Get Your Dose of Nursing Info!

March 2020 CNSA - SACRAMENTO STATE CHAPTER VOLUME 36, ISSUE 1

Coronavirus Outbreak
By Nou Thao
3rd Semester

As nursing students, we are all

too familiar with the terror of
disasters, like the Camp Fire in
2018. Yet, we were willing to
face the danger and offer our
Behind Closed Doors of nursing services to those in
an L&D Floor need of basic health care. In
Page 2 2020, we are facing another
disaster known as the corona-
virus (2019-nCoV). The coro-
Nursing School, Mar-
navirus, a respiratory disease
riage, & Family
similar to SARS, was first iden-
Page 3 tified in Wuhan, Hubei Prov-
ince, China. The CDC has re-
Thrilling Life of a Scribe ported that this disease Photo from: People’s Daily, China via twitter

Page 4 spreads person-to-person Pictured above: Nurses from Wuhan, China end up with face
through droplets from sneezing shield marks on their faces from working long hours
or coughing. The symptoms in-
Mental Health Matters clude fever, cough, and shortness of breath and can appear within 2-14 days from ex-
Page 5 posure. As nursing students, we can prevent the spread of potential viruses by practic-
ing isolation and standard precautions such as hand hygiene, disinfecting commonly
Welcome 1st Semester shared surfaces, and covering your sneezes and coughs.
Students
Page 6
The CDC recommends that people use face masks only if they are symptomatic. How-
ever, with the onset of this new disease, xenophobia and racism has erupted against
people of Asian descent. Pre-existing xenophobia perspectives are exposing them-
Important Upcoming selves with the coronavirus because some people may be quick to assume that any
Dates Asian-Americans they encounter are infected. Incidences of increasing discriminatory
Page 7 hostility and violence have been reported as you may have seen on the news. Stereo-
types and prejudice can affect your role as a student nurse. Remember that as a nurse,
you approach your peers and your patients without judgement. If we have judgements
about our patients, we cannot provide quality care. Please consider the nurses bravely
fighting the coronavirus right now.
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 2

