Yikes!

I keep meaning to write a post but there just never seems to be enough time in the day! I keep reminding myself (as do all of my other nursing school friends) that it was just one short year ago that I was sitting in our lecture hall...hands trembling, forehead sweating, and doubting my ability to crack those ridiculous test questions. And now, here I am, with eight weeks left until I graduate! My hands don't really tremble, I think I will always drip sweat from my forehead, and those test questions still give me a run for my money! But the difference between now and one year ago is that I've acquired a whole lot of knowledge, a descent amount of skills, and a little more confidence in my ability to care for an individual as a whole! 


I can tell in class and in clinicals that our instructors are pushing us to "spread our wings and fly". It reminds me of what my mental health clinical instructor always reminded us of..."you guys have all the tools you need...you just need to use them the right way!" .... What she was really telling us was use the think system...stop relying on us (instructors) to give you the answer. You know the right answer, you've been taught everything you need to know..now just put two and two together!


I can tell that this semester is centered around fine-tuning our skills and habits and making us trust our instincts, use our critical thinker (aka our brain), and go and do what we're supposed to do! 


This semester for clinicals I'm back at the VA on their cardiac telemetry floor (aka...everyone is on a heart monitor). The first week we had our first and last careplan of our nursing school career!! WOOT!!! Can't tell you how exciting it was to be able to turn that puppy in; and no, I didn't look back! It has been a lot of fun being able to do everything for our patient. There's no more wondering, "am I allowed to do that?" This semester my hurdle to jump over is going to be starting IV's! I wish I could bring equipment home to practice on my family, but I don't think the hospitals, CNM, or my instructors would be too happy with me for doing that. But thankfully my clinical instructor will be sending all of us to the ER where everyone needs an IV and by-golly I am going to start a dang IV! I've had several different opportunities arise and they fell through for various reasons...but no more! If nursing school has taught me anything it's that I have to advocate not only for my patient but for myself. If I can't look out for myself then how will I be able to look out for anyone else? 


Well, I have my first exam Wednesday...YIKES! I was studying hard the past few days going over all of the cardiac information that was supposed to be on the exam and tonight my instructor posted an announcement saying that all the cardiac material was going to be moved to the second exam!!! Needless to say I was extremely disappointed and frustrated that all the studying I'd been doing for the past few days was in vain and could have spent reviewing all the other information that's going to be on the exam. However, thanks again to nursing school, I've learned that you just gotta roll with the punches and move on. So no use complaining right?! :D I think the best thing I can do is go to bed and get some much needed shuteye!


So there's my update! Oh, and for those of you who are curious, baring any setbacks or unfortunate events; my pinning ceremony (aka graduation since the summer semester doesn't get a commencement ceremony *tear drop*) is in 54 days!!! ..not like I'm counting!! :D