Being a Nurse...

 

For the past four years of my life, I have taken care of people as a Licensed Nursing Assistant and nursing student.  I have quieted freshly born babies and held the hands of countless dying people.  I have hugged and cried with cancer patients, consoled families, cleaned wounds, and bandaged scraped knees of school children.  I hang IV bags, set up EKGs, give shots, and provide the emotional support that people need to make it through their difficulties.  I solve problems and am the eyes and ears of the doctors.  I catch problems before they start and speak up for my patients when they cannot.  I stood at a man's head throughout his open-heart surgery and looked down into his open chest for 9 hours.  I teach elderly yoga classes and I have sang karaoke with mental hospital residents.  I've gone on countless walks and wheel-chair rides with elderly people looking for companionship.  I have been blessed enough to care for innumerable incredible people.

Being a nurse is an incredible thing.

Because we truly touch people's lives.
 

You may have heard me mention my "clinicals" from time to time... For those of you who don't know, "clinical" is basically an internship for nursing students.  During my nursing education, I had clinicals in the hospital orthopedics and cardiac floors, as a school nurse, in the state mental hospital, and in labor & delivery.  While attending school, I also worked as a Licensed Nursing Assistant in nursing homes, the hospital neurology unit, and at my favorite place in the world: Vermont Respite House. 

As a graduating nursing student, we get to pick a location for our final clinical.  Naturally, I chose Vermont Respite House.

What exactly is Vermont Respite House?  It is a home for those who are nearing the end of their lives and cannot be cared for at home any longer.  While that may sound depressing, it is truly one of the happiest places I have ever had the pleasure of being.  There is an incredible, attentive staff and a massive team of volunteers that work together to bring joy and life into this wonderful place.  Each patient is recognized as a unique individual, and they become members of the Vermont Respite House family during their stay with us.  Their families also become part of the family.  It is a place of openness, warmth, gratitude, learning, and loving. 

People are often nervous when visiting the hospice for their first time.  I know that I was!  These fears are erased the moment you walk through the door.  Nobody wears scrubs, and it smells like baked goods (no hospital smell!)... there are no beeping machines, no lab coats, no hospital food or cold stethoscopes.  Instead, there is a huge living room with a beautiful Noah's ark mural, the walls decorated with animals.  A ceiling-length brick fireplace occupies the center of the living room, and just around it is a kitchen.  Often bustling with volunteers, the kitchen smells delicious and there is a bar of home-baked goodies waiting to be eaten.  Music fills the air, either by CD player or from the living room piano.  Patients bring their dogs, cats, and birds, and staff or volunteers may bring a quiet dog in as well.  Fresh flowers are bundled on top of almost every surface available.  In the spring, gardens bloom an array of colors and bunnies hop around outside.  Bird feeders are outside of every patient room and we have quite the population of feathered friends... patients love to get visits at their windows from their singing neighbors!  

As I have described, Vermont Respite House is a truly beautiful place.  Patients are encouraged to find fulfillment as their chapter on Earth comes to a close.  Death is not treated as something taboo or frightening, but rather as a natural part of life.  It is accepted and prepared for.  Hospice nurses are able to expertly manage pain and symptoms while allowing the patient to have the highest quality of life possible.  The goal of hospice is not to lengthen or shorten life, but rather to allow one to live life to its fullest.  It has actually been statistically proven that people receiving hospice care live an average of three months longer than those who undergo extensive medical treatment until the end of their life.

This is a difficult subject for many people to consider, yet we all must face it one day for ourselves or our loved ones.  Don't forget about the hospice option.  We know how to help people live their life to the fullest.

Everyday Kindness.

Be kind.  Every day. 

Pageant Education

Hello all!


It is often brought to my attention that the general public does not have much in the way of pageant education.  This is totally understandable... I didn't know anything about pageants until I competed for Miss Vermont USA last year!  This blog post is going to help you understand WHAT the heck I am doing right now. 

One BIG important fact is this: Miss USA is not the same pageant or person as Miss America.  They are two completely different pageants! 



This is the reigning Miss USA 2010, Rima Fakih.

This is the reigning Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan.


See? Different crowns and different girls!  I will explain more...


