Did I REALLY sign up for this??

So, I got my B in Peds! Woohoo, but I'm still EXTREMELY nervous about my CC final!!   As a matter of fact I'm only posting on here because I'm so overwhelmed with the amount I need to study that I'm procrastinating.  Well, that & I have to get ready for work anyway.  (I seriously don't remember signing up to work today).  As I said before, I only need a 58 to pass, BUT we're talking 15 questions on heart strips & then there's the math (don't even get me started on that) & then there's 18 questions on shock.  I mean, who knew there was so much to know about freaking shock!!  And it would be ok if there was just one type of shock that we had to know about, but NOOOO there's like 5 different types & oh my goodness, I am completely freaking right now!!!!!!!!!!! My final is Tuesday at 9:00 & my nerves are steadily frying one by one.  I can feel the tension coursing though my viens.  Heck, I've even given up strivin

Tomorrow is my Peds final.  I only need a 73 to keep my B.  The worst test I bombed this semester (and since I started nursing school) was the first test & I missed 28 questions, but I didn't study AT ALL .  So surely I am not going to miss more than 27 questions on the final tomorrow, especially after studying ALL DAY!  The good thing about tomorrow's test is that it's on the computer so I'll know as soon as I'm finished what I got.  I hate having to WAIT for the teacher to post the grades! I can do this!!!!!!!!!  Guess I'm going to go ahead & go to bed, no sense in staying up all night.  I'll just get up early & continue in the morning before school. Pray for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In regards to my last post, I did get an A on my paper, thank you Jesus !! And I got a very high B on my test, BUT I still only have an 80 in CC, which is just a C.  Fortunately I only have to make a 58 on my final to PASS the class, but I need to make an 88 in order to get a B.....can we say nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs??????             I mean I know I'm CAPABLE of making an 88 but my problem is, the final is on Tuesday and this Friday & Saturday are basically shot for studying. So that only gives me Sunday and Monday to REALLY get down to business.  I can do it right??? So here's my standing for my two classes.  Right now I have a B in Peds, I only need a 73 on the final (which is this Friday) to keep my B but I have NO chance of an A.  Even if I make 100 on the final I'll still only get a B, fortunately for me I've come to accept that B's just have to be acceptable.  And of course, I think that's completely doable.  As far

 The countdown has begun for the end of the semester and as it stands right now I have a 74 average in critical care!  Can we say slightly freaking?  I know I only need a 74.5 to pass the class, but at this point I'm still a little nervous.  I've turned in my paper and I have been PRAYING for an A.  If I can pull an A off on the paper then that will boost my grade to at least a 78.  Which if I can get it up that high then MAYBE I can ace tomorrow's test & the final and sqeak by with a B??? That would be AWESOME!! BUT that's a lot of ifs....So as of right now I'm just praying to get a passing grade in cc & be DONE with this semester.  This semester has seriously been the worst semester of nursing school.  Only 15 more days until the end of my 2nd to LAST semester!!!  Then Christmas break & it's on to the LAST SEMESTER OF NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you baby Jesus!

 So, I may or may not have mentioned that at the beginning of this semester, I wasn't really feeling this semester.  Wellll, unfortunately I didn't get "into" this semester until oh, about 2 weeks ago.  And let me tell you, my grades are reflecting this.  In all of my pre-reqs I had straight A's, no wait I had 1 B in A & P II, b/c that class was major boring & I never went.  But until I got to nursing school I was an A student.  Of course things changed a bit once I got here, but I was ok with B's, I mean I'm not anal.  BUT in 2nd semester I just couldn't get down how to study for Assessment (the class not the clinical) & I ended up with my first & only C.....well it's looking like I may be headed there again in CC.  I've had 3 tests so far & have only passed one of them.  Not good, not good at all.  My average so far with just my 3 test grades is a 73.  Which is actually failing at this point.  I actually got an email

Four of five Critical Care clinicals DONE & can I just say, I REALLY like this.  I have to be honest, between my run in with one of my clinical instructors (who as it turned out happened to be MY clinical instructor [who turned out to be super nice even after the incident]), my lackluster attitude at the beginning of the semester regarding this class & not being REMOTELY interested in critical care, I really did NOT think I was going to like this clinical. Ha! I couldn't have been MORE wrong.  Not only do I like this clinical, I'm pretty sure it's going to be top on my list to do my capstone clinicals in.  And yes, no one is more surprised than I am.  I'm not sure where my perception of critical care came from, but I was totally wrong about it.  I thought I would be grossed out by the vent care & bored with just having two patients but I was way off.  My preceptor was so awesome.  The day of cc the first thing she said to me when I got there was "I do