Behind Closed Doors of an L&D Floor

By Kayliana Van Winkle
Class Representative III
3rd Semester
It is early on a weekday morning. The sun is just beginning to wake. Yet the beauty of the sun's greeting goes unobserved by me,
for I am in a crowded report room of a labor and delivery unit. The nurses greet one another with smiles and a playful yet calm
easiness. The charge nurse calls out our assignments for the day. Almost subconsciously, I am relieved to hear that my nurse for
the day only has one assignment. This means she will have more time to explain things to me and answer questions. After assign-
ments have been called, the previously packed room dissipates and feels large. I, despite feeling confident, timidly ask a remaining
nurse if she knows where Arianna is. The nurse kindly points out Arianna, my nurse for the day. We find the nurse from the previ-
ous shift and walk a short distance down the hall to our patient's room. Inside, we find a middle-aged expectant mother with her
significant other and a soon-to-be grandma. This is her first baby, and the atmosphere is calm.
From the nightshift’s report we learn that the patient had clear SROM a few hours prior and is 8 cm dilated. The night shift has set
up the room for a vaginal delivery, and the patient's pain is well controlled with an epidural. This is a healthy patient with no
known complications. We anticipate the birth soon. The nurse from the previous shift leaves, and Arianna rips off a long printout
of the fetal heart rate monitor. Arianna reviews minimal, moderate and prolonged variability with me. At first the patterns look
similar, but after a minute of squinting I am able to see the difference between the three. Arianna checks in with the family. They
had been up all night before finally checking into the hospital. I take the patient's vitals and after my nurse assessed the patient, I
follow suit. Contractions were regular and strong, but the baby is curved to the side. We turn the patient on her side and tuck a
peanut ball between her legs to help the baby turn. Since this is their first baby, Arianna and I were not anticipating a birth any-
time soon. Knowing this, Grandma leaves to get some rest and Arianna and I leave the couple to try and rest as well.
An hour later, Arianna performs a sterile vaginal exam. she finds progression in dilation, station, and effacement. I was so excit-
ed— this would be my first experience with a live birth. Things were moving along. The significant other was attentive to the pa-
tient, throwing occasional jokes that made her smile. The love was obvious, and I felt honored to be a part of such an important
life event. We repositioned mom into high fowlers for comfort and readjusted the external fetal heart rate monitors.
Another hour has passed, and contractions have increased in frequency. The next vaginal exam reveals 10 cm, yet baby is still
slightly crooked. Arianna determines mom is not numb enough in her legs, so we assist her into hands and knees position in bed.
Arianna begins to coach the patient to push. A few hours and a few positions later, baby is still not properly positioned for deliv-
ery. Arianna and the physician both tried to manually turn the baby with no success. Mom is a strong pusher but is has been a few
hours and she is getting tired. The doctor orders an ultrasound to double check the baby’s positioning.
As Arianna and I walk to retrieve the ultrasound, she confides that she does not believe this baby will come out vaginally. I feel
disappointed, because I knew that the patient had wanted a vaginal birth and the hours of strong pushing had already caused
damage. Upon returning to the room, I commented to Arianna that there seemed to be more swelling. This caused mom’s signifi-
cant other to ask if we were concerned. Arianna took the opportunity to educate and reassure the couple. After the ultrasound, the
physician confirmed the mal-positioning and explained to the couple that continuing to push would most likely be unsuccessful.
He started to discuss C-section as an option. Disconcerted, the couple agrees. I felt that the doctor and Arianna did a good job em-
powering the couple to make the decision, yet also being honest with their recommendations.
The couple takes time to themselves, then opt for the surgery. Within minutes of their decision, three or four nurses swoop into
the room and seamlessly prepare for the operation. The nurses are patient as I insert a Foley catheter under Arianna's guidance.
They explain the rationale of "burping" the bag of Lactated Ringers as we hang it. As Arianna, the significant other, two other
nurses and I put on our surgery PPE, the significant other takes an opportunity for a photo op selfie with us all. It lightens the
mood. It is now ten hours into my shift, and I am supposed to report to post conference soon. I decide this opportunity is worth
being a little late. Ultimately, we all went to the OR and the patient delivered a healthy, beautiful baby. I admit I teared up a little,
but I want to blame the OR's sappy music and my sleep-deprived state of mind.
From this experience, I learned the importance of honesty and relaying that a C-section is almost always a possibility. No matter
how a situation seems at first, it is our duty to inform the couple of all of the risks and possibilities. I remember asking Arianna
what would've happened in this case, had it been several hundred years ago before a Cesarean was a possibility. She answered
that most likely mom and or baby would have died. Although surgery was not something the patient had wanted for personal rea-
sons, I am grateful for the modern miracle of healthcare and for the gift of an additional member to that family and to our world.
Note: No actual names were used in this article due to privacy.
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 3

Nursing School, Marriage, & Family

By Brook Murray
1st Semester

I know I am not the first to go to Nursing School while trying

to raise a family. Many amazing people have come before and
there will be many more. Despite this fact, I feel like every
one of those amazing people should tell their story. Every
parent’s experience is different and the more we share, the
more we can help the future parents who dream of becoming
nurses. The first two weeks have already brought me many
struggles and much joy.

Everyone reading this knows the struggle is real when it

comes to the first two weeks of Nursing School. It is rigorous,
chaotic, mind numbing, mind blowing, and every other crazy
adjective you can think of. It is called front-loading for a rea-
son. You are jam packed with information in a very short time
frame. You are in class a lot and are expected to study even
more. On top of all of this, for most of us, it is a completely
different way of going to school. Classes are at weird hours
and for long hours. The attire we are required to wear chang-
es with each class and the times we need to bring are differ-
ent everyday. As if all of this were not enough, I also have my
domestic life I have to keep under control.

I am responsible for maintaining three schedules. I have my chaotic class schedule, my husband’s work schedule, and the sched-
ule of my children’s childcare. Luckily, my husband’s work schedule is fairly normal. He has a wonderful Monday through Friday
nine to five. His schedule is the easiest, and thank God someone’s is. My children, on the other hand, have a schedule that is a lit-
tle more complex. Most of my cohort already know that I have two little boys, one will be three in March and the younger turned
one in November. The boys need to be dropped off at and picked up from childcare at specific times. Unfortunately, I cannot al-
ways do either of those so I need to make sure my husband is informed and picks up the boys when I am not able to. Google Cal-
endars has been a lifesaver for us because I am able to have our calendars on both of our phones so we can see at a glance where
we need to be and when.

