I have brains in my head

I went through 16 months for an hour and a half long pinning ceremony?! That happened way too fast. I blinked and it's gone! Now it's time for me to move on and transition from student nurse to novice nurse. My studying is not yet done, however! I still have to study for the big test..the NCLEX. For those of you who may not know, the NCLEX, is the state board exam that every single nurse must take (ADN or BSN) to become a registered nurse (RN). I have a week off, to party; and then it's right back to the books...*sorry mom, I'm going to be 'reclaiming' the kitchen table again shortly*

The pinning ceremony was lovely. There's something very personal and exciting when you know almost every single person walking across the stage. It's exciting being able to cheer everyone on as they walked across the stage and got pinned as Graduate Nurses! There's something very satisfying looking at all your instructors from various levels and stages of your nursing school career and being able to look them in the eyes and say "I did it!" (When really on the inside you just want to say 'hahaha take that I did it...how do you like me now?!'...or maybe I was the only one that wanted to do that?!)

We all go to take the Florence Nightingale Pledge which goes a little something like this:

"I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care." 

My favorite part of the pledge, personally, "I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous." I was, however, a little sad that it meant I had to say goodbye to my wild and crazy past (hahaha...because you all know how crazy I can get...Going out to the movies and going to dinner is about as crazy as I get). 

So...my tips for you future nursing students: 

1 - Expect the unexpected...things are not going to happen the way you planned or how your instructor said things would go. You're going to have last minute changes, you're going to have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. It's not the end of the world! Take a deep breath, do NOT complain to your instructor, and go with the flow!

2 - Make time for yourself and your family...no, there's not a lot of free time! Choose a day where you can forget about your upcoming exams, never ending list of required reading, and utter chaos that comes along with school. You'll feel better after spending some R&R with your family.

3 - Go for a walk...it's common knowledge that you gain your freshman 15 all over again while in nursing school, however, a walk a day can keep the pounds away! It's also a great time to allow your mind to wander, go blank, or do whatever it pleases as you walk through someone else's green pastures! Also, it's free therapy! I don't know a single person in nursing school that doesn't jump on the opportunity to get something for free!!! :)

4 - Try and get a job as a tech...yeah the pay may not be great, the work is dirty, but it gets you experience working with patients...and it can be an "in" for you when it comes time to find a job as an RN! 

5 - Heed your instructors advice...while some instructors do enjoy the site of weeping students, almost all of them want what's best for you. If they're telling you that you're not doing something right it's not because they're "nit-picking" it's because they're your instructor. They want to see you become the best that you can be and reach your full potential...plus they realize their lives may be in your hands one day!! :)

6 - Never be above anyone else...we're all in this boat together. Some of us are a little more weird and awkward (and sweat a lot more than your average Joe). But we all have the same doubts, fears, and excitement running through our heads. The sooner we realize we're in this together the better we will be. Nursing isn't a competition.....it's collaboration (That should sounds familiar)...the moment you think you're better than someone and don't have the time to show someone the ropes...that's when you become the nurse you never wanted to be. 

7 - My advice is never ending...but if I told you everything then you wouldn't learn it for yourself!! ;)

So I will finish this post of the way our Nursing Director did for us tonight at our pinning ceremony:

"You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

and YOU are the one

who'll decide where to go..."

- Dr. Seuss

I am a graduate nurse!

Nothing I say or do can prepare you or make you fully understand what it's like to go through nursing school. I can try and explain it until I'm black and blue in the face, but if you don't go through it for yourself then you'll never fully understand. But without adequate support system you're screwed! :) To put it bluntly! It was a rough 18 months. But somehow, by the grace of God, I have survived nursing school! HOWEVER, the end to my nursing school career was no without it's drama. We couldn't wrap up our final like any other normal person and then get our grades like a normal class would. No, please, allow me to share with you what my past 18 hours has been like! 

