Chinese Lantern Festival

Our team with the students from the National Defense Nursing School



Women we met at the National Defense Nursing School

Today was my first day in the Medical ICU, which is where I'll be placed for the of the time in Taiwan. I was with a cardiac patient and a patient with sepsis/abdominal mass. I got to do some exciting new things here that I haven't been able to do in the US (well I think they're exciting, but everyone else might think they're gros...) I was able to watch a new PICC line (meaning an IV that can last 7 days and has 3 ports to insert meds and other things through) inserted into the jugular vein and also learned how to suction a trach. My preceptor was a very good teacher and helped me through the suctioning. Getting a PICC line into the neck vein does look like it hurts a lot though:(

After the hospital we went for a visit to the National Defense Medicine College. This is where the military trains healthcare workers and trades payment for school for the student agreeing to work for ten years after in the Taiwanese military. We met some pretty fun young women and learned more about their program. They were very interested in learning more about us and what our nursing school is like. They also loved hearing more about our lives and what we like to do for fun. It was fun being able to spend time and connect with people similiar to our age.

Rose and I at the lantern festival

When we first arrived in Tawian we were here for Chinese New Year's Celebration for the start of the Year of the Snake. Yesterday was the beginning of the Chinese Lantern festival, which continues for the festivities of the Chinese New Year. I never realized it was such a long celebration that consisted of so many different festivals. There is a large park in Taipei that's covered with lights and blow up structures that represent various Chinese traditions, Angry Birds, and other popular movies in Taiwan. (The structures were kind of similar to the big blow up Christmas decorations people have in their front yards). We walked and walked throughout this festival for two hours because it's so large. It was hard to keep an eye on the group we walked with because there were so many other people there. Marlaina, Kyleigh, and I ate something that resembled a hot dog on a stick that tasted like cinnamon and sugar (our teachers referred to it as mystery meat). I guess it remains a mystery what we actually ate, which I'm not sure I really want to know.


Lantern Festival

Wow. Another long and exhausting day. These days are hard when we go from the hospital, to a tour, to a night festival and are gone for 15 hours. My feet hurt from walking and my body hurts from sleeping on my box spring (what I call my mattress).