In addition to being the schedule keeper, I am also the meal planner and food shopper. If it were up to my husband we would
have eggs and bacon for breakfast everyday, sandwiches everyday for lunch, and grilled meat, rice, and vegetables for dinner eve-
ry night. I would die from boredom! Every Saturday, I make a meal plan for the coming week that includes breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. Luckily, the boys are fed at childcare so we really only need to worry about their dinners every night. Once the meal plan-
ning is completed I do the grocery shopping on Sunday morning. Sunday is the day we cook our breakfast and lunches for the
week. It may take most of the day, but the time it saves us during the week is worth it.

While my husband has upped his Daddy skills over the last couple of weeks there are some things my boys just will not let him
do. My oldest always has to have me sing him his songs and tuck him in for bed. My youngest needs me to console him when he
has hurt himself or he is just not feeling well. They both need me to be present when I am with them and give them the attention
and love they need and deserve. What that means for me is very little time for studying while I am at home. I am forced to
squeeze in studying for as long as I can after they go to bed . Around this time, I cannot possibly stay awake any longer. This also
makes study groups a little more difficult for me since I have family obligations that will always take precedence. My husband is
only one man and our kids need both their parents to be happy.

All of that being said, I am still doing well in all of my classes, so far. I try to fill every moment I can with my studies, but when I
am with my family I am with my family. As parents we can balance our home and school life. It takes a little bit of additional com-
mitment and time management, but it can be done. Now I just need to keep this up for four semesters and I will be living my best
life with and for my family.
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 4

Thrilling Life of a Scribe

By Justin Kim
CNSA President
4th Semester

I work as a scribe in the Emergency Department at

Mercy San Juan Medical Center (MSJMC). MSJMC is a
Level II Trauma Center, which means I see a lot of
crazy stuff. One minute I’ll be seeing a patient who
has just suffered a stroke, and another minute I’ll see
a patient who has just been run over by a vehicle. It’s
an unpredictable environment and I must always be
on my toes, which is why I love my job! I get to see
and learn about things that I wouldn’t be exposed to
on a regular Medical Surgical floor. Just a couple
months ago, Professor Camarena (OB Professor)
taught us about a condition in pregnancy that affects
less than 1% of pregnant women. I went to work a
few days later and guess what I saw? Exactly that
condition in pregnancy that affects less than 1% of
pregnant women. This job has also taught me how to
appropriately interact with doctors, physician assis-
tants, and nurse practitioners. They truly are some of
the coolest people I have ever met. They go out of
their way to teach us about different cases and skills.
I never imagined that a scribe job would translate
over to nursing, but it does in so many ways. Every
shift, I get to see the work up for a chief complaint of
abdominal pain or chest pain. I know exactly where
to focus my assessments if a patient started com-
plaining of either of these problems. I also know what
a provider would order in these situations, so it
would help me in my SBAR to the provider. Being
able to see this in person and not just learn it from a Pictured above: One of the Physician Assistants teaching
PowerPoint or textbook, has truly advanced my
learning. If you’re ever looking for a job during nurs- the MSJMC staff to suture.
ing school that will expand your knowledge and look
great on a resume, think of becoming a scribe!
 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 5

