First lap around the track during the Opening ceremony

Raise $100 and you get a free T-shirt!

Volume 3, Issue 1 October 19, 2010

College of San Mateo

VITAL SIGNS Nursing Newsletter

Inside this issue:

1-4 Relay for Life

5 Coping with Stress

6 Advancing from ADN to

BSN

6 Med Dosage Calculations

7 Getting to Know Your

Fellow First Year

8 Match-Up Terminology

9 Crossword Puzzle

10 Answers

11 2010-2010 NSA Members

12 2ND

Year photos

13 1st Year Photos

14 Nurstoons

14 References

I am honored to welcome and congratulate the nursing students

to the brand new building 5 of College of San Mateo. On behalf

of the CSM Nursing Student Association, I commend all first

year students on being selected for admission to the Registered

Nursing Program. The next year will go by very fast, be filled

with plenty of knowledge and before you know it, it will be

summer. Remember to take one day at a time, study hard, and

enjoy every bit of it in the program. Oh, and remember to have

fun. To my fellow second year students, we are nearing the

completion of our journey. So hang in there, and stay focused.

We are all in this together.

--Melinda Winans, NSA President

Relay for Life By: Michelle Nerona

During the second semester we

were told that we would have to

do 15 hours of volunteer work

for our psych rotation. Just like

me there were a lot of people

that didn’t know what to do to

fulfill this. There were ideas

going around but one of them

stood out, it is considered a

―CSM nursing student‖

tradition. This tradition is

joining the Relay for Life. In

the past, CSM nursing students

participated in the Relay for

Life in Pacifica, but this year

we decided to do it at Millbrae.

This was the first time it was

going to be held in Millbrae so

it was nice to see how it all

came together.

Continued from page 1—Relay for Life

CSM nursing students working the information booth

The night crew

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 2

The morning of, we brought food, and drinks,

and helped set up tents and tables. When we

were all done setting up, most of us were

catching up. For me it has been 2 months

since I have seen any of them so it was nice

to hear what everyone has been up to. As the

day went on there was always someone from

our school walking or running the track.

While walking the track, I enjoyed the

company of many classmates; I even got to

know a couple of them better. Later, there

were many stories told from cancer survivors.

I found their stories to be inspiring.

However, there was one particular person I

spoke to that I will never forget. His name is

Walt. I discovered from him that there can

always be relapse but it doesn’t mean it’s the

end of the world. If a person can be

diagnosed with cancer 3 times and live to tell

about it, that is truly a miracle. It’s amazing

because this man is 87 years old and appears

to be in great health and very happy. He said

the secret to him surviving and living such a

long life is a good sense of humor and not

worrying too much. I will definitely try to

take his advice! In the end this experience is

something I will always cherish and

remember, from the enormous amount of

food we had to share, the Scrabble game we

played, to the fun we had just spending time

with each other. I can’t wait to do it again! I

end with the poem I wrote for my journal:

Listen up

Up you guys!

It’s way too early

for this!

S

Continued from page 2—Relay for Life

Family Members Joined Their

Loved Ones for Support

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 3

Walking this relay

Gave me an exciting day

I enjoyed talking to classmates

This is definitely a day not to hate

There were cancer survivors

shedding a tear

Though you can tell there is no

more fear

For the cancer is no longer there

To interfere with their every being

down to their last strand of hair

Cancer is a disease

But it doesn’t have to bring you

down to your knees

We can beat it with all our might

That is why I joined ―Relay for

Life‖

Continued from page 3—Relay for Life

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 4

Sev- Performing to ―Careless Whisper‖ by George

Michaels

Kristen, Melissa, and Xue are getting ready for a night of

story-telling and walking the track to support cancer victims.

The LVNs are enjoying this beautiful day! (Left to right:

Carmen Lescano, Christine Tang, Nina Hecht, Joanna Garcia,

Yvette Benito, Jocelyn Baltero)

Lena, Hilka, and Brandi speak no evil, see no evil, hear

no evil.

In memory of:

Carol Westberry

Amber, Mindy, Katie, Connilee, Jill, and Brandi smile for

the camera!

Highlight of the Day!

Coping With Stress

By: Sara Recinos

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 5

Laughter is another strategy that

helps to cope with stress; after all they

say it’s the best medicine. It promotes

deep breathing and releases

neuropeptides that decrease stress and

lower blood pressure. Mental exercise

outside of school is just as important as

physical exercise. Meditating and

thinking of something not school related

for thirty minutes a day can help relax

you. Listening to new music or trying

out new games also stimulates the brain

and helps keep your mind off all the

other things you have to do in life.