Well, I suppose I should start a little before I took the final. I was eating dinner with my mom and all day I had just a feeling of anxiety, nervousness, and fear of the unexpected. It wasn't really towards my final exam because that was going to happen whether I liked it or not, but I was more anxious about the fact that I'm about to be a real nurse, I'm about to take on the responsibility of someone's loved one. Their life is essentially in my hands (not completely but figuratively). And realizing that is terrifying. So, while I was eating with my mom, I experienced a terrible anxiety attack! For those of you who have never had one, count your blessings...I was wishing I had a benzodiazepine to take!!! It started with just an overwhelming since of anxiety out of nowhere...then numbness overtook my body...then my heart started pounding (even though my blood pressure was only 110/62 and my pulse was only 62)...then afterwards you just feel exhausted and can barely lift your arms up..and I just got waves and waves of this attack! So, that's how the night before my exam went. Yuck...so I calmed myself by watching NY Med (LOVE that show!)

So at approximately 0809 I pulled into the CNM parking lot to take my final, nursing school final! I got to the testing center where all of my fellow nursing school students were waiting in line to get checked into the testing center. My anxiety started to go down and I was feeling more "at home" and relaxed! So we all got checked into the testing center and then we had to wait for them to sit us down at then put our codes into Black Board (where we take our tests) so that we could take our exam. Eventually we're all put into our exams and then...our...computer....starts...to...freeze...and....it....took...over....a....minute...to...switch....to....the....next...question.....

No joke! Every student was trying to get a hold of one of the test proctors to tell them about the computers freezing up on us, but all that they said was, "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do." So in an hour and a half I had only completed 30 questions...and we had 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete 140 questions. Yeah right! So the proctors were able to get in contact with our instructor who gave us 2 extra hours to complete the exam. To make things even better there were multiple questions that had grammatical errors, incomplete questions, and none of the right answers. As if we didn't have enough anxiety already! So after about 2 hours and 40 questions the computer finally started to kick into gear and wasn't freezing up on me. It took me over 3 hours to complete that exam and when I pressed submit I just knew I failed it. I was just reading the questions, not really pondering it, and giving my answer and going on!

Normally after an exam we can see our grade right away, however, our grades didn't show up so we knew that meant it would be a while until we saw our final grade. Some of my friends were kicked out of the exam and had to complete the exam all over again! Most of us had an emotional breakdown. We expected to have a sense of completion and the sense that we were finally done...but none of us had that. It sucked. 

I went to lunch with some of my great friends to try and lighten the mood, but things just got worse there, our orders got messed up, some of us got over charged, and a place that normally has great food ended up having terrible food (although it could have just been that we had a bad day). So that just fed our bad moods. I decided to go to the mall and do some retail therapy, yet, even that wasn't doing the trick for me. So I went home and decided it would be a good idea...yeah...not! The watermelon was sliding all over the place and I threw a hissy-fit like a child and slammed the knife on our sink and put a little dent in the knife. My poor mom had to take the knife from my hand and say, "Maggie, just walk away!" Yes, real mature. I went up to my room, cried, and slept for several hours!!

That night around 10 or 11 pm we got an announcement from our instructor saying that the IT problems messed with her system so she was having to go through all of our exams one by one to evaluate them and she said she hoped to have grades posted by 8/9/2012 sometime in the afternoon. 

So this morning I got up at 5:45 and went swimming with one of my nursing school buddies, went and got breakfast, went to the mall (where retail therapy really did happen this time). I then went to lunch with some of my family, then I did it...I check my phone! Grades hadn't been officially posted but I had a total grade showing up, but the awful thing is that my total grade was 72% (which is technically failing). I knew that it couldn't be right because she was still working on our grades and nothing had been released but I let my nerves get the best of me and I started freaking out! I mean, who fails level 4?! That's just not heard of. So I was texting another friend and trying not to work myself into a frenzy so we decided to meet up! There we vented to one another and checked our phones waiting for our grades to be released! The grades were finally release after 1900. AND....I got a 92% on my final and a 90% overall in my class! I'm pretty sure I peed my pants and made the entire restaurant think there was a fire somewhere because I screamed and then cried!!! Every single emotion you can imagine was running through my body! I finally felt what I had hoped to feel yesterday...elation! 

