excitedly offered up their patients
who needed an IV started and the 22-gauges were
unsheathed, hot compresses were applied, and veins were
palpated away. I was learning so much and absorbing all of
the advice that the nurses were giving me. Just when I was
thinking that this shift was going great because of the
impromptu IV workshop I got to participate in, loud screams
echoed throughout the halls. The sounds of dozens of shoes
slapped the hallway floors as everyone rushed to one room
where agitated cries rang out.

Nine nurses all ran in to help restrain the patient from thrashing about. Orders were put in.
Restraints were applied. IM Haldol was injected. After about 30 minutes and the patient had
settled, they said to me, “So much for a chill shift.” The bright side of the situation was that all of
the hubbub woke everyone up and allowed us to get through the rest of our shift unscathed. In
retrospect, the shift went pretty smoothly. Just a taste of a day in the life of a trauma nurse I
suppose. Let’s just hope the next daylight savings I work I’ll be a nurse getting that hour of
overtime ;)
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Bed, Baths, and Way... Way Beyond

By Melissa Woznicki
Treasurer
3rd Semester

Before I started nursing school, I worked as a certified

nursing assistant (CNA). I was employed at a skilled
nursing and rehab facility, where I had the opportunity
to work with a wide variety of patients. Some days I was
taking care of people who were permanent residents of
the facility many of whom needed to have 100% of their
activities of daily living taken care of for them. Other
days, I worked with individuals who were on the mend
from a bad fall or major surgery. Those of you who have
worked as CNAs likely know that it is not easy work, but
that there are so many learning opportunities.
Though registered nurses have a different scope of
practice from CNAs, I was able to acquire a lot of valua-
ble skills that have so far been very handy in clinicals.
Just having a natural bedside manner alone has been ex-
tremely useful in gaining my patients’ trust. I went into
clinicals comfortable communicating not only with pa-
tients but also with their family members. From taking
care of totally dependent residents, I learned how to use
good body mechanics and teamwork to get things done,
and I was taught special tricks for keeping patients com-
fortable, clean, and safe. Thanks to many in-services and
firsthand experience, I was not afraid to take on patients with dementia. When I selected a patient
with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for clinicals, I already knew how to help them with their
anxiety as I put the head of their bed down for my assessment. I knew how to teach a patient who was
going home with a catheter how to put on their pants without too much trouble. Taking care of people
who are near or at the end of their lives has taught me to be patient and how to cope with death. Busy
shifts taking care of 12 residents helped me to hone my time management skills, and changing seem-
ingly endless briefs has given me the ability to mostly ignore unpleasant smells. I came into nursing
clinicals already comfortable with touching other peoples’ bodies and discussing embarrassing topics.
As an anxious person, I think that I was able to get more out of my first nursing clinical experience
than I would have if I needed to spend my time getting over some of these things. Though I found
these skills particularly useful for my Med-Surg rotation, I think that if you struggle with some of
these things, working as a CNA before you finish nursing school could be very valuable. After complet-
ing the first semester nursing courses, you are eligible to take the CNA licensing exam in California.
Even if you only work per diem as a CNA, you will have access to in-services that keep you up to date
on standards of practice, and you can get comfortable with basic care skills. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to
have the license or experience on your resume.
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 5

The Nursing Journey

By Alec Wallace
President
4th Semester

These last few semesters of nursing

school have been one of the best periods
in my life. No, like I’m 100% serious.
Now, to say that I haven’t had my share
of breakdowns, test anxiety, and fear of
failure in labs and clinicals would be a
lie. I think at some level we all have felt
those feelings. However, nursing school
is so much more than the stress of ex-
ams, checkoffs, and turning in your clini-
cal packet on time.

Every week, we get to be part of the fu-

ture. Every week, we get to go to a hospi-
tal and get the chance to make a differ-
ence in someone’s healthcare, to learn exciting clinical skills from seasoned nurses, and to
care for and connect with people when they need it most. Every week, we get to walk into a
room full of talented and hardworking individuals, all focused on achieving the same goal:
becoming a nurse. While the program is definitely challenging and chaotic, there’s a sense of
fulfillment that comes with making it through each week and getting just that much closer
to becoming a registered nurse.

