I don't even know where to begin. Here I sit, 8 weeks after the beginning of the semester. Accomplishments thus far (can you tell I like bullet points!):
- Completed Drug Dosage Calculations with an A!
- Checked off on all my skills in Lab (bedmaking, bathing, ROM, foleys, tube feeds, precautions, transfers, med administration, etc)
- Cared for my first actual patient! He is a wonderful gentleman and that experience REALLY made an impact on me. It confirmed my desire to become a nurse.
And the not-so-good stuff:
- I was short with my children and husband too many times
- We lost 1 of our 8 classmates already (she was offered a promotion at work and decided to leave the program). She was my best buddy in our class!
- Lost A LOT of sleep
But overall it has been worth it. Clinical is awesome. We have been in the nursing home thus far but we'll be on the medicine (general medical/cardiac unit) tonight. Mostly orienting and observing tonight, though.
My classmates are awesome. My professors are pretty great as well - 2 of 3 of them are new so we have been working through those growing pains, but they have their heart absolutely in the right place and are very capable. We are just all learning the system together.
Hopefully I will be posting more often in the future! My goal is to post no less then 1x a week. I am studying for our Fundamentals mid-term now, so the next post will give details on how that went (test is tomorrow).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The race has begun!!!
School started yesterday! I have a ton of stuff to post about orientation, etc. I will try to create bulleted lists to organize my thoughts.
Orientation:
- My first impression - VERY unorganized. We have had problems with our books, our ebooks, our clinical schedule. Last week I worked through most of that successfully. We have a BRAND NEW instructor and BRAND NEW clinical instructor for Fundamentals so that should be interesting.
- The instructors seem really, really dedicated and are very friendly. They seem to really want us to succeed. That's one of the really positive parts of having brand new instructors!
Fundamentals:
- I have completed all of the reading for my first Fundamentals module. It was pretty doable. I will start the second module today - this one has 5 chapters. We also have a discussion board post due today.
Dosage Calc:
- VERY easy thus far. I worked about a million problems just to make sure I was comfortable with the basic math for the first test. I feel good about this one so far. Math has always been a strong area for me.
Overall:
- Not overwhelmed yet, but this is just the beginning. Lab starts on 9/6 and that is when time management will begin to become more of a challenge, I think. We have lab 3 days every other week - those weeks will be very TIRING but I have very, very excited to finally get into the lab and the hands-on component of nursing care.
Orientation:
- My first impression - VERY unorganized. We have had problems with our books, our ebooks, our clinical schedule. Last week I worked through most of that successfully. We have a BRAND NEW instructor and BRAND NEW clinical instructor for Fundamentals so that should be interesting.
- The instructors seem really, really dedicated and are very friendly. They seem to really want us to succeed. That's one of the really positive parts of having brand new instructors!
Fundamentals:
- I have completed all of the reading for my first Fundamentals module. It was pretty doable. I will start the second module today - this one has 5 chapters. We also have a discussion board post due today.
Dosage Calc:
- VERY easy thus far. I worked about a million problems just to make sure I was comfortable with the basic math for the first test. I feel good about this one so far. Math has always been a strong area for me.
Overall:
- Not overwhelmed yet, but this is just the beginning. Lab starts on 9/6 and that is when time management will begin to become more of a challenge, I think. We have lab 3 days every other week - those weeks will be very TIRING but I have very, very excited to finally get into the lab and the hands-on component of nursing care.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Update on progress, almost time to register, and jitters
There's a lot to cover in this post! First off, I know this blog has been terriby boring (although according to my hit counter I've only bored about 5 or 6 people so far) but I promise it will get better once school starts! That is, if I have time to blog!
Update on progress...since I last wrote, I have submitted my background check, gone for my drug screen, had my MMR, and...I think that's it. I just have to get my second PPD and get my paperwork together and I am good to go for orientation. I can also start purchasing stuff, though some of it will have to wait until after orientation (just 5.5 weeks away!).