So...this is it! I'm a graduate nurse. Tomorrow I get pinned (and we all get to have a good laugh when my instructor says my name....hahaha). I have to shave my legs so I can wear a dress!! (I know that may be TMI but I haven't had time to shave because I spend all my time studying). I'm also going to sleep!!! But the truth is, I'm never not going to be a student. Healthcare is an ever changing field and you never learn everything. I'm going to be learning something new every single day for the rest of my life, plus I'm already registered for my NCLEX prep course through Kaplan...and...I'm registered for a math class that I'm going to need to be able to go on for my BSN, so even the school part of it isn't done. But like I have said and will continue to say, "one day at a time." Trust me on that one...I'm a nurse!

Don’t let someone else’s experience (good or bad) be your own experience

First I must start this post by saying, “I have so much to share and say and I’m at my breaking point in the semester, so I’m extremely excited, and crazy and my thoughts are scattered…so I suppose my warning is that this post will most likely look like my brain = a jumbled mess!!!!” So…you’ve been warned. Continue to read with caution!

Come on nursing school buddies...we can do this!

I cannot believe that it’s a matter of days until graduation. I just finished my last lecture (so much fun to say), I have one more final (a week from today), and then it’s to the pinning ceremony and a graduate nurse I will be! There are approximately 222 hours or 13,339 minutes until the pinning ceremony. This semester has been a blast. I think level 4 is the epitome of nursing school. It's hard, it's fun, it challenges you, it pushes you to your breaking point, and then it shows you what you can be and what you're capable of. While most of it was organized there were still the moments when you had no idea what time something was going to happen, when a case study was due (or when it would be open), there were times when you had no idea what your instructor was talking about. That hasn’t changed. However, in the middle of my last lecture (I told you I like saying that!) I had an epiphany!!!

This was my great revelation: Don’t let someone else’s experience (good or bad) be your own experience. You have to experience things for yourself for the first time. If you let someone else’s experience define your own experience then you’re missing the entire point. We go through things in life (this doesn’t apply just towards nursing school) that make us who we are. If we let someone tell us what we should feel, how we should act, or what will happen then we’re missing the experience and the opportunity to learn and grow and become a better person. I went into level four just knowing it was going to be rough and hard and terrible because of all the negative things I had heard about our coordinator. When in reality, it was a phenomenal semester. Yes, the material is hard, yes you still have to choose the best answer out of all the correct options, but what else is new?! Before I started level four I had to tell myself that I can’t let other individual’s past experiences determine my own experience. I had to go into this semester with an open mind and knowing that I wasn't going to let someone's past experience rule my last semester of nursing school. I had to experience it for myself and then I could decide what I thought of it, but not until I'd been through it myself. 

Some of you may just be laughing at my realization but honestly feel like I had a huge revelation today. I think of the most common question(s) people ask one another is, “How was it? What was it like? What should I expect? Was it hard?” In some cases those are good questions to ask…but in other aspects if we know exactly what to expect and if we know what is around the corner then we lose our ability to think critically. We lose the ability to hone in on our survival skills. Those are important parts to each person’s existence (and we also don't know what someone else went through to have the experience that they did). So there you have my words of wisdom for the day…and just this once I won’t charge you!!! ;)