Finally, taking time out, maybe one day

of the week to go out with family and

friends for a fun activity is always

helpful. Always remember to take it just

one day at a time.

We can all agree that stress is an

inevitable part of life, but the way you

cope with it can go a long way toward

managing it and keeping it from taking

over your life. Currently we are all

experiencing some level as stress as we

go through this intense program. As

nursing students we need to make taking

care of ourselves a top priority. This is

essential because to effectively take care

of others we must first make sure that

we are taking care of ourselves, and our

health. There are several self-care

strategies that can help relieve stress,

one that is at the top of the list is

exercise. Incorporating at least thirty

minutes or more of physical activity

such as walking or jogging on a daily

basis is very helpful. Exercise increases

the production of endorphins in your

brain, which is often referred to as a

runner’s high. It is also a way of

meditation and getting away from all of

the chaos that happened in your day.

Lastly, exercise can help your mood,

decrease anxiety and improve your

sleep, which is often disrupted by stress

and anxiety.

“As nursing students, we

need to make taking care

of ourselves a top

priority.”

Advancing from an ADN to a BSN By: Rachel Canindin

(See page 10 for answer key)

(See page for answer key)

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 6

If you are as busy and

overwhelmed as I am, then thinking of

applying for a BSN is probably the last

thing on your mind. I’m sure you came

across the information Alma sent in

previous emails to apply to the BSN

program at SFSU and probably bypassed

the information or erased the email

completely. I have to tell you—after

sitting in on our wound care lecture held

by a Nurse specializing in wound care at

Kaiser, furthering my education has

definitely become my next goal. She

emphasized the importance of becoming

marketable; especially with the current

job scarcity that has effected all

professions. She also mentioned that

nursing is taking a turn by creating

specialties for each division of care.

After hearing it directly from a wound

care specialist, reading about the new

advances in healthcare, and considering

the limited positions available for new

grads, I strongly believe that further

education and specializing in an area of

care is the future trend for nursing. With

that in mind, I did some research and

would like to provide you all with a list

of BSN programs in our neighboring

cities.

Cal State University Chico – Online RN to BSN offered

Cal State University East Bay – RN Advanced Placement

Option

Cal State University Bakersfield – RN to BSN Program

Cal State University Los Angeles – RN to BSN Program

Cal State University Sacramento – RN to BSN Program

1)A patient is ordered cimetidine 300mg, orally. In the

ward are 200mg tablets. How many tablets should be

given?

2)750mg of ciprofloxacin is required. On hand are

tablets of strength 500 mg. How many tablets should be

given?

3)The stock on hand of diazepam is 5mg tablets. How

many tablets are to be administered if the order is

diazepam 12.5mg?

4)Digoxin 125 mcg is orderd. Tablets available are

0.25mg. How many tablets should be given?

5)A patient is ordered paracetamol 1g, orally. Stock on

hand is 500mg tablets. Calculate the number of tablets

required?

Med Dosage Calculations By: Sanjani Kumar

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 7

Why did you choose to go into the nursing field?

I chose to go into the nursing field because I wanted to have a stable career and I have always liked the

one on one patient interaction. Nursing is something that also fits my personality because I am very

social. Overall, I enjoy helping people and giving care.

How do you like the CSM nursing program so far?

The CSM nursing program is excellent. What I like about this program is the open lab and its hands on

experience. Practicing is very important because it makes me feel more confident in my clinical skills.

What challenges have you come across so far in the program and how have you are will you

overcome it?

A challenge I have come across in the program so far is the different type of environment that I am not

predisposed to. I have never had any clinical experience before, however after practicing in open lab and

going to clinical I was more familiar and comfortable at the hospital.

Is the program work load more or less than you expected?

The work load in my first semester of nursing school was expected. The work load is overwhelming, but

it can be done with time management. I knew that I had to devote the majority of my time to studying

and going to open lab to do well in nursing school.

Do you have family in the healthcare industry?

I do not have family in the healthcare industry.

Do you have an idea of what part of nursing you would want to specialize in?

I am interested in specializing in pediatrics or even adult telemetry. I want to go into pediatrics because I

am a current camp leader for the City of San Jose. I enjoy working with children because I am

surrounded by them constantly at work and am familiar with the environment. Personally, I grew up in a

family with many siblings and have always loved to interact with kids. My other choice, telemetry is

because I have always been interested in the heart and how it works. I hope to have more clinical

experiences in both specialties before I can make my decision.

