i realize this photo is not the cutest photo ever taken of me but it documents an important step in my career. i passed my anesthesia board exam and can now apply for my anesthesia license. gone are the days where i have to call my instructor over to observe me giving anesthetic to a patient.
(this summary of events may or may not make sense to some readers but just follow the basic idea)
the first step was the written exam taken early this morning. it bothers me that i don't know how many or which questions i missed but as long as i know it was good enough to get a passing grade then i guess i should just be ok with it. our results come in an envelope in the hallway by our candidate number. once you find out that you pass the written, you are eligible to take the clinical exam at your previously scheduled time.
i was one of the first to be called back for my clinical exam. i set up my syringes, my topical anesthetic, and got my paper work filled out, then called my patient back. my patient was my friend and classmate, autumn. she is so supportive. i started with the IA. i was able to calm my nerves for the most part but i was still a little shaky heading toward my initial penetration point. the needle slid right in and went exactly where it needed to go. i call it out, negative aspiration, deposited a little solution, and was instructed to withdraw. next, on to the PSA. i knew going into this that i had gotten a positive aspiration on the right PSA every single time before so i was expecting one. i was nervous that there would be a positive and that i wouldn't see it for whatever reason and fail the exam. autumn told me her goal for today was "not to bleed." i was so dead set on getting a good aspiration that i wouldn't be able to miss seeing the results that my harpoon got disengaged from the stopper. oh stink. i just withdrew, gave that thumb ring a few good hits and went right back in, negative. i injected a little more solution and got the heck out of there. done. of course at that moment i was unsure if my disengaged harpoon would get me into trouble. by the time i disinfected and re-wrapped my unit my results were ready in an envelope for me. and i passed.
i can finally start to enjoy this christmas season. what a relief to have that over with. i am so glad that we went on the first day and did not have to wait until sunday to take the exam.
big shout out to my patient, autumn for letting me stab her with needles repeatedly on multiple occasions, and for my amazing husband, blake for being willing to be my backup if things didn't go as planned today.