Our clinical coordinator who does the majority of our lectures is phenomenal. I love her lectures. I feel that they’re excellent, they make since, they’re organized, and they do help us prepare for the exams. Well, anyways, before class started we had a presentation by the people of Hurst who do an NCLEX preparation class. After our presentation our instructor said she was going to call roll, but that this was important because she was going to be double checking that she could pronounce our names correctly for the pinning ceremony. So my dear friend leaned over to me and said, “I dare you to ask her to call you by your full name (with a huge grin on her face)” *side note…for those of you who may not know my full name is Margaret Sarah Elizabeth Rosecrans…just a bit of a mouthful, but a great name regardless*    So not one to shy away from a challenge I accepted. (I had the full intention of telling her after I gave her a hard time that I was just kidding and wanted to see her reaction). So she called my name and said the usual, “Margaret Rose”N”crant”z” …I politely corrected her and told her “Rose-crans” and then she asked if I wanted my middle initial “S” to be announced too..to which I replied with a stoically straight face, “Actually I was wondering if you could say Sarah Elizabeth…Margaret Sarah Elizabeth Rosecrans”…and she smiled and said, “oh of course” and starts putting it into the computer…now by now all my friends are laughing and the class is kind of giggling and I tell her, “I’m just giving you a hard time”…the only problem is that she didn’t hear that part!!! Yeah, who’s the funny one now?! And she continued on down the list. I decide not to make a big deal and just go with it because it would give us all a good laugh anyways right? Well, after lecture I decide to just go tell her that I was pulling her leg and that she didn’t really have to say my full name. When I tell her that I was joking she says something along the lines of, “ARE YOU SERIOUS? NOPE! I’m going to say your full name, add a couple extra names and the end and maybe even throw in the third somewhere…you better be at pinning ceremony!” hahahaha…and a little while later she said, “Oh you made my day, I can’t wait for the pinning ceremony” So there we have it. I left my mark in the world of nursing school! I can’t wait for pinning ceremony. I think it will be perfect since I am at the end of the alphabet, so everyone will be in need of a good laugh! :D

Oh what else?! Well, I’m attempting to overcome the overwhelming anxiety that I feel knowing that I have to start putting in my resume! I was looking at jobs yesterday and it just blew my mind that in a week I’m going to be eligible for an endless array of opportunities. The sky is the limit…and let me tell you…I’m more than ready to turn in my two weeks at Target. While I’m grateful for the fact that they worked with my school schedule and it paid my way through nursing school, I absolutely abhor the world of retail. I’m praying I will be blessed with a job as soon as possible so I can go turn in my two weeks and kiss that part of my past goodbye!

I think the general consensus going around is that everyone is in complete and utter shock that we’re graduating. It still hasn’t hit me and I don’t know that it will until I take (and pass) my NCLEX and start working! It’s intimidating and terrifying and exciting and a complete miracle! Aside from the anxiety attacks that hit every once and a while we’re all on cloud nine. I think the saddest part of finishing nursing school is saying goodbye to the friends we’ve made. I love going to school and learning with my co-students, I love the friendship and the strong bond we’ve all made, I love every aspect of every individual I’ve met along this journey. I can’t wait to cheer each one on as they call their name at our pinning ceremony!

What is it Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” or something along those lines! I’m smiling because I know it’s just the beginning of amazing friendships, adventurous career, and knowing there’s never going to be a dull moment in this career.

I suppose I have one last thing to say…I know you all are wondering what I’m like when I’m at my breaking point right?! Well, let me just give you this little look into the life of Maggie during finals…yesterday I was walking with my friends to our vehicles and the entire way I just broke out into song for every reply I had to say, I used my obnoxious “target lady voice” (from SNL by Kristin Wig), I broke out into a couple of dances…and during my last dance routine I went to jump…and my backpack strap snapped…thankfully nothing (and no one) went tumbling down. It was just another one of those hysterical moments shared with some amazing friends when everyone so desperately needed a good laugh.  

this is how I felt I looked as I danced! ;)

Ahhh…I suppose that brings me to my last bit that I have to share…if you’re going to survive life…be able to laugh at yourself. I could be a big sourpuss right now after all the laughing that has happened on my behalf, but the truth is…life is funny…and if you can’t laugh about it you’re in for a miserable time! :D So go laugh!

23 days and counting....

I hardly have time to catch my breath let alone write a new post!! There really hasn't been anything too exciting these past couple weeks to share though. Last week we didn't have clinicals because we had our lovely pediatric HESI exam and practice med-surg tests. Thankfully the pediatric test doesn't count as a grade, however, next week we take the HESI med-surg exit exam that counts as a test grade. I don't know if I've explain what HESI is so I'll explain now. HESI is an NCLEX prep test and predictor test. We've had to take HESI exams each semester. In level one we took the fundamentals test, level two we took the geriatric test, level three we took maternal, psych, and pharmacology, and for our last HESI's we have the pediatric and then the Med-Surg exit exam! There's only been one test that I haven't scored above the 850, so all-in-all I've been pretty happy with my scores, but I'm still nervous about the med-surg test since we don't really have a way to study for it. 


