My First Patient

     Today was my first real patient day in clinic.  It was so much fun.  All my hard work throughout the semester paid off.  I love doing what I have learned.  Want to know what the best part is?...We both survived!!!  I really wasn't too nervous, I was just so excited to get started. 
     One of the requirements today was to take 4 bitewing x-rays to get credit for radiology.  No big deal...except when there is 13 other people who also need to take x-rays and there are only 4 rooms available to take the x-rays in.  I was one of the last few people who signed up for x-rays so I had plenty of time to go over the health history, take vital signs, do an extra/intra oral exam and get my oral diagnosis done.  I had an instructor come over and do my OD check but before I could move on to the oral hygiene instruction portion of the appointment I had to take David's x-rays.  I had to wait almost 30 minutes before I could get my x-rays so I just sat there.  I did get some of my information transfered from my laminated forms to the paper chart during that time.  I even got a lower score for use of time...that frustrated me because they wouldn't let me go take my x-rays even though 2 of the rooms were open, but the others girls weren't ready to take their patient's x-rays.  GRRR. 
     Finally it was my turn to get x-rays on my patient.  YEA.  I wanted to get them done quickly because there was still one more girl waiting to take her x-rays and we only had about 45 minutes left before we had to walk our patient out.  I had David sit in the chair and I got started.  I took one x-ray and was about ready to take the second x-ray when Instructor Vining walked by my room.  I forgot to put the lead apron on David!  Luckily he was cool about it and just reminded me to put the vest on, although he did tease me a bit but thats ok, I deserved it.  Total blonde moment right there.  I finished with the x-rays and developed them.  I had to retake two of them which was a great experience because Instructor Vining gave me some good tips on making sure everything is lined up right. 
     Once that was all done I had 30 minutes left.  I completed the OHI and walked David up front to check out.  I was really hoping to be able to scale one quadrant today but because of the hold-up on x-rays I wasn't able to.  Oh well, David agreed to come back in January for me to finish everything up.  All-in-all today was a great experience.  I am super excited to start seeing more patients, I'm just nervous because I have to find all of the patients.  Please help me out!!!