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!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The money post
So, the topic of the day is money. Specifically, how the heck will DH and I support ourselves once I am a nurse. Don't get me wrong, nurses make pretty decent money (though not as decent in these parts as I've heard in others). But he is a SAHD, which means I make 100% of the income. And we've build our lifestyle (admittedly a pretty modest one, but we do get to take vacations and go out to eat and do a lot of fun stuff) around my current salary. And that salary is about twice what I will make as a new nurse. TWICE. Meaning my salary will be cut in HALF right out of nursing school.
We have a lot of ideas on how to deal with this, but we don't really know how it will turn out, which makes me nervous. Some of our ideas:
- save up enough to make it through the first 6 months or so, then rely on me getting OT and/or a PRN job on the side
- hubby gets a job
- try to stay on part-time in my current job and work full-time as a nurse
- cut WAY back on expenses
- continue full-time at my current job (or cut back just slightly) and work part-time as a nurse (don't love this options as a new nurse)
The big question is - will DH need to get a job? We are totally spoiled by having him as a SAHD right now. I never have to worry about calling in to work when the kiddos are sick, etc. He take care of all of the dr. appts. I'd hate to lose that, but we might have to. We can cut back a bit on expenses, but really we don't carry a whole lot of extra expense around. And our cars are getting old (both paid off) and we will need to replace at least one soon. And the house needs to be painted. And the roof is old. And the heat pump isn't so new, either. And neither of the kids have college funds. Perhaps you can see why I get a little nervous?
But then I take a step back. We have a safe roof over our heads. We have plenty of food to eat, and we are all comfortably clothed. We have the luxury of taking a vacation (almost) every year. Becoming a nurse just FEELS right. I know that it's what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel that I am being led to do this, and I trust that we will make this work, that God is there taking care of us.
But MAN, that control freak-ish side is hard to tame! I'm sure I'll be worrying about this more as the time draws near (2 years and counting).
We have a lot of ideas on how to deal with this, but we don't really know how it will turn out, which makes me nervous. Some of our ideas:
- save up enough to make it through the first 6 months or so, then rely on me getting OT and/or a PRN job on the side
- hubby gets a job
- try to stay on part-time in my current job and work full-time as a nurse
- cut WAY back on expenses
- continue full-time at my current job (or cut back just slightly) and work part-time as a nurse (don't love this options as a new nurse)
The big question is - will DH need to get a job? We are totally spoiled by having him as a SAHD right now. I never have to worry about calling in to work when the kiddos are sick, etc. He take care of all of the dr. appts. I'd hate to lose that, but we might have to. We can cut back a bit on expenses, but really we don't carry a whole lot of extra expense around. And our cars are getting old (both paid off) and we will need to replace at least one soon. And the house needs to be painted. And the roof is old. And the heat pump isn't so new, either. And neither of the kids have college funds. Perhaps you can see why I get a little nervous?
But then I take a step back. We have a safe roof over our heads. We have plenty of food to eat, and we are all comfortably clothed. We have the luxury of taking a vacation (almost) every year. Becoming a nurse just FEELS right. I know that it's what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel that I am being led to do this, and I trust that we will make this work, that God is there taking care of us.
But MAN, that control freak-ish side is hard to tame! I'm sure I'll be worrying about this more as the time draws near (2 years and counting).
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Miscellany...
Well, 4 months to go until Nursing School starts in earnest! I am looking forward to my summer "off" (as much as working a full time job while raising 2 kids can be considered of), but also am quite antsy to get more info on school.
I know that I need to take a CPR class, get books, get some immunizations, and get supplies (steth, BP kit, PDA, uniforms, and more I'm sure)...but I'm waiting for some type of instruction before I start buying stuff! I know that our uniforms are white, but not sure if there's any specific kind. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to get a Littmann steth (either Classic II or Cardiology III).
On the homefront, we took advantage of some beautiful weather today to get a lot done around the house. Hubby mowed the lawn and raked/bagged leaves (yes, still leftover from Fall), which DD and I planted flowers. We also got a bike ride and a trip to Target in there. Whew!