I can't believe I'm almost done. You know it's really amazing to finally be reaching a goal that I've had my entire life. It's hard to believe that it's actually happening and that I'm not just hoping to make it to the end. The end is near...23 days and counting...

If I think about it too much I get so overwhelmed with how much I have to do! I need to get in contact with old clinical instructors to see if they will write me a letter of recommendation, I need to finish my resume, I need to get signed up for my NCLEX-prep class, I need to plan my graduation party, I need to write a letter to send out to my family and friends announcing my graduation (since we don't get a commencement ceremony in the summer I decided I'll just send out a letter to my family and friends, maybe including a picture, saying I've made it)!! ACK! So much to do and so little time! 

Questions people ask me all the time is, "how do you do it?" Want to know my answer? I don't know! My best advice is to take it one day at a time. If you focus on how much you still have to accomplish it's so easy to get overwhelmed (I say to myself as I look at my list up above). I just take everything one day at a time!!!! If I still think about the fact that I want to go on for my BSN, that I may have more pre-reqs that I'll have to take and that I probably want to go on for my Masters I easily get overwhelmed; but I know that if I take everything one day at a time and one step at a time everything will eventually fall into place and my goals will be reached!!

So, my plan for the next 23 days? Take it one day at a time..try and take advantage to every free moment, remember to take some time to enjoy myself and my family, and hang on for the ride..because ready or not...here I come!!! 

I got a flashback!

Where did June go? That's what I would like to know. Somehow the days, weeks, and months just keep flying by...and I don't have time to catch my breath! 


Well I've had a change in attitude since my last post. Today at clinicals I was working with my primary nurse and when things had slowed down for me I reminded her that if she had any skills or tasks that she should feel free to delegate to me as needed..especially if she had any IV's that needed started!!! I told her that no one in my clinical group had started an IV yet and as soon as she heard that she said, "WHAT? Are you kidding me? Well, your first one isn't going to be on a patient! Come on..." So we went into an empty patient room (along with a couple other fellow classmates) and we all had the chance to start an IV! :)


Let me just say starting an IV on an actual human being is nothing like my awful experience with that stupid mannequin!! I got everything set up and she helped me look at all my different options for starting an IV and after she told me that she hates starting IVs on the back of the hand I proceeded to start one on the back of her hand! FIRST STICK! I was so excited as I just barely got the needle in there and I GOT A FLASHBACK!!! WOOT! I advanced the catheter all the way in, put pressure on her vein, pulled the needle out...and she proceeded to bleed...thankfully it wasn't a large amount of blood and I didn't panic (I didn't even sweat!!! HOLLAR!!!) and I got everything hooked up and flushed her vein...yes, I had a good line! I didn't blow the vein or anything! All of my fellow students got the IV in on the first stick too, only they didn't make a bloody mess like I did!! :) 


So then a few minutes later my instructor was walking by saying that a patient needed some blood drawn and would any of us like to do it, so I jumped on that like my life depended on it! Went in there with confidence and got the stick on the first try again! I also think it might have helped that it's tiny needles that you use to draw blood!! :) Good 'ole butterfly needles! I filled up my tubes and that was that...again no pouring of sweat episodes so that was a huge relief! 3/4 of us today got to start IV's and do a blood draw!


I think my greatest advice is to just have confidence. If you don't show the patient that you're nervous then they don't freak out and it makes the experience a lot easier. So...for those of you who need an IV started or some blood drawn..I'm your girl! Now if you're dehydrated or don't have veins that pop out and yell my name, then that might be a different story, but practice makes perfect right?!?! 


So I can sleep now knowing that I'm not a complete oaf when it comes to IVs!!! :) That's a huge sigh of relief!!!

Experiencing difficulty...

Well, Exam one is done. That's all I have to say! You know, it's level four and we should have a handle on the dang exams right? Somehow I studied for a harder test though and managed to study the impertinent material. Ugh. However, I'm not the only one that got bit by the testing bug, so I'm not too discouraged!!

