October 10, 2007

This morning I woke up and was not in the greatest of moods, but after a quick breakfast and throwing my hair in a ponytail I was feeling a little better. We began our mental health clinicals today and Leslie and I went to the clinic where we were then brought to a mobile clinic to dispense medication and injections (the clinic nurses did this) and do quick assessments on the patients. During my two hours of patient contact, I saw about 15 patients. It was like an assembly line…line them up in the waiting room, shuttle them to the open chairs, grab the chart, unstaple the med packets, check the dosage, a few questions, send them to injections, and they were on their way. I would document in their chart and the whole process would start over again with the next patient. I felt a little overwhelmed with the charting because we literally were handed a chart and told to start calling patients. What made it the most difficult was when the patients would be talking to me in English and then they would quickly switch to Afrikaans and back to English! I do not like the language barrier at all. It gets to be so frustrating when patients and nurses talk amongst themselves and I can’t understand what they are saying and what they are laughing at. I feel like I am just hovering in a corner observing what is going on around me, when I am supposed to be actively participating. It’s just something that I don’t think I will ever get used to.

After clinical, we had a fast lunch and we were on our way to Senior Sem and of course it was raining outside! What is with our crummy weather!?! Ugh! It is supposed to be spring here, but I feel like I am in a Minnesota Fall (except I heard MN is having much better weather!). Class was very interesting, we discussed the basic human needs theory and how that was the root of apartheid. It was interesting and hopefully I understand it because I have to write a paper on it! We were done with class an hour early and then off to the computer lab to finally print my civil commitment paper that is due. That got finished and on the drive home we noticed that the stoplights were out…which meant that back at home there was no power! Thanks PE and their energy saving plan right at 4:00, prime time for traveling home from work/school! So, rather than reading mental health, Carrie and I sat on the balcony and she micro-trimmed my hair because I had horrible split ends and I cannot wait until December for Jean to do it (sorry Jean…I do have an appointment made for when I get home, but I just couldn’t make it until then!). I have spent the rest of the night doing homework and then the girls and I took a fun quiz for a break! Now, it’s an early to bed night because we have clinical again early tomorrow!