What do you do during your free time?

During my free time I enjoy eating out and sleeping if I can. I also like hanging out with my friends to

relieve stress when I get the opportunity to do so.

Get To Know Your Fellow First Year By: Lena Ngo

First year nursing student: Mary Huynh

(See page 10 for answer key)

Match-Up Terminology By: Alice Yee

a) Diagnostic test that determines which bacterium is causing an intestinal infection

b) Kidney stone or calculus formation in the urinary system.

c) Involuntary urination during sleep

d) A disease that a patient contracts while in the hospital

e) Predicted outcome of a disease

f) Inflammation of the bladder.

g) Enlargement of the kidney due to constant pressure from urine

h) Congenital condition in which the urethral meatus is incorrectly positioned

i) This radiolologic procedure is used to identify polyps, diverticula, ulcerative colitis and

colon cancer.

j) Functional unit of the kidney

k) Drugs used to treat heartburn and peptic disease by neutralizing acid in the stomach

l) A radiologic procedure that uses a liquid contrast dye that is swallowed

m) Radiological procedure that uses a contrast dye to outline the bile ducts

n) Disease with an unknown cause

o) A surgical procedure that is done to create a permanent opening from the

abdominal wall into the stomach to insert a tube

p) Patients in a hospice setting receive _________________ care

q) A surgical procedure to remove the diseased part of the colon and create a new opening in the

abdominal wall from which feces can leave the body

r) Surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder is called:

s) Drugs used to treat constipation

t) A surgical procedure to remove the diseased part of the colon and create a new opening in

the abdominal wall from which feces can leave the body

u) Diagnostic test to determine the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach

v) Uretheral opening to the outside of the body

w) Hollow cavity that collects urine

x) Body area where kidneys reside

y) Tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 8

__idiopathic

__nosocomial

__palliative

__prognosis

__stool C&S

__barium enema

__cholecystectomy

__laxative drugs

__gastrostomy

__cholangiography

__gastric analysis

__retroperitoneal

__ureters

__bladder

__meatus

__nephron

__nephrolithiasis

__cystitis

__epispadias

__enuresis

__hydronephrosis

N211 Crossword Puzzle By: Mike Palapinyo

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 9

Brenda Van Fossen, Elsa Hagner

Mary Huynh, Brenda Van

Fossen, Kelly Bastick

Carolina Puentes & Karina

Shannon

1st year students practicing wound dressings!

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 10

ANSWER KEY:

a idiopathic

d nosocomial

p palliative

e prognosis

a stool C&S

i barium enema

r cholecystectomy

s laxative drugs

o gastrostomy

m cholangiography

u gastric analysis

x retroperitoneal

y ureters

w bladder

v meatus

j nephron

b nephrolithiasis

f cystitis

h epispadias

c enuresis

g hydronephrosis

ANSWERS TO

MED DOSAGE

CALCULATIONS:

1)1 ½

2)1 ½

3)2 ½

4)1/2

5)2

2010-2011 Nursing Student Association Members

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 11

Faculty Advisor: Tanya Isaeff

President: Melinda Winans

Vice President: Don Scherba

Treasurer: Connilee Hayes

Secretary: Elsa Hagner

Student Advisory: (2nd years) Jill Wylie & Geraldine Olivar

(1st years) Carolina Puentes and Rey Vargas

NSA Representatives: (2nd years) Melissa Sharp & Kathy Yan

(1st years) Rhea Abella &Angela Ballesteros

Activities Coordinators: Heather Wilcox & Ria Guerrero

Newsletter: (2nd years) Amber Rhodes, Alice Yee, Lena Ngo,

Michelle Nerona

(1st years) Rachel Canindin, Mike Palypino, Sara Recinos, and

Sanjani Kumar

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 12

Group EX and Judy Ward!

Alice, Michelle, & Robert poster-boarding!

Group CX at San Mateo County!

Taking a

breather!

Keeping

busy!!!

2nd

Year Nursing

Students!!!

Hello from

group FX!

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 13

NOW FOR A GLIMPSE:

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS!!!

Mandy

and

Donna

Tanya

teaching in

skills lab

(Left to right) Brenda Van Fosson,

Elsa Hagner, Carolina Puentes, Mary

Huynh

Don Scherba teaching Brenda Van

Fosson, Mary Huynh in the skills

lab

VITAL SIGNS Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 14

REFERENCES:

Nurstoons: Please visit www.nurstoon.com for more nursing cartoons.

Crossword Puzzle: www.theteacherscorner.net