A History Lesson: Miss America began in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  In 1952, the reigning Miss America refused to model her swimsuit.  This lead the Catalina Swimwear sponsor to begin its own Miss USA and Miss Universe competition in Long Beach, California.  Miss USA has been televised since 1963.  Donald Trump and NBC have been co-owners of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants since 2002.




Which is Which?
 Miss USA is scored as such:

• 1/3 Personality Interview: This takes place prior to the actual competition with a panel of judges.  Judges can ask anything! Current events, questions about a favorite hobby, and "Why do you want to be Miss USA?" are just a few examples.  The judges receive an information sheet filled out by the contestant in order to help guide questioning.
• 1/3 Swimsuit: The swimsuit competition is on-stage during both preliminary and final competitions.  Scoring is based on healthy looking bodies and physical fitness, but also on confidence, poise, and presence.  A girl could have a fantastic body, but she has to rock it on stage!  Also, "physically fit" does not necessarily mean unhealthily skinny like a typical runway model.  While most girls are quite slender, they must be toned and healthy looking as well.
• 1/3 Evening Gown:  This gown portion of Miss USA also takes place on-stage during preliminary and final competitions.  The scoring is not based on the gown itself, but on how well the woman wears the gown.  She must appear confident, elegant, and poised.  The gown should add to her beauty rather than take away from it.
• On-Stage Question: The Top 5 contestants are asked on-stage questions during the final competition.  This question can be anything at all!

 

Miss America is scored differently:

• Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit: 15%- much less emphasis on fitness than Miss USA
• Evening Wear: 20%
• Talent: 35%- Miss AMERICA has a 90-second talent portion.
• Private Interview: 25%
• On-Stage Question: 5%

 

General Differences:

• Miss America has a heavily emphasized talent competition.  
• Miss America does not compete in Miss Universe.
• Miss America is a scholarship organization that awards academic scholarships to winners.
• Miss America requires a personalized platform that each contestant promotes.
• Miss America is supported by volunteers.
• Miss America is on ABC in the winter.
• Miss America emphasizes a more on business-like, traditional, modest style.

• Miss USA does not have a talent portion.
• Miss USA competes in Miss Universe.
• Miss USA is a beauty pageant that awards financial benefits and sponsors to winners.
• Miss USA promotes several platforms as a whole, with emphasis placed on breast cancer research and supporting our troops.
• Miss USA is supported by Donald Trump.
• Miss USA is on NBC in the summer.
• Miss USA emphasizes a more modern, fun, and sexy style.

Broad Similarities: 
Contestants in both Miss USA and Miss America go on to become successful actresses, T.V. anchors, doctors, models, teachers, business-women, etc.  Anything is possible!  Competing in pageants definitely opens doors to a wide variety of opportunities by ways of networking, confidence-building, and training.  Women in pageants are taught to carry themselves with poise and grace.  They also receive extensive interview training and contribute as volunteers to a number of charitable organizations/events.



In summary, I am Miss Vermont USA.  I will compete in the Miss USA pageant on June 19th.  If I win, I will be moved to New York City and given an apartment in the Trump Towers for my year of duty as Miss USA.  I will also compete in the Miss Universe pageant in Brazil on September 12th.
 


I hope all of this information helped!  We will be talking soon.
~Lauren Carter










 

Supersized Snowstorms, Dazzling Dresses, and Heartfelt Hospice

Hello everybody!

Tuesday morning, I looked out the window and saw this:

    I didn't even know there was supposed to be a snowstorm!  I ended up being stuck in my apartment until 7pm, when I could FINALLY get out of my driveway and go to the gym.  The snow was brutal!  It was nice to have a day of (forced) rest, though.  I stayed in my Tinkerbell pajamas all day and made amazing oatmeal-banana-chocolate chip-peanut butter-walnut-craisin-apple-trail mix cookies.  YUM!



    I woke up at 3:30 the next morning to get to the airport for my 6am flight to NYC.  What was the occasion?  The hunt for a Miss USA evening gown!  My Super-Mom (love you!) met me in the city along with my amazing gown sponsor, Maria Neves at The Crowning Touch.  I got my pageant gown for Miss Vermont USA from Maria, and she has been nothing but wonderful to me.  Thank you Maria!

