How can it be almost Christmas!!

Well, I just can't beleive how much time has flown by these last few months! I've been working on my own now since August and I really enjoy my job. I love the unit, and especially the crew I work with. They are supportive, funny, hard working, and have your back in a pinch. I am still learning and that's probably why I love it so much, you're always learning and every shift is a new adventure! It's hard to put my experieances down on paper because there has been so many and I don't even know where I would begin.

Most of my patients are in our unit for uncontrolled diabetes, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, pneumonia, sepsis, strokes, uncontrolled hypertension, obesity, cancer, car accidents, respiratory failure of all kinds, ect...ect..

While not at work I've been really loving not being in school! I love being with the kids, spending time with friends, and working on all the home projects that I never I time for in school..
Looking forward to decorating for Christmas, and I've thinking about rearranging the living room. Till next time!

A quick update

I haven't really been blogging for a while, mainly I just haven't been at a computer as often as I used to be, but also I've really busy going through residency at the hospital. I started my job in the ICU and so far I still love it! Now that my residency is over I'll mostly be working 3 12hour shifts so we'll have more time together as a family and more time for other things. I was lucky enough to get a daytime position and am thrilled about it.
I'm still very much a baby in the ICU world but I'm really looking forward to the education I will be getting while working. I completed my ACLS certificate and will be doing some more trauma education this fall. ...That's all for now!

I'm an official RN!!!

I still can't believe it!!! I was so scare to look at my results on line this morning, but after lots of prayer I mustered up the courage to look. There it was in small unassuming letters, but there none the less: pass. That's all! No bells or whisles, but still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! All I can say is God is good! I'm still a little in shock and it's hard to believe that the stress and nightmares of nursing school are behind me.
The good news is I already have a job that I'll start in May. It's a level two neuro, med-surg ICU unit. I can't believe I'm really going to be an ICU nurse! This has been a dream of mine for a while and it seems way too good to be true right now. Anyways, this nursing school chapter is over and a new one begins... I can't wait!

Nclex countdown

So the nclex is in two weeks and one day, and I'm starting to feel a little more positive about things. Probably a big part of tht is just not being sick anymore. You know when you're not feeling well it's easier to feel overwhelmed and down in the dumps. So anyways, still doing about 8-10 hours a day of studying, 100-200 questions and lots of content review. That's it for now. I promised my son a chance at the computer. Goodnight!

NCLEX stress!

I feel like the impending date of April 27th will never be here. I know I shouln't be rushing things and I'm glad I picked that date but it's like the waiting and stress is worse than the actual test. That, and I guess it was stress that brought on a case of very painful shingles. So, I've got incredible nerve pain running from my C7 all the down to my forearm. I can barely lift my arm because it's so weak. But, I am choosing to ignore this and will just keep plugging along. The more I study the more Irealize how much I don't know and this makes me more and more nervous. So far, I'm about halfway through saunders, I'm on my third exam cram test and I plan to order NCSBN review for the last three weeks before the test.
That's about it for now, I wish I was writing about my garden, or fun things that I've been doing but it's been pretty much a non stop study session for a while now....

Settling in

So now that school is over I'm just getting into the routine of studying at home for several hours a day. My plan is to do at least 100 questions a day with rational and so far I've been able to keep up. We also have been doing study groups once or twice a week and that helps to break things up a bit. I'm using several resources such as saunders, kaplan strategies, lippincott, nclex3500. exam cram and nclex for dummies. I'm really trying to be systematic about it all but I can already tell that by April 27th I'm going to be so burned out! At least several of us will all go up together the night before and will share a hotel room to alleviate stress about traffic, also to commiserate about the test afterwards. I can tell these next four weeks will drag on and on. Hopefully I can stay motivated and will be rewarded with a PASS on the website.

Graduation today!!

Today is the pinning and it's hard to believe this day has actually come. I remember when I started and I knew that march 2010 would be the time, and now it's actually here! I have a formal job offer from the unit that I precepted in and I'm so grateful and excited, but still hesitant to celebrate until the nclex has been passed. I still don't know my date yet, I'm not expecting to get my att yet, probably in about 10 days or so. Until then, I'll still be a bundle of nerves. I just want to see the RN after my name on the DOH website.aahhh!

