Wongai Ball

Saturday 30th August I went, with a group of about 8, to the Wongai Ball held at the Port Kennedy Association Hall, which raises money for the local Catholic School. The wongai is a native plant, sort of like a plum, but apparently tastes like dates. I haven't tried it - they didn't have any at the ball. There is a legend that states if you eat the fruit of the wongai on TI you will always be destined to return. I had a great time at the ball, until I got stepped on with a high heel. My foot is still sore! And has a nice bruise as well :/

Dinner was great - it was a Asian/Torres Strait style buffet, including a mix of things like fried rice, sweet and sour pork, a curry of some description and my new favourite, numus. This is an islander way of preparing fish, kind of like a cerviche, where the fish is 'cooked' in vinegar and lime juice and flavoured with garlic, onion, chili and coconut milk. YUM!

Pretty decorations on the ceiling

Wine out of a flashing cocktail glass -
just because!

 

New Wheels

On Saturday 30th August I headed over to Horn Island again to visit the nurse educator and to pick up her spare bike. Now I have a set of wheels to get me around TI until October when my bike come up with Reece (Can't wait to see this guy - miss him so much!!). The bike is a bit small for me, and the nuts and bolts need tightening - at the moment the handle bars are upside down :/ But it is better then nothing and so much quicker then walking!

 

Grad Study Day 1

Tomorrow marks one month since I started my grad year (and subsequently yesterday marked one month since I arrived on TI). It has gone so quick!! On Thursday 28th August we had a Graduate Study Day, which was great. First we learnt about communication techniques (such as SBAR) and how to escalate our concerns to achieve a desired action using the PACE acronym. Then it was time for morning tea - the nurse educator made a great  zucchini slice, yum!

After morning we had a practical session learning how to insert  different types of airway tubes (see pics), followed by a session on understanding different types of heart rhythms and the actions that should be taken depending on whether they are shockable or not (note: only ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia are shockable. A defibrillator is not useful for 'flat-line' as you see you TV!). After that it was time for lunch.



Endotracheal Tube (http://intensivecare.hsnet.nsw.gov.au/intubation)

Laryngeal Mask Airway (http://almostadoctor.co.uk/content/systems/-respiratory-system/skills-and-procedures/airway-support)

Geudel airway - keeps the tongue from
blocking the airway
(http://www.anesthesiamyths.com/breathing-tube/)

Nasopharyngeal Airways

     
Following lunch it was back to the classroom, where we learnt about the importance of timely, accurate and concise note-taking. We were given some real life examples of patient notes that weren't overly useful. This session showed that patient notes need to be completed accurately because 'it it's not written, it didn't happen'. For afternoon tea I made upside down pineapple cake. It was the first time I had ever made it, and it was delicious - here's the link to the recipe if you want to try it at home: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/27762/upside+down+pineapple+cake
 

Sunsets, Schnitzels and Social Shindigs

Since I got here I have been quite sociable, making new friends and going to theme nights. So far we have had games night, pizza night and wine night. And of course I have also gone camping and to watch the sunset. Last night I went up the hill again to watch the sunset. Unfortunately no photos this time, but it was a completely different sunset, with only a very thin layer of cloud giving more of a rainbow effect. As it got darker it's really amazing to see how different the stars appear up on the hill compared to sea level. With all the light pollution blocking them out you can hardly see any :(

After if got dark we went down to meet some other peeps at the Grand Hotel for $10 Schnitzel and drinks. It was rather huge! After the Grand closed we went to the Federal, but it was also closed, and then the Torres (Australia's Top Pub) where I just had a glass of water, chatted with one of the 'older' grad nurses and an Argentinian who works at the Ibis and also listened to some rather horrible karaoke :/

 

Sunset over the Water

Horn Island Adventure

Well I have had my first adventure! On the 15th of August I spent two nights on Horn Island with two other grad nurses (the old new grads, me being a new new grad). After a late shift on the Thursday I did the housework on Friday morning and then met up with one of the other girls to catch the ferry over to Horn that evening. The other grad was already on Horn as she is doing her elective at the Public Health Centre (PHC) there. We all stayed at the nurse educators house and played with her dog and the kitten she is fostering - so cute! That night we went to the pub and I had a fish burger and chips for dinner. Was really well cooked, but could have done with some more chips. :)

Waiting for the ferry

Still waiting

Sunset

So much cuteness!

 The next morning we packed up the ute with very basic camping gear (just the tent and a bowl and set of cutlery between us) and headed off to explore the island. We took some dirt roads and found the remnants of a plane crash. Then we kept driving and found a beach and some bunkers from the war. I think you can do a tour of Horn Island, so I am sure that there would be heaps of information available on the history of Horn and its involvement in the war.