    My gown from Miss Vermont USA was a Sherri Hill.  I have always loved Sherri Hill gowns, and I knew from day one that I needed a Sherri Hill for my Miss USA gown.  Well, my dream came true!  We went to visit Sherri Hill herself to see what she had, and it was absolute heaven!  I was surrounded by beautiful, colorful, unique Sherri Hill gowns and wonderful people.  My awesome director Randy Sanders met us there to help us pick.  Even though he lives in Pennsylvania, I see him so often!  There he is:

    After several hours, I managed to find my dream gown as well as several awesome cocktail dresses.  I highly recommend Sherri Hill's gowns and cocktail dresses.  A big selection of special things.  We went back the next morning to finalize our decision.  I could have spent a whole week in Sherri's dress heaven.  It was great.  The more time I spend in the city, the more I realize that I really could live here and love it.

    I hopped on another plane to Vermont on Wednesday evening.  My short trip to the city was over, but I will be heading back for more NYC next month!  I spent my Thursday evening at Vermont Respite House for my nursing school clinical.  Tomorrow, I am going to my fitness trainer in Massachusetts: Katie Boyd at The Miss Fit Club.  Her gym is hot pink, and she has a bigger personality than anybody I know.  We always have a million laughs.  I'll spend Friday night and Saturday with my family in NH... I don't even remember the last time I visited! On Sunday, I will model for a clothing store photoshoot in NH and then travel to CT to meet with Don Baker, my communications coach.  I will drive back to Vermont Sunday night and go back to clinical Monday morning at Vermont Respite House!  Phew!  It does get busy.

    Before I go, can I just say how INCREDIBLE Hospice workers and volunteers are?!  I have worked as a Nursing Assistant in Hospice two years now.  You may be wondering what exactly Hospice is... Well, let me explain!  We live in a very medically advanced country.  We are able to treat and treat and treat diseases, to run tests, to perform procedures, to give all sorts of medications.  There comes a point in the lives of many patients where this treatment is stopped.  This may happen for many reasons- a disease may progress so far that it is untreatable, the treatments may cause too much suffering, or the patient may simply not want treatment anymore.  These patients can utilize Hospice care.  The Hospice philosophy focuses on caring for patients at the end of their lives by increasing their quality of life.  This is done by relieving uncomfortable symptoms, providing emotional support, guiding the family through this difficult process, and connecting the patient to any desired spiritual needs.  The goal is not to hasten death, and not to prolong life.  All life-sustaining treatments are ceased and the only medications received are focused on improving physical and emotional comfort.  Hospice is NOT the same as physician-assisted suicide, and good Hospice care actually eliminates the need for suicide by providing a comfortable and fulfilling end-of-life experience to patients.  They direct their own care, and we strive to meet their needs.  The goal is peace and dignity as one nears the end of their life.

    I am currently doing my final nursing clinical internship for University of Vermont at my beloved Vermont Respite House, where I have worked as a Nursing Assistant since 2008.  This is a truly magical place where people spend their last days, surrounded by family and loving caregivers in a home-like environment.  It sounds like a depressing job, but there is NO GREATER GIFT than spending time with these amazing patients, family members, and caregivers.  It can be extremely difficult to see people of all ages progress through battles with cancer, ALS, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, dementia, and old age.  However, the staff is a truly gifted community of very special, strong, peaceful people.  I feel so lucky to have met these people and become part of their team. 

Today, a 90+ year old woman wore my crown and gave her best royal wave.  She said it was "exquisite".

Oh, and a shout-out to LAURIE!  You are the best.   I wish we worked together more but hey at least I saw you tonight!

Finding Peace in Times of Stress

I have been realizing more and more lately that my life is an absolute WHIRLWIND!  I traveled so much last month while balancing full-time nursing school, clinical internship, and pageant prep (see previous blog post for more on that).  A typical day from me begins before 7am and ends after 7pm.

I am constantly "on the go".  However, this is not a rare thing in our society... most people have incredibly busy lives.  With such hectic schedules, our own mental and physical health becomes increasingly important, yet we have decreasing amounts of time to dedicate to ourselves.  Self-care and stress relief is extremely important for everybody, no matter how busy!