By Anonymous Mental Health Stigma Persists for Asian Teens

In our second semester of nursing school, we learned about the importance of mental health and how it can have
lasting effects on our holistic wellness. In spite of this, every culture has a different perspective on mental health.
In many Asian cultures, mental health is a taboo topic that is rarely discussed within our families. I have been bat-
tling anxiety throughout a majority of my life, which reached its peak during my transition to nursing school. My
traditional Indonesian parents initially did not consider this to be anything substantial.
Many Southeast Asians often don’t openly speak about their trauma or mental battles, and when they did, it was
often in a dismissive light. In fact, in the Indonesian language, there is no word equivalent to the English word,
“anxious.” The word “cemas” is the closest translation. However, “cemas” more closely translates to the English
word, “worried”: a fleeting emotion that is short-term in nature rather than a deeper psychological and emotional
experience. My parents’ perception of mental health is rooted in their cultural upbringing. I grew up convincing
myself that the immense fear I felt every minute, and the mass of unexplained persistent worrying that led to nega-
tive consequences during my early school years, were normal. These misunderstandings can make it difficult for
people to ask for assistance. It took me a couple years to be able to share my experiences with my traditional fami-
ly, who became more open-minded with time. Fortunately, I was also able to find a great support system of friends,
and, after learning about the importance of mental wellness in N129, began to take more initiative towards my
own psychological wellness.
I’m very fortunate to be part of a profession that believes in the holistic care of patients and families. Nurses are
major advocates & being masters of therapeutic relationships. By practicing compassion and sensitivity to others,
we can be part of the rising discussion towards the direction away from the stigma and encourage our patients to
take actions necessary to achieve psychological and physical wellness. Although I am fully aware that not all East-
ern cultures share the same attitude towards mental health, hopefully this article resonates with any other stu-
dents who may have experienced a similar situation.

PEER COUNSELING : HEALTHY CAMPUS PROGRAM: CRISIS ASSISTANCE & RESOURCE

Folsom Hall Rm 2075 The Well at Sac State EDUCATION SUPPORT (CARES):
Hours: Hours: University Union, 1st Floor, Rm 126
Tuesdays 11AM–2PM Sunday 10AM–10PM Hours:
Wednesdays 2PM–5PM Monday to Thursday 6AM–12AM Monday to Friday 8AM–5PM
Friday 6AM–10PM
The Sacramento State CARES office provides
Peer Counselors are not licensed Saturday 8AM–8PM support to students who are in crisis or expe-
professionals but are trained for riencing unique challenges to their education.
therapeutic communication and lis- The Well at Sac State focuses on the 7 Di- They address a variety of issues including, but
tening. No appointment necessary. mensions of Wellness: Intellectual, Emotion- not limited to: Transportation Barriers, Men-
Drop by anytime! al, Environmental, Physical, Career , Spiritu- tal Health and Wellness, and Physical Health
al, and Socio-Cultural Wellness. and Wellness.
THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 6

Welcome 1st Semester Students!

 THE MONTHLY SHOT PAGE 7

Learn more about

Men in Nursing at IMPORTANT UPCOMING
DATES
Events:
Congratulations to our new CNSA Board of Men In Nursing Meeting:
Spring 2020! February 28th (Friday) at 4:30 pm at
Folsom Hall- Room1050
Learn about Kaiser’s New Graduation
Residency Program

C.N.S.A. Meeting
March 6th (Friday) at 4:30pm at
Folsom Hall– Room 1050
Meet Nurses from different hospitals
and floors and hear about a day in
their lives! (ICU, ED, PCU/Oncology)

Contact Info
California State University, Sacramento,
School of Nursing:
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-6096
http://www.hhs.csus.edu/nrs
Phone: (916) 278-6525
Fax: (916) 278-6311

Monthly Shot Editor: Jaymee Cruz

Email:
Write for the Monthly Shot! [email protected]
Join CNSA:
Each article is one CNSA event and is great Faculty Co-Advisors:
nsnamember- for your resume! Articles should be at least 250
Dr. Denise Wall Parilo & Dr. Bridget
Parsh
ship.org words, and can be about anything nursing or school
-related. We want to hear from all semesters! CSUS CNSA chapter:
cnsaatcsusacramento.weebly.com

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS TO

THE MONTHLY SHOT!
NURSE:
Just another word to
For each issue, it is nice to see pictures describe a person
of you and/or your nursing school strong enough to toler-
friends doing awesome nursing-related ate anything and soft “Like” Sac State Nursing on Facebook!
activities! Become a celebrity and submit enough to understand www.facebook.com/SacStateNursing
pictures for the next issue!
anyone
Send pictures today to:
-Anonymous
[email protected]