One thing left

Well. preceptorship is done and I had a great time. I am however, enjoying having some down time though. My last paper was turned in yesterday and I have one more group presentation due on the 9th then I'm officially done with nursing school! I still can't believe it really. So much is going on right now and these next couple weeks are going to be busy. Tomorrow my daughter starts ballet, I work this weekend then Monday some classmates and I are going to Seattle to take a practice nclex exam that Kaplan provides, sort of like a predicter test. Then next week is my cousins wedding and my pinning. I still have to find a dress, I'm not a dress sort of gal, but I'll make an effort just this once. Starting next week some classmates and I will be meeting for study sessions once a week until the big day.The school still has to send the transcripts out to the department oh health, who will then let Pearsonview know that we're able to sit for boards. Pearsonview will send us an authorization to test, and then we can call and schedule it. So, until then I'll keep studying!

My time is coming to an end

I have two more weeks in the ICU and then I'm done with my clinical hours. Everybody thinks I'm crazy that I'll be sad to go but as much work as it has been these last two months, I've learned so much and I've fallen in love with this unit. I had an "interview" with the dept manager and unit coordinator yesterday and it went very well, but they were up front about the fact they didn't have any current openings right now. The nurses union is still in labor disputes with the hospital and the contract is not finalized yet. So, hiring has been frozen for now. If anything might open it may not be until April or May so we'll see. Most likely I'll take NCLEX sometime in April. As soon as I get my authorization to test, I'll make an appointment. She did say, I have a good chance since I precepted there and I currently work in the hospital but that doesn't mean a position will open up. So, until then I'm going to try to relax, put everything in God's hands and just focus on studying for the NCLEX.

Loving ICU so far!

I can't even say how much fun I am having in ICU. I love the complexities of all the care provided to the patients, I love learning all the meds that you never see on the med surg floors. I love seeing patients who practically come back from death to life, and it's also a priviledge to be there for there final moments. There is so much to learn but I feel I would really do well there. My preceptor has been really complementary about my confidence and assessment skills. I just HOPE that the Lord will grant me a chance to get a job in a unit such as this. I plan to apply to this unit as well as CCU and the ICU step down unit. Until then, I'm enjoying my time and taking advantage of this experiance.

ICU so far

Well, I have what seems like a bit of a mess on my hands here. All last week I was attempting to get a hold of my preceptor. Everyday I called and even on the days that she was scheduled she wasn't there. I was beginning to wonder if she even actually worked there. So Saturday I went to the unit to get her schedule for this week and I was explaning my situation to another nurse. She was very kind to tell me to come in anyways and she could be with me. So I did, it turned out to be a good day, but pretty slow. I did get to go to a code blue, I got to watch assessments on a head truama case and fed a gal with severe etoh withrawl and dementia her breakfast with her pills mixed in, all while she was talking about her kitty and had her eyes rolled back in her head. You had to constatly wake her up and remind her to chew. Sad thing was she wasn't on any narcotics and her ativan was mostly worn off. I think she just has damaged her brain that exensively. My nurse was very, very nice, but I still felt a little let down that it wasn't as fast paced as I like. I like being busy, all the time. I'd rather have too much to do than not enough. Maybe I am more of an adrenalin junkie than I thought I was. I guess I have three months to find out. Meanwhile I really hope my real preceptor will call be because I'm showing up on Wednesday no matter what!

Last hurdle before preceptorship

Today I took my very last dosage calculation test. I was a ball of nerves, chest pain, GI upset and all that goes with that much anxiety. But, God was looking out for me and I was able to focus and I got a 100%. Yea!!!! We also took our ATI nclex predicter test. 180 questions in three hours. I was pleased with the results, I got an 76%, the average score was 72% ans it predicted I have a 96% of passing NCLEX on the first try. Now, I don't know if I completely trust this, but I walked away happy. Now is the real time to dig in and do the studying for the most important test of my life. AAAHH!

A new start

Well, I had a really nice break from school and thoroughly enjoyed the holidays. But, all good things come to an end and this week will start a new quarter and a new beginning of firsts. I found out I was placed in the ICU for my preceptorship and I am SOOO excited! Excited and nervous at the same time. Here are some things that I'm currently nervous about; will I pass the dosage calculation test? Will I do well in the ICU and not look completely stupid? Will I be able to study enough to pass the nclex on the first try? Will I find a job as a new resident?
Many things are up in the air, all I know is that I will take things one day at a time, and I will learn so much in these next few months. I have been waiting for this preceptorship for two years and it is finally here!