Plane wreck

Off-road

The first beach

Dog was loving it!

Hermit crabs (big one of the right and top small one). The top
one was trying out new real-estate (the middle small one) but
it wasn't the right fit, so he didn't move in.

In the bunkers

After walking around at the first beach for a bit we headed on to another beautiful spot. I walked down to the rock pools and explored them a bit before climbing back up a fairly steep hill to sit on some rocks and enjoy the view. Then had to do some rock-climbing to get back to the car, which was a bit frightening. Almost got stuck a few times, but in the end I made it out alive! We then went and explored yet another beach (no photos from this one) and had braved a quick dip in the water - also survived that!

 

Still loving it

 

Giant clam

Lots of seagrass - no dugongs spotted though

Coral

Sea cucumber



By this stage we were all very sunburnt. I did bring some, but of course forgot to apply :/ We headed to our camping destination for the night - Cable Bay (the only name I know). First we had lunch and then set up the tent and organised wood for the campfire. Then it was time for a bit of an explore and another swim once the tide came in. The water wasn't particularly deep, only just enough to cover us lying down but it was refreshing enough :) That night for dinner I made toast over the flames and had cold bolognaise as we hadn't brought any cooking utensil - as I said, very basic.

Once it got dark we were happy just chatting around the fire, which was burning nicely but then all of a sudden the dog ran off towards the beach barking at something. Well that freaked us all out, so we decided to go to bed at about 8.30pm. It was a pretty rough night sleeping on the hard floor. I did have a camp mattress but it wasn't very comfortable and my pillow and the sunburn didn't help make things more comfortable. My heart was racing pretty much all night imagining what every little noise was. The dog kept barking and growling at things, so of course this didn't help settle the nerves. At one point a large flashlight was shining into the tent - it was from a boat on the water, not someone coming to attack, thank goodness! And then the moon was shining straight in, and it was bright too. When we had first gone to bed it was cloudy, but within about 40 minutes it had cleared up and the stars were magnificent, so that was a positive :)

Our pretty little campfire :) ready to go

 

 

Exhausted after a big day

The next morning we packed up fairly early and headed back to the nurse educators home. I had a late shift at the hospital, so wanted to be back by at the latest 12, so I could get ready for work. I was OK working that shift, but the next morning I had slept so soundly that I slept through my alarm and woke up at 6.50, when I started work at 7am... It's a good thing I live so close to the hospital, as I still managed to get to work on time!

And that concludes my first week on the ward

Well I have completed my first week on the ward (as the titled my have suggested) and officially will no longer be supernumery or buddied up with another nurse. So, from Sunday I will be on my own! Although for two of my shifts I was left alone for the last two hours anyway. The first time I was left by myself was a bit stressful, as I hadn't realised that some of the paperwork hadn't been done, so I was trying to get that done, had an in-service to attend, notes to write, and still provide nursing cares. I didn't end up getting out of work until 4pm (was supposed to finish at 3.30). The next day I was much more prepared and organised :)

So far I don't have a payroll number or a uniform. I have just been wearing the pair of pants and one of the skirts I used for prac (so at least they are being put to good use) and then just some nicer shirts/blouses that I have. It was hard putting in an order form for the uniforms as I have no idea how the sizing is. It was a bit of a guessing game, so we shall see. Apparently a shipment of uniforms was coming from Cairns on the 14th, so hopefully the order got put in on time and I will have more to wear, without having to wash twice a week. And hopefully my payroll number doesn't take too long either, but by the looks of it I won't be paid this coming Wednesday. It's a good thing I got my tax return before I arrived!

Nursing at the Thursday Island hospital is so far fairly similar to nursing at a big hospital, although of course there are differences. We have lots of people come in and out by helicopter given the location. There is also limited equipment here, so a lot of people get transferred to Cairns Base Hospital for further tests and treatment. Given the proximity to PNG we also have people that come down from there, so customs are involved with those patients. Some things I've seen that you aren't likely to see in Brisbane - Tuberculosis and possibly leprosy (they aren't sure about that one yet, waiting on test results).

Besides work, nothing much else is happening. I got woken up the other night by a loud banging noise. I thought someone was trying to break in! Turns out it was someone who had been locked up at the police station banging because he was 'f$*&ing starving!' Was rather annoying hearing that at probably around 2am I the morning, and again at around 6. I guess it's bound to happen occasionally given how close I am to the police station.

Tonight and tomorrow night I am staying at Horn Island for a bit of an explore there, so my next post will most likely be about that. I'm going with a couple of other grad nurses (who are already halfway and nearly finished their programs) and a doctor. We will be staying at the nurse educators house tonight and then camping Saturday night. Really looking forward to it! But for now I need to do some housework. Not so exciting :/