I just  have to keep reminding myself, 57 more days, 57 more days, 57 more days!!   To say that this has been the worst semester since I've started nursing school is a total understatement!  Up until this point I suppose I should consider myself lucky. I've never had any problems with any of my professors, I've made decent grades & so far I have enjoyed nursing school.  Then this semester hit me like a ton of bricks.  Between working, clinicals, class & home I am just DONE.  I have NEVER counted down the days until a semester has been over until this one.  To add company to my misery, there have been some issues at work & my home life isn't the rosiest either.......................Why?? Why when I am SO close to the end is all of this cropping up??  Please God make this 57 days pass by without any more bumps............... Sincerely,

Finally a break!! Whew.  For the semester that was supposed to be "all down hill from here" let's just say that those nursing students before me either lied, or their version of "down hill" is WAY different from my version.  Of course it could just be the rotation I was handed.  In 4th semester we have CC and Peds, but what the clinical intstructors do is divide up the rotations.  So there are three rotations.  You either have Peds or you have CC going at one time, not both.  So for me I had Peds first.  Then I have CC immediately following.   Now, while this is a CRAPLOAD of stuff at the very beginning of the semester, I do have the relief of knowing that I will have NO clinicals at the end of the semester so that I can soley focus on studying for the finals.  And the way that my grades are going this semester, I'm going to need it.  Yesterday was our first "grand rounds".  We had to do it as a group and I am SOO glad that it's over!  Unfort

  So tomorrow is my last day of Peds clinical......While I am VERY happy to have a little break from clinical to breathe & get caught up ( and not have to get up at 4 am ), I have to admit I am TOTALLY going to miss this clinical.  I wish I could just skip all the rest of these classes & get to working in pediatrics already!!  I am so happy to have found my niche.  I have to be honest.  Up until this point I was kind of wondering if I had made the right career decision.  Of course I never wanted to be a floor nurse anyway, but even so I was really worried that I had made a bit of a mistake by choosing nursing.  Up until this clinical nothing has really sparked my interest & I had just been waiting for this clinical from the very beginning of nursing school.  I kind of knew that I would like it, but I never thought that I would fall head over heels in love with Peds.  And the cherry on top is that there is a fabulous Pediatric hospital in my favorite city around, Cha

Or at least listen to all of the podcasts...or maybe just study?  Either way I bombed my first CC test.  I got a 73, which I guess is better than a 53 but it's still failing in our program.  But fortunately it's nothing that I can't come back from, so I'm not too terribly bummed about it.  Had my 2nd peds clinical, LOVED it! I mean seriously, I just can't explain how much I love pediatrics.  After I get out of nursing school I don't ever, ever, EVER want to take care of an adult again.  I seriously don't.  And while I would love to get my PNP, the only program around here is at Vanderbilt, which although Vandy is an AWESOME school and very prestigous, it also comes with an AWESOME & prestigous price tag as well.  I wish there was an online course that was doable but I haven't really found any.  I found one in Alabama at USA but it's double the time of the one at Vanderbilt and you have to have 2 years of floor experience first.  BUT the good

So yesterday was my first day of Peds, the clinical I have been waiting for since I started nursing school was finally here.  To say I was nervous was an understatement.  I was TERRIFIED, and honestly I have no idea why.  Maybe because it was the tiny human population?  Maybe because it was VANDERBILT, maybe because I didn't get enough sleep the day/night before.  Maybe because my best friend was no longer with me in class?  Honestly, I don't know why I was so skittish but seriously I felt like I could cry at least 3 times that day.  Ok, here's a recap of how it went & why it was so terrible & wonderful at the same time. Worked 7p-7a Saturday night.  Slept on Sunday until about 1:30 then got up because I knew I had an 36 strip EKG assignment due on Tuesday & I knew I wouldn't be able to do it Monday since I had Peds clinical.  Worked on my strips for as long as I could but then I was just totally exhausted by 6 pm.    Finally decided I couldn't do

 That's right, ME!!!!! Monday was the start of my senior year.  I can hardly believe that it's here.  It seemed so long ago that I started this program & now it's finally getting close to the end!!  I can't wait to get finished.  And of course I'm super excited that this semester is my Peds rotation.  It's also my Critical Care rotation, which I'm not to thrilled about.  I have come to the conclusion that I really don't like sick adults that much.  Not personally of course, I mean I want them to get better.  But I am thinking that I don't really want to take care of them. Speaking of which, I am also changing departments at work.  I'm moving out of Med/Surg & into Gero pscyh.  Med/Surg doesn't have night techs & I have found that I really like nights a WHOLE lot more than days.  So I'm moving to a dept. that allows me to work evenings & nights.  I can hardly believe that I like it the way I do, but I do.  Alas, I'