Only 2 more tests left in A&P 2 (I will SHOUT out that I got a 100 on the last one - urinary and digestive systems!). This coming one (next Thursday) is a lab test...now off to start studying!
I know that I need to take a CPR class, get books, get some immunizations, and get supplies (steth, BP kit, PDA, uniforms, and more I'm sure)...but I'm waiting for some type of instruction before I start buying stuff! I know that our uniforms are white, but not sure if there's any specific kind. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to get a Littmann steth (either Classic II or Cardiology III).
On the homefront, we took advantage of some beautiful weather today to get a lot done around the house. Hubby mowed the lawn and raked/bagged leaves (yes, still leftover from Fall), which DD and I planted flowers. We also got a bike ride and a trip to Target in there. Whew!
Only 2 more tests left in A&P 2 (I will SHOUT out that I got a 100 on the last one - urinary and digestive systems!). This coming one (next Thursday) is a lab test...now off to start studying!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Going public!
I am going to test out making this blog public for a while and see if anyone finds me! We'll see what happens.
You make me wanna SHOUT!
And not in a good way!
Things that are ticking me off today:
- Passive-aggressive co-workers (okay, there's only one, but she's getting on MY LAST NERVE). And maybe she's more aggressive-aggressive than passive-aggressive, but seriously, do you have to resist me about EVERYTHING? You KNOW I'm going to talk to your manager about your 'tude, right? You remind me EVERY DAY why I want to be a nurse - at least then if I am fighting with someone, it will be about something that matters!
- The urinary system. Not my favorite system so far!
- Having NO WARNING before I get my period! Since I had DS, my periods come WHAM! No cramps until after the flow starts. Seriously, this morning I got up and had breakfast and by the time I stood up it looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not that I mind not having the 24 hours of mind-boggling cramps, but I'd like a little warning!
Okay, I feel better now. Back to the urinary system (test tomorrow!)
Things that are ticking me off today:
- Passive-aggressive co-workers (okay, there's only one, but she's getting on MY LAST NERVE). And maybe she's more aggressive-aggressive than passive-aggressive, but seriously, do you have to resist me about EVERYTHING? You KNOW I'm going to talk to your manager about your 'tude, right? You remind me EVERY DAY why I want to be a nurse - at least then if I am fighting with someone, it will be about something that matters!
- The urinary system. Not my favorite system so far!
- Having NO WARNING before I get my period! Since I had DS, my periods come WHAM! No cramps until after the flow starts. Seriously, this morning I got up and had breakfast and by the time I stood up it looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not that I mind not having the 24 hours of mind-boggling cramps, but I'd like a little warning!
Okay, I feel better now. Back to the urinary system (test tomorrow!)
Monday, April 7, 2008
Eager for more details on school!
I've been obsessively checking my school email looking for a message containing more details about my upcoming nursing adventure. The deadline for people who were offered a place in the program to accept was this past Friday, so I assume they are waiting until they finalize the class to send us all of the details (uniforms, med exam, orientation, books, etc). I will just have to be patient. It's hard, but it's just part of my obsessive preparation tendency. Once I know that something is going to happen, I totally go crazy gathering information about it. I did this with wedding planning, pregnancy, and now nursing school.
Oh, and I have a test tonight - gotta put the kids to bed to I can finish studying and take the test.
Oh, and I have a test tonight - gotta put the kids to bed to I can finish studying and take the test.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Busy week!
It's weeks like this that make me wonder how I am going to get through Nursing School while holding down my full time job and taking care of my family. I've been busy with work and studying for my next Anatomy and Physiology 2 test (only 4 more tests to go out of 11!). I have to admit that I tend to procrastinate on the studying - it's much more fun to check out nurse blogs! I think that once I am really into the nursing subject matter I will have an easier time (I tend to do well under pressure).
I have noticed that I have A LOT more interested in the gross anatomy of body systems than of the cellular anatomy. I can picture blood flowing through the heart and circulatory system, air flowing into the lungs, disorders of the skin, etc. But I have a hard time with things like the nervous system and immune system that are more about what's happening at the cellular level. I wonder what this says about what I will like doing as a nurse?