Fifth quarter finally over

I can't believe it's over!! I've never been so happy! The final wasn't too bad, got a 90% and ended up with an a- out of the class. The final was worth 2/3 of the testing points so the pressure was tremendous. It could determine whether you would repeat the quarter or not. Just horrible. Now onto bigger better things like cleaning the house and finally getting the tree. Then onto preceptorship second week of January. Yea!!!

Almost Done

Today was the last quiz in theory. Fortunately I did well but the real test will be the comprehensive final next Tuesday. This quarter has really been so so so bad! The constant stress has been building and building and I'm practically ready to blow! Right now I need 57 out of 80 points on the final to pass this class. I think this is doable but part of the points will be from a take home essay portion. Two pages on stem cell research. Are you kidding? Really? I have no idea how tough she's going to grade them but the thought of having to retake this class because she didn't like my paper is too much to think about. This entire program has been progressively been getting harder and it just can't get any worse!
Well hopefully by next week this will all be a distant memory!

clinicals are finally over!!!

I can't believe today was the last day ever I'll have to do clinicals! We turned in our badges and keys today and we now have three weeks until school is out for the quarter. And while I'm happy that this part it over, I won't breath my last sigh of relief until the very last test is passed and I know I've satisfactorily passed this quarter.
Have you started Christmas decorating yet? I don't know if I'm quite ready, I may wait another week before I get the tree. I really want to be able to relax and enjoy the process and it's hard to do with tests looming over you still. Oh, well I know it will get done eventually.
Nothing much elso to say exept, I've got to get back to studying:(

Mental health

Well it turns out that mental health is a lot of fun. We have an awesome instructor who is very easy going and the facility is really nice. I'm at the VA and I've gotten to go to PTSD support groups, dual diagnosis groups for people struggling with both a mental disorder and drug /alcohol problem, schitzophrenic cognitive therapy,all kinds of neat things. We are allowed to sit in on all interdisciplinary meetings and it's great to see the admit to discharge process from the beginning to the end. The only difference between the VA and other mental facilties is that people choose to come here, they are not being committed by someone else. The biggest theme that I see in just about everyone there is depression, not to surprising really. It has been nice also that what we are learning in theory correlates with what we are seeing in clinicals. That doesn't happen very often!
I'm also so thankful that we get an extra week off this next week for playing catch up and studying, I did well on the last test and hopefully can do well this next one. Then my stress level will be so much better.

Heading back to the VA

I'm starting mental health tomorrow. I really don't have a feeling one way or the other about it. Right now my focus is on my theory class and all other school events just take me away from my studying. I know it will be interesting, and I'm sure I'll learn alot, it's just that I'm so stressed and can't wait till this quarter is over.

Cruising along

First of all, I have to apologize for all the recent misspellings on this blog, I've gone back and noticed quite a few! My only defense is I am usually in a hurry and rarely proofread what I post. This week is going a lot smoother than earlier in the quarter. I'm done with long term care and have had some extra time to devote to theory. This was really needed, because I was starting to crack under the pressure! The timing has also worked out because next week Chris has half days in school almost all week and they have veterans day off. That would be really hard to schedule babysitting if I was busy in clinicals all week. Work is still going well, and I enjoy it just as much as when I first started.My nurses are so supportive and are really pulling for me to get a recidency when I graduate. As soon as I get some batteries back in the camera, I'll post our Halloween pictures. The kids had fun and got way too much candy! I've been finding wrappers everywhere! Till next time, take care!

Fealling a little better

Well, it's been a long week. My weeks are Thursday through Thursday hense, my week is almost over!I've somewhat calmed down about my grades and with a lot of prayer, I know that things will work out in the end. I think sometimes I work so hard, and spin my wheels and forget to give it over to God and let him take the burden. This week we finished up our long term care rotation and I have one more assignment to complete for that. Mostly it was a boring rotation but full of lots of busy paper work and not a lot of hands on care. I love the hands on stuff, so this wasn't as fun. I guess I'll never be a nurse manager! Now I have two weeks off of clinical before we start mental health rotation. I'm so exited to actually get two extra days next week to study! Tomorrow's the end of life test and I'm busy getting our class presentaion together for that, so it's another full night, but tomorrow after class I'm actually going to relax and watch a dvd I ordered. The Proposal, can't wait!