 I can't believe I only have 10 more months before I graduate!  I'm actually starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, I now have less than a year before I become a R.N. (Real Nurse)!  I am so beyond excited.  Recently I've gotten to work in a different dept. than Med/Surg and while at first I was VERY unhappy with this situation, I quickly saw the light.  I was sent to work in the Gero Psych dept of the hospital where I work & I have to say, I kind of liked it.  The pace was much slower there & there was MUCH less walking.  And although I was very pissy when I first got there yesterday, guess who went back today & asked about picking up some shifts there?  Yep, me.  Guess I need to learn that lesson & not judge a unit by it's cover ;)  Another thing I did recently was, I worked my first night shifts!!  2 weekends ago I was able to work Friday day, then Sat & Sun nights.  I was so worried at first that I would be too sleepy

Sorry I haven't been around lately, not a whole lot "school-wise" going on.  I've been working & hanging out at the lake, as you can see from this picture, & that's about been my whole summer.  This is my new nursing friend from work, I am really enjoying getting to know my co-workers.  I need to be working more than I have been but honestly I just can't bring myself to do it. This job is SO hard & I try to get in at least 3 days a week, but honestly I just can't bring myself to work more than that!  It's too hot in there & by the end of my 2nd day in a row my legs are DEAD.  I mean seriously, 11.5 hours STRAIGHT of walking, pulling, pushing, turning, lifting, my body is like "Whoa, what are you doing to me lady!" I try to get some breaks in but sometimes it just doesn't happen. And yes I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I'm just saying for those out there that read my blog that are just starting out in the

             The other day I got a text to work night shift, 7p-7a.  Well by the time I read the text it was already 3 pm & needless to say I wasn't going to get very much sleep beforehand if I was to work that shift so I compromised & told the floor supervisor that I would work until 2 am. Now mind you this is my first hospital job & working nights was of course something I'd never done, so I was interested to see what it was all about. Can I just say how much I love night shift? I mean talk about a MUCH more relaxed environment, I mean whoa the difference between night & day is, well, like night & day ;) If you've worked night shift you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.  No baths, no feedings, no visitors, no office personnel, I mean strictly meds & paperwork.  Uh hello night shift glad to have met you.  So here's what I'm thinking.  I never thought I could do night shift.  I always thought I'd be WAY too tired & that I

Ok so I've had an ongoing debate with myself over whether or not I should go for the DNP or the FNP when I graduate next May.  I have looked into LOTS of programs & have gotten TONS of advice & I have finally made my decision.  I am not going to go for my DNP right now.  All of the schools I looked at for the DNP are about 3 years long, on top of being much more expensive than if I go for my FNP.  Roll in the fact that the so called "requirement" of the DNP by 2015 isn't going to happen & I have decided that I just want to go for my FNP & let the chips fall where they may.  The program that I am going for is about an hour away from my house & it's a hybrid program.  I will only have to go to campus one day a week & the rest of the time the courses are online.  The program is 4 semesters long as opposed to 7 or 8 & I will be done in about 18 months.  I have to say that now that I've made my decision I am SO excited.  I can't wa

Time to look for a 2nd job.  Today is the THIRD shift in a row that I have been put "on call". Which basically means that I have to be available to come into work should they need me for the whole 12 hours, thus I can travel no farther than 30 minutes from my home b/c I have to be there w/in 30 minutes or so if they decide they need me.  And while I understand low census I still don't think it's fair that I've been the one to have to take call for my last 3 scheduled shifts, I mean I'm thinking they should be switching this around & not just putting ME on call.  I know it's a Saturday & all but I think I'm going to send my boss a little text.  I mean this is ridiculous, I've worked ONE shift this week.  Not a happy camper.  Unfortunately b/c this is such a small, rural hospital there is nowhere to float to if your floor has too many techs & not enough patients.  Therefore I started applying for jobs at the hospital where I do my clinic

"if he really loves me? I say a prayer with every heart beat" ok I couldn't resist.  I wrote the title & then the song just came to my mind.  Of course any youngun's won't even know the song, lol.  So, I've been reading my fav blogs (Adventures of a PICU Nurse Practitioner) being one of them & I am just wondering, how will I know where I really want to be when I graduate?  As it looks now  I am looking at 3 more years of schooling after my RN for my DNP & so I am wondering, how will I know where I want to spend those 3 years?  I have always said that I didn't want to do Med/Surg, but really how will I know?  I am so excited that next semester is my CC & Peds rotation, but really that only gives me four real rotations that I've had.  Well five if you count the SNF, but that's not even a consideration.  So, by the time next semester is over I'll have had Med/Surg, L & D, Peds & CC.  Wait, I think we have a psych semester

