Grey's Anatomy: An Overanalysis

Despite feeling weary of my workload, I am grateful for one thing - Netflix.

Now hear me out. I love watching movies, but I honestly do not have the capacity for sitting through an hour and a half or longer film that I would not be able to remember even if I did sit through it. Netflix offers a variety of television shows that I can put on as background noise or watch on a short break. I have no qualms about pausing the show because I know it will still be there when I am ready to continue it. It is better than DVR because I do not necessarily have to share what I am watching with others!

Anyway, recently I have been watching Grey's Anatomy. As if I could not get enough healthcare culture in my life, I like watching the show about surgical intern doctors living in Seattle. There is medicine, healthcare providers, and drama! Although I do not consider it a realistic representation of the healthcare industry, I have picked out several instances where my education has already helped me feel prepared for my future career.

Grey's Anatomy has also taught me a few things - and I am only in the midst of season 2! One episode struck me as particularly important to remember when interacting with other healthcare providers. The episode in which the nurses are on strike reminded me of the fact that all of our responsibility is to our patients. A few nurses are providing specific information about patients they would like an intern to check on and when the intern protests their requests, one nurse replies, "They're our patients too."


The succinctness of the nurse's reply in that particular episode was remarkable. The implication that the doctors were not the only ones responsible for their patients was very clear. Coincidentally, I read about the national standards of interpreters in healthcare for next week's communication class which outlined the practices of interpreters in the the medical process. Although interpreters' role is refined compared to nurses' roles, the common ground is the dedication to the patient.

Why is it then, that the relationships between different healthcare providers can be so tense? I do not mean simply the primary care provider and nursing staff, I mean the shaman, priest, and psychiatrist too. Should patients be metaphorically "claimed" by departments? Holistic care can offer so much more to patients - particularly through utilizing the multitude of resources available in the healthcare industry these days.

A Tasty Halloween

Halloween this year was rather eventful - but not in the orthodox sense. I had been scheduled to man the Dia de Los Muertos corner from 10am until I left for clinical at 2pm. Typically clinical ends at 9:30pm. With such a long day before me, I did the one thing that could immediately make it better - I dressed up!

My costume this year was Snow White. I have always been keen on the Disney princess and after watching the television show Once Upon a Time I have become more and more attached to her. I made myself as pale as I could look without looking dead, and wore a bright shade of lipstick to complete the look.

My friend dressed up as Red Riding Hood, who, in Once Upon a Time is best friends with Snow White. It was a perfect match! We hung out pretty much all day just for effect. (Not really, we just like hanging out together - plus we are in the same clinical group). I even had the honor of curling her luscious blond hair! I think I had far too much fun helping her with her costume.

In fact, I helped put together costumes for several of my friends! If there's one thing I truly appreciate about Halloween, it's the opportunity to show off a great costume. Maybe it's from theatre withdrawals...

Anyway, one of my first tasks of the day included whipping up a batch of champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) for our Dia de Los Muertos celebration. It was so easy to make and delicious! I decided not to post my own photos with the recipe because the ones I took did not do it justice.

As I mentioned, I was scheduled for the M.E.Ch.A. corner all morning, but some replacements came in time for me to complete a festive scavenger hunt around school. Of course, Red was my hunting companion. Scuttling around campus, we saw all sorts of costumes! The faculty and staff had some of the best costumes.

Unfortunately my day was cut short by clinical. Although I did end up throwing some swimming goggles around my neck to participate in the sports-themed festivities at the care facility, I did not feel quite so enthused about the holiday. Fortunately, we did get off early (by 15 minutes, but still).

As soon as I returned, I gathered my friends and we ventured out to 23rd to hit up Little Big Burger before it closed to get our beloved truffle fries. After satisfying our salty cravings, we then satisfied our sweet cravings through Salt'N'Straw. The icing on the cake was that Salt'N'Straw - pause for effect - did not have a line. The day could not have gotten any better.

From left: Tinkerbell (Milly), Esmeralda (Amanda),
Snow White (Me), and Red Riding Hood (Emily).

...And that was the extent of my Halloween festivities. I returned from the outing exhausted and heading towards a food coma, or as I recently learned, a postprandial somnolence. (What can I say? I'm still a nursing student.)

Treat Yo Self

Good, better, best,

Never stop to rest,

Until the good is better

and the better, best.

Out of all the things from the Stevens Family show on Disney Channel I remember, I remember Ren Stevens sing-songingly recite this. It is almost poetical how simplistic the rhyme is - especially with its depth. Now, this may be me over-analyzing things again, but I have found myself repeating this to myself every day and wonder if it is damaging my idea of a successful day.

I always wonder right before bed if there are a few more things I can do before ending my day. Whether that be writing a blogpost or reading one more section of a textbook, I always think of one or two more things that I can do to make my day seem more fulfilled. Silly, no? 

With the fast pace of nursing school, I constantly wonder if I am missing out on things. For instance, today I had an episode of New Girl playing on my computer as I took notes for a class. (SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 2) It got to the episode in which Nick kisses Jess (finally!) and I had to take a moment to recover my thoughts. It was such an expected thing, based on the way the season was going, but it took me completely by surprise. 

Or take, for a simpler example, looking at my cousin's senior soccer photos. I could not believe how grown-up my cousin looked! I still cannot believe time flies the way it does. 

What if I am missing out on things? I do not want to miss out on my loved ones' lives! I do not want to do poorly in school either! I want to keep up with everything all at once! WHAT TO DO?!?!

It occurred to me when I went to get bubble tea and fries (do not judge me - truffle fries and guava bubble tea with tapioca hit the spot after an exam) - that all I need to do is use my rewards wisely. Instead of napping when I do not necessarily need the sleep or watching a movie on my own I could be cooking in the kitchen with friends or enjoying someone's company while waiting in line to devour a delicious dessert (cough*Salt'N'Straw*cough). However pressed for time I may be, spending time with friends and accomplishing other tasks all amount to productivity in my book.

Television, Movies, and... Dating Advice.

The show Catfish on MTV makes me very uncomfortable. It is about people that have online relationships, that for some reason or another have not met in person. Most people on the show are not who they say they are, which leads to the misconception that all online dating is deceitful. I have never tried online dating, but having known people who have met their significant other through online dating, I have some respect for the process.

Interestingly enough, I started watching the show after I finished watching the movie From Up on Poppy Hill for the second time. The contrast in dating between the show and the movie was striking! Granted, they are not only represent two different cultures, they represent two different time periods. From Up on Poppy Hill is based in post-Korean War Japan, focusing on two students who fall in love unexpectedly. I encourage everyone to see the movie - it is funny and cute and has a great soundtrack and, of course, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli.

Catfish shows that a relationship takes time to develop and does not necessarily rely on physical closeness. From Up on Poppy Hill shows that a relationship can occur in an instant and can last. What does this mean for contemporary adults and young adults? Which dating style should we put our trust in? Is love-at-first-sight real?

*CUE ELLEN-STYLE DANCING*

Keep it cool. What's the name of this post? I can't remember, but it's alright, a-alright. JUST DATE. It's gonna be okay. Da-da doo-doo-doo. JUST DATE. You've got a message bud. Da-da doo-doo-doo. Just date. Gonna be okay. D-d-d-date. Date, date, just j-j-just date.