I also got an email from my school that I can register for classes next Monday. I will be taking NUR 111 (Fundamentals) and NUR 135 (Drug Dosage Calculations). I purchased a used Fundamentals text (2005 edition) on amazon for about $15, and have been reading through that in preparation. I am not sure if it will actually help me, but it makes me feel like I'm at least trying to get a head start. I can purchase my actual books in early August.
I've also got a case of the jitters, and have (not really seriously) considered dropping school on more than one occasion over the past couple of weeks. What made me consider this? Well, at the end of the day, between my kids' need and my husbands' needs, I couldn't imagine how I was going to get any studying done. Had a nice long talk with hubby about this, and we worked on a plan for study time that I can definitely stick how. I have to remind myself not to assume that patterns we've established over the summer (when I've had no classes to study for) will be the same in the fall. I've just had to reassure myself a few times that hubby is really on board with this - he really is going to be picking up a lot of my slack so I feel the need to make sure he is ready.
If anybody reads this, I'd love tips on how to balance work, home, and school; how to prepare hubby for what lies ahead; and whether my reading ahead is actually going to help me!
Update on progress...since I last wrote, I have submitted my background check, gone for my drug screen, had my MMR, and...I think that's it. I just have to get my second PPD and get my paperwork together and I am good to go for orientation. I can also start purchasing stuff, though some of it will have to wait until after orientation (just 5.5 weeks away!).
I also got an email from my school that I can register for classes next Monday. I will be taking NUR 111 (Fundamentals) and NUR 135 (Drug Dosage Calculations). I purchased a used Fundamentals text (2005 edition) on amazon for about $15, and have been reading through that in preparation. I am not sure if it will actually help me, but it makes me feel like I'm at least trying to get a head start. I can purchase my actual books in early August.
I've also got a case of the jitters, and have (not really seriously) considered dropping school on more than one occasion over the past couple of weeks. What made me consider this? Well, at the end of the day, between my kids' need and my husbands' needs, I couldn't imagine how I was going to get any studying done. Had a nice long talk with hubby about this, and we worked on a plan for study time that I can definitely stick how. I have to remind myself not to assume that patterns we've established over the summer (when I've had no classes to study for) will be the same in the fall. I've just had to reassure myself a few times that hubby is really on board with this - he really is going to be picking up a lot of my slack so I feel the need to make sure he is ready.
If anybody reads this, I'd love tips on how to balance work, home, and school; how to prepare hubby for what lies ahead; and whether my reading ahead is actually going to help me!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Progress!
Well, I finally got my orientation information, student handbook, etc. I have quite a bit to do before school starts (in just about 10 weeks) but I have made a lot of progress. The list:
- Physical (done)
- Immunizations (mostly done, still need 3 more shots before school starts)
- BLS for Healthcare Providers (passed with flying colors - unfortunately the DOCTOR sitting next to me did not pass! And he did so well during class - just froze a bit during the test!)
- Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen
- Purchase liability insurance
- Purchase books and supplies (watch, shoes, scissors, clipboard, etc)
- Purchase uniforms (after orientation) - they are all white! Yuck! I will look like a ghost.
Orientation is in mid-August, just about a week before classes, and about 10 days before skills lab starts. I am SOOOO excited!
- Physical (done)
- Immunizations (mostly done, still need 3 more shots before school starts)
- BLS for Healthcare Providers (passed with flying colors - unfortunately the DOCTOR sitting next to me did not pass! And he did so well during class - just froze a bit during the test!)
- Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen
- Purchase liability insurance
- Purchase books and supplies (watch, shoes, scissors, clipboard, etc)
- Purchase uniforms (after orientation) - they are all white! Yuck! I will look like a ghost.
Orientation is in mid-August, just about a week before classes, and about 10 days before skills lab starts. I am SOOOO excited!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Long time no post
Creative post title, huh? I'm kind of just biding my time here until we get to August and I can start posting about the real subject of this blog - Nursing School. So until then, there will be updates on work and kiddos. Riveting, I know.