Like I mentioned earlier, my experience here has not been flawless. I have not aced every
test, made the right decision in every simulation and clinical, or understood all the material
as quickly as I would have wanted. These struggles were hard for me to accept at first, but
the support of my peers is what kept my chin up to get ready for the next challenge. I would
not have been the same student or nurse without inspiration from my peers and faculty.
Nursing is a team sport, after all.
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Congratulations Yellow Badges!

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Congratulations Green Badges!

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Congratulations Blue Badges!

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Special Thanks
THE MONTHLY SHOT
Resources
COUNSELING:
Student Health & Counseling Services
https://www.csus.edu/student-life/health-
counseling/counseling/
We offer confidential individual and group coun-
seling. If you would like to explore whether coun-
seling is right for you, the first step is to call us
during business hours.
If you are experiencing an urgent matter, you can
drop in during our business hours.
Location: Student Health & Counseling Services
at The WELL
Contact: (916) 278-6461
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
PAGE 10
CRISIS ASSISTANCE & RESOURCE
EDUCATION SUPPORT (CARES):
https://www.csus.edu/student-affairs/crisis-
assistance-resource-education-support/
The Sacramento State CARES office provides sup-
port to students who are in crisis or experiencing
unique challenges to their education. They address
a variety of issues including, but not limited to:
Transportation Barriers, Mental Health and Well-
ness, and Physical Health and Wellness.
Location: University Union, 1st Floor, Room 1260
Contact: (916) 278-5138 or cares@csus.edu
Hours: Mon - Fri, 8am – 5pm
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 11

Campus Resources—Food Pantry and Pop Up Pantry

ASI Food Pantry ASI Pop Up Pantry

Registration once every semester:

https://asi.csus.edu/asi-food-pantry
TUESDAYS: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
FRIDAYS: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: University Union, Room 1246
Students are allowed to come once a week
and take 1 bag of pre-bagged food.
Fresh produce at no cost to Sac State
students in need
Dates: TBD
Location: Residence Halls Parking Lot
Drive up to receive your box of food!
Walk-up station will also be available.

For more information, visit ASI’s website https://asi.csus.edu/asi-food-pantry or Instagram @sacstateasi

Photo Credit: Andrea Price (Instagram @andrea.price.sac)

 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 12

Learn more about

Men in Nursing at IMPORTANT
aamncsus.weebly.com UPCOMING DATES
& aamn.org
Events:

C.N.S.A. Meeting
Welcome Class of Fall 2022! February 5th (Friday) at 4:30pm
Via Zoom
(Link will be provided in cohort FB groups)
Join us in welcoming the incoming first-
CNSA Membership Fees semesters and electing Class Rep I
and Undergrad Rep.
Fees for this Spring 2021 semester are due:
Men In Nursing Meeting
Before March 5th (before the 2nd CNSA meeting) February 26th (Friday) at 4:30 pm
Via Zoom
(Link will be provided in cohort FB groups)

View Past Monthly Shots Join us in welcoming the incoming-first

semesters!
cnsaatcsusacramento.weebly.com/
the-monthly-shot-newsletter.html
Contact Info
California State University, Sacramento,
Submission for Articles for March Issue: Due 2/20! School of Nursing:
6000 J Street
Send to csus.cnsa.monthlyshot@gmail.com Sacramento, CA 95819-6096
http://www.hhs.csus.edu/nrs
Phone: (916) 278-6525
Write for the Monthly Shot! Fax: (916) 278-6311
Join CNSA: Each article is one CNSA event and is great for your Monthly Shot Editors:
nsnamember- resume! Articles should be at least 250 words, and can Kyle Dela Vega & Izza Villarino
be about anything nursing or school-related. Email: csus.cnsa.monthlyshot@gmail.com
ship.org
We want to hear from all semesters! Faculty Co-Advisors:
Dr. Denise Wall Parilo
& Dr. Bridget Parsh
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO “To do what nobody
CSUS CNSA chapter:
THE CNSA HISTORIAN! else will do, in a way cnsaatcsusacramento.weebly.com
Although our circumstances are that nobody else can,
different, nursing school goes on! in spite of all we go “Like” Sac State Nursing on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/SacStateNursing
Submit a photo relating to your nursing through; is to be a
school experience for a chance to be fea- nurse.” Follow on Instagram!
@sacstatecnsa
tured in the next Monthly Shot issue, or
@sacstatenursing
CNSA social media pages & meetings! -Rawsi Williams
Send pictures today to:
csus.cnsa.historian@gmail.com