I have noticed that I have A LOT more interested in the gross anatomy of body systems than of the cellular anatomy. I can picture blood flowing through the heart and circulatory system, air flowing into the lungs, disorders of the skin, etc. But I have a hard time with things like the nervous system and immune system that are more about what's happening at the cellular level. I wonder what this says about what I will like doing as a nurse?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Why I am doing this - a bulleted (but not complete!) list
So why the heck am I doing this nursing school thing? I thought that I'd try to document some of my thoughts for those days in the future when I wonder why the heck I decided to put myself through this.
- I am growing tired of the insular corporate world
- I want to feel like I am doing something that's at least somewhat helpful to people
- I really, really love pregnant women, childbirth, and helping new moms and I would love to do that for a living
- I think that I will be good at it
- I really like teaching and teaching self-care is a big part of nursing
- I am really interested in the variety of nursing roles available
- I am hoping that this will be a flexible career - we could move, I could work nights, can pick up extra shifts as needed, could easily shift to part time in the future if possible
- I am growing tired of the insular corporate world
- I want to feel like I am doing something that's at least somewhat helpful to people
- I really, really love pregnant women, childbirth, and helping new moms and I would love to do that for a living
- I think that I will be good at it
- I really like teaching and teaching self-care is a big part of nursing
- I am really interested in the variety of nursing roles available
- I am hoping that this will be a flexible career - we could move, I could work nights, can pick up extra shifts as needed, could easily shift to part time in the future if possible
Friday, March 28, 2008
So tired...
Thank goodness it is Friday! It's only 9pm and I am running on empty. It's days like these that make me worry about how I am going to make it through nursing school! I only have 1 class this semester (A&P 2) and of course no clinicals! In the fall I will have 10-18 hours of clinical per week and 2 classes (Fundamentals and Drug Dosage Calc).
The good news is I got a 100 on my A&P test (Immune System)! Next test is in 10 more days!
Off to bed now to catch up on sleep!
The good news is I got a 100 on my A&P test (Immune System)! Next test is in 10 more days!
Off to bed now to catch up on sleep!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
My new journey!
I am testing out this whole blogging thing, but keeping the blog private for now. Later I will decide whether to make it public. The purpose of this little journal is to document my journey through nursing school. I am a 29-year old wife and mother of 2. I also have a full time job. It's going to be a busy 21 months.
After 8 years at my current company (I am in Financial Services), I have decided that it's time for a career change. Something changed for me after the birth of my daughter 3.5 years ago - the medical field began to really, really pique my interest. I began to feel like something was missing from my current career (though I love my co-workers). I remember walking out of meetings where we'd spent a full hour talking about...well, it felt like we were talking about NOTHING. Or at least not anything that really mattered. Nursing matters. At least I think it does. Real people, with real needs. Will I be able to help all of them - heck no! Will I be able to make a small difference for a few - I really hope so.
I just found out Monday that I have been accepted into Nursing school at a local community college. I've been taking pre-requisites for about 2 years now and am thrilled to begin this journey. I will start school in August, and I wanted to have a place to document this process so that I can remember all of the little things. My ultimate goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner (FNP or WHNP) but first things first, so I'm focusing on becoming an RN (hopefully in Labor and Delivery).
Well, off to study for an A&P 2 test!
After 8 years at my current company (I am in Financial Services), I have decided that it's time for a career change. Something changed for me after the birth of my daughter 3.5 years ago - the medical field began to really, really pique my interest. I began to feel like something was missing from my current career (though I love my co-workers). I remember walking out of meetings where we'd spent a full hour talking about...well, it felt like we were talking about NOTHING. Or at least not anything that really mattered. Nursing matters. At least I think it does. Real people, with real needs. Will I be able to help all of them - heck no! Will I be able to make a small difference for a few - I really hope so.
I just found out Monday that I have been accepted into Nursing school at a local community college. I've been taking pre-requisites for about 2 years now and am thrilled to begin this journey. I will start school in August, and I wanted to have a place to document this process so that I can remember all of the little things. My ultimate goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner (FNP or WHNP) but first things first, so I'm focusing on becoming an RN (hopefully in Labor and Delivery).
Well, off to study for an A&P 2 test!
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