We got back from vacation about a week and a half ago. It was a great time and the kids and DH and I all had a great time. DS really enjoyed being in the water (his first time in a swimming pool) and DD had a great time with the characters. Now that we are back, DH will be playing SAHD for the summer - it seems to be going very well. He was a SAHD for both of them during the early months of the newborn phase as well, and that was not so enjoyable for him. He much prefers children once they are over 12-14 months or so. DD is still in school 2 days a week so that is helpful as well.
It's been like pulling teeth to get any more info on Nursing School. I finally sent an email to the Program Director's admin assistance, and was told that orientation will not be until August, and I need to go ahead and sign up for a BLS for healthcare providers class. That should take place sometime in mid-June. That will be my first real "healthcare" class - I am excited!
Well, that's all for now.
We got back from vacation about a week and a half ago. It was a great time and the kids and DH and I all had a great time. DS really enjoyed being in the water (his first time in a swimming pool) and DD had a great time with the characters. Now that we are back, DH will be playing SAHD for the summer - it seems to be going very well. He was a SAHD for both of them during the early months of the newborn phase as well, and that was not so enjoyable for him. He much prefers children once they are over 12-14 months or so. DD is still in school 2 days a week so that is helpful as well.
It's been like pulling teeth to get any more info on Nursing School. I finally sent an email to the Program Director's admin assistance, and was told that orientation will not be until August, and I need to go ahead and sign up for a BLS for healthcare providers class. That should take place sometime in mid-June. That will be my first real "healthcare" class - I am excited!
Well, that's all for now.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Spring semester is OVER!
Woohoo!! I just finished my last test in A&P 2. I finished the semester with an A! It is amazing to think that the next course that I take will be a REAL NURSING COURSE!! Still haven't heard anything about orientation, etc. Since the semester is wrapping up now, I expect that I won't hear much of anything until later in May. Orientation will probably be sometime in mid to late July.
We leave for vacation the day after tomorrow - still a lot of packing an preparing to do. I like to have the house pretty clean before we leave - it's nice coming home to a clean house after a week of travel.
We leave for vacation the day after tomorrow - still a lot of packing an preparing to do. I like to have the house pretty clean before we leave - it's nice coming home to a clean house after a week of travel.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Almost vacation time!
I fear that my last post may have sounded a bit bratty. Kind of "woe is me" when that is not really what I was going for. I was more trying to talk about the worries that I have, whether they are rational or not. I know how lucky I am.
Case in point: we are heading to Disney World next week for a vacation! Probably the last major vacation for a little while, as Nursing School will put a crimp in my schedule for the next two years. I have only one more test left to go in A&P 2 (Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance) and then I am done untiil August! Yippee!!
We are really excited about this vacation. We've been planning it for 10 weeks, which is WAY longer in advance than we normally plan vacations (DH is vey much a last-minute planner, and I have adjusted to this habit as well). So we feel like we've been waiting forever for the day to finally get here!
We have a ton of fun stuff planned - character meals, riding rides and watching parades, a visit to the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique (dress-up opportunity for my DD), etc. We've also planned a "down day" to just relax around our hotel, go to the pool, etc. Only 6 days until we leave!
Back to work now!
Case in point: we are heading to Disney World next week for a vacation! Probably the last major vacation for a little while, as Nursing School will put a crimp in my schedule for the next two years. I have only one more test left to go in A&P 2 (Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance) and then I am done untiil August! Yippee!!
We are really excited about this vacation. We've been planning it for 10 weeks, which is WAY longer in advance than we normally plan vacations (DH is vey much a last-minute planner, and I have adjusted to this habit as well). So we feel like we've been waiting forever for the day to finally get here!
We have a ton of fun stuff planned - character meals, riding rides and watching parades, a visit to the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique (dress-up opportunity for my DD), etc. We've also planned a "down day" to just relax around our hotel, go to the pool, etc. Only 6 days until we leave!
Back to work now!
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