Chemo Class

Well, today I found out just how much I really don't know about nursing; or at least about oncology nursing. After sitting for 2 8-hour days in class going over about 25-30 drugs that I can barely pronounce with actions and side-effects that can be almost as bad as the disease they are meant to treat, I find myself treading water with my nose just barely above the water-line.

I guess part of it is that I have been in this profession for so long, that much of the new learing I have to do is just another layer added to what I already know. Not so with this stuff. I am starting from ground level here. My nurse manager (read: boss) told me that I didn't know what I didn't know, and she was certainly right. But I did pass the final exam for the course, and am now chemo certified. Is that a scarey thought or what? Hopefully it won't take too long to assimilate some of it. By the end of today I was beginning to be able to pick the right class of drug when she would say a particular trade name or generic name. So maybe there is hope for me yet.

They say that if you keep your mind active, learing new things, solving puzzles, etc. that you fight the effects of aging, possiblility of Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. At this rate, I should have no worries at all!