Well, I wasn't too discouraged until I got into the classroom today where we have our simulation week clinicals. One of the first things our teacher says is, "So you guys are going to take an exam, don't worry...it's just an exam!" (as if her smile and statement "don't worry" would really calm us down and make it that much easier) Nursing students + post-exam + no coffee + unannounced exam = lots of fun...NOT! We all sighed, moaned, (some cried), or stormed out of the room, and others (like me) just laughed. Just when you think you've got a handle on it...things like that happen and if you don't laugh it seriously eats you alive!

So we made it through our exam (which wasn't even for a grade) and actually learned a few things from it...and then it was time for starting IV's. Fortunately but also unfortunately we're not able to practice on one another and only get crappy mannequin arms that seem to have shark skin to penetrate! I was really looking forward to this lab though, I was excited and confident in my ability...well...so I thought! Allow me to set the scene:

We're in a small classroom (with 6 patient beds) and there are about 16 of us in the room..  2 of the mannequins aren't IV accessible so there were about 3-4 people per bed. Now, this building has been under construction the entire time that my class has been in nursing school...unfortunately for us we also seem to get the crap side-effects of the construction (hammer-jacking, fires, no available restrooms, no air conditioning). Today we didn't have any air conditioning. So we're in a little room (with no ventilation or air conditioning) and students all over the place are nervous so the room just continues to get more and more humid and muggy. Okay...so there's the scene.

We were paired up with students that had already put in IV's and they were to "teach us" about techniques for starting IVs, accessing veins, what-have-you! I somehow managed to miss that part of the conversation. I was gathering my equipment and when I went over my fellow classmate was already starting to insert the IV. He did a pretty good job, you know, it took a little maneuvering of the needle, but he got the flashback, advanced the needle, and had a patent line! So, then another guy (who has had practice with IVs) inserted the IV without a problem!

Now it was my turn! Honestly I wasn't nervous going into it...I mean it's a mannequin and they're quite acquainted with us nursing students and tolerate being poked quite well! ;) So I gather my equipment and the moment I take the cap off of my needle bullet drops of sweat start dropping off of my face! But I go for my stick..nothing. I maneuver the needle around trying to get into the vein and I can't make it happen. I pull back and go at a deeper angle, nothing...(I'm right over the vein mind you so I can't imagine what the problem is) I try and go in at a more superficial angle and still nothing. So I decide to pull out and try a different vein! Dang it. I was so frustrated...and my shirt collar was soaked in sweat by now. So as I'm getting ready to go in for my second poke I have an audience and my instructor by my side.  I'm now nervous and slightly irritable but determined to get a successful poke! So I prepare myself again and find a different vein and go for the kill. I'm right over the vein, it felt like I went in and...nothing. No flashback. So again I try to manipulate the needle to get it into the vein...nothing! So my instructor steps in and decides to try and help me out..she tries and tries and doesn't have any success. I pull out again.

I decide to take a break at let someone else give it a go. So another guy gives a a whirl and...success. Immediately, first stick, he gets it in and has an immediate flashback, advances the catheter, and has a patent line! Now I'm just furious! Thankfully by the time I get to try again my crowd has dispersed among other happening around the room so it's just me and my instructor! By now I'm determined to have a successful stick! I will not be told no! I can just imagine these veins getting a kick out of all of my attempts that have just been in vein...hahaha...get it? Vein!?! They're sticking out at you, yelling at you to poke them, daring you to stick a needle in them, and then what do they do??? They make a fool out of me! But I was not to be made a fool of any longer. My nursing instructor was by my side and I grabbed that 18 gauge and went straight for the AC ( antecubital )...What do you know? I got a handy little flashback! Ugh. I guess the third time is a charm! I'm hoping that my simulation experience is not any indication of how it will go in actual clinicals. Now I'm realistic about the fact that I will blow a vein on an actual patient, I'm going to make them bleed all over the place..but gosh darn it I'm going to get that catheter into the vein! So, I have one more day in our simulation lab and then it's back to the real world..and I'm ready to tackle some veins! So until then...

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