The big question here is this: How does Miss Vermont USA find time to care for herself, stay grounded, and keep going with a positive outlook?  She makes time to do some very important things, and considers them to be of equal importance in her life to schoolwork and pageant preparation.  She understands that she needs to be grounded and energized in order to be effective in anything.

 


Here are my tips for stress relief and happiness!

• Find time to move your body!  Even just a 15 minute run, a brisk walk after dinner, a spinning class, or a jump in the pool counts.  Play outside, go to a class, or hit the gym!  I am always SO relaxed after spending time working out... it is good for the mind (releases endorphins) AND for the body!  This is time well spent, and you will thank yourself with better health and more energy.
• Try a yoga class.  I get to yoga at least once/week, and I stretch on my own each day.  Again, it is good for the mind AND body.  Classes can be gentle and soothing or vigorous and sweaty, and it instills an inner peace incomparable to anything else.  (if you are from Vermont, check out Jane Yoga!)
• Minimize processed food.   Much of the food we are offered in our country is created with chemicals, salt, and lots of sugar in factories and packaged into plastic bags and cardboard boxes.  Many of these things are difficult to digest, and the high sugar content can really throw our body out of order. 
• Indulge in natural, real food.  Increase your intake of fruit, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and animal products that are produced without hormones and antibiotics.  

• Choose lean meat.  Say "no" to Mc Donald's and "yes" to lean meat, grilled chicken, and fish!  One serving size of meat is 3oz, which is equivalent to a deck of cards.
• Watch your portions!  I eat a healthy snack or small meal every 2-3 hours to keep my blood sugar levels constant and my hunger at bay.
• Get your sleep!  Before bed, take time to unwind.  Reflect on what happened throughout your day before you climb into bed, and give yourself time for 7-8 hours of quality sleep when possible.
• Think happy thoughts.  If you encounter a setback or disappointment, consider it an opportunity for growth.  I believe that everything happens for a reason.  Life is an opportunity for growth.
• Take time for yourself.  Write in a journal, read a book, take a walk and enjoy nature.  I wake up 30 minutes before I need to each morning to ground myself and prepare mentally for the day.
• Listen to music.  Music can be very therapeutic in relaxation.  I listen while I drive, when I "unwind" from my day, and when I work out.  I highly recommend Andy McKee for some peaceful rhythms.

• Make time for meaningful relationships.  Don't surround yourself with people who drag you down!  Friends and family should be a supportive, loving network.  If you are in an emotionally or physically damaging relationship, it is time to step back and view how the situation can be poisonous to your health.  You are in charge of your own life!
• Play with animals.  Pets are nonjudgmental, relaxing, and affectionate.  They seem to know exactly what we need.  Go walk your dog, snuggle with your cat, ride a horse, or visit a farm to simply watch the sheep.  Play in a stream and catch frogs.  Be a kid again!  Appreciation of nature is a beautiful thing.

• Get outside!  We spend so much time inside, at a desk, wired into technology.  Turn off your phone and go hiking, walking, swimming, or biking.  Listen to the birds and breathe in the fresh air.
• Help somebody else.  Nothing is more gratifying than truly touching another life.  Volunteer, do something nice for a loved one, or be kind to a stranger!
• Appreciate the little things, and be grateful.  The smiles, beautiful sounds, special friendships,  and wonderful moments.  The sun, trees, and your own two feet.  Your health and your life.  Our country.
• Smile at a stranger.  You could make their day, and it will make you feel better as well.
• Find time to laugh.  Laughter is the best medicine!
• Light a candle.  Peaceful relaxation.

Those are my tips.  It is hard to make time for all of this... but it is so important!  I spend at least an hour moving my body almost every day, I work hard to create time for peaceful sleep, and I plan each meal/snack to be nourishing to my body.  I make time to reflect and unwind at the end of the day, and I appreciate the little things in life as much as possible.  That is not to say I don't get overwhelmed ever... believe me, I do!  With my supportive network of friends and family, my self-care practices, and my relaxation techniques, I am able to maintain a positive and energetic outlook on life.  Give some of these tips a try!


~Lauren