That's usually the first question I get when someone learns that I'm a nursing student at the hospital I work at.  For now my pat answer is "I'm not sure yet, we'll see" but I guess if I were being honest the answer would probably be no.  See this hospital is a very small, rural hospital & like I've probably said before, some of the patients are more like nursing home patients than just regular old sick patients on a Med/Surg floor.  I'm talking total care, from bathing to toileting to feeding and while that wouldn't be so bad if you actually had techs to help you, at this hospital you're LUCKY if a tech is scheduled & then sometimes it's only one tech for a floor with 33 rooms, some of them double occupancy rooms.  Uh no thanks!  Then on top of that the pay is lower than at the hospital where I do my clinicals.  And further more, I live about an hour from a big city where there is a REALLY great children's hospital that I might

So yesterday I worked my first shift alone and by alone I mean not "orienting" anymore.  I had the whole 2nd floor to myself & man was I busy!! I mean the only time I had to sit down during my whole shift was during lunch, I was slammed!  The good thing about that though was that the day flew by.  And I have to say that I actually enjoyed it.  Although I was pretty sore this morning it wasn't like my 1st day off where everything hurt, this morning it was really only my back that was hurting. I was scheduled to work this morning as well but I got a call at 5 am saying that I was put on call.  I guess that's what they do when they have low census.  Bummer b/c that means that I'll only get one day this week & I was hoping on at least 2.  Oh well. I scheduled myself to work Monday which is Memorial Day, so hopefully I'll get holiday pay for that day.  I like this whole deal of getting to schedule my days, but it's hard to schedule your days when you do

So my first week of work is done & I have to say, this job seriously stinks. I mean I knew what this job would entail but boy am I thankful that this will only be for a year.  I DO NOT understand how people do this job for years.  And furthermore I don't understand how nurses CHOOSE to pick up tech shifts, uh no thank you! If I needed extra shifts that bad I would just find another job in a different place. I can pretty much promise that once I become a RN I will NOT be picking up tech shifts for extra money, that's seriously cray cray.   Also, I don't understand how these nurses can work at the same place for 35 years.  Talk about BORING.  Again, no thank you.  Of course I don't plan on doing floor nursing for any longer than it takes me to get my NP license, but even if I were planning on being a floor nurse, it wouldn't be in Med/Surg and it DEFINITELY wouldn't be in Med/Surg at this hospital.  At least in the hospital where we do our clinicals there'

Can I just say how SORE I am?? These 2 twelve hour shifts were NO joke!  Sure I thought maybe my feet would be sore, but I didn't take into account my back and my calves.  I  mean I seriously feel like I have walked 500 miles.  My poor body is like wth is going on here?  I was talking to my nursing bestie (he just got an extern job also) & he said "Do you think you could do another day tomorrow?" & I  was like "NO!!"  Of course I know I COULD  do another day tomorrow & work 3 in a row, but I wouldn't WANT to.  He's trying to get as many hours as possible this summer & so he wants to try to work at least 4 days.  Fortunately for him, he's 10 years younger than me, weighs much less & he's a waiter, so he's already used to being on his feet all day running like a chicken with its head cut off.  But my poor body can't even remember my waitress days.  They were a LONG time ago & I haven't done this type of work sinc

I finally got all of my paperwork turned in and I am DONE with 3rd semester.   It's so weird to not have anything to study.  My niece called me yesterday & asked what I was doing & I swear I almost said "Studying".   But instead I said "Nothing", how glorious is that?   So now it's time to make some money!   I am really looking forward to starting my job on Monday.  All last week was just orientation, so Monday will be my first "real" day.  It will be my first day of working a 12 hour shift too. That should be interesting. It's funny too, since I haven't worked in a corporate setting in a while I had forgotten how many "rules & regulations" they have.  While I was sitting in orientation listening to all of it I was thinking "And THIS is why I want to go into practice for myself".  Not that I won't have rules & regs in my practice, but I will be able to make my own rules (to a certain extent).  If I&

Woofreakinhoo people!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am OFFICIALLY done with the DREAD 3rd semester & I didn't come out too bad, although unfortunately I can't say that for everyone!! :(  End result, 2 B's.  Med/Surg is officially DONE!!!!!!!!!!!! And although I am VERY happy to be done with this semester & finally on the downhill slope of nursing school I am also a wee bit sad because I lost my nursing bestie this semester..... He ended up failing Med/Surg by .5 points!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that??? What makes it even more sucky is that next semester our school days won't even be the same, so it's going to feel like we never get to see each other.....Boo. But, we will power through and we're still going to talk every night and every day (like 3 or 4 times a day), I mean this semester we were in different rotations & that never stopped us.  Anyhoo, onto our FIRST end of the 3rd semester celebration.  Like I said, we have a tradition after every semester w

Yesterday I got a call from my new boss & we got to talking about my start date.  Of course there's orientation to start with and all that jazz.  We decided I could start Tuesday since my last final was Monday, which I am SUPER excited about (starting work, not my final)! I can't wait to get started & finally get some moolah! BUT the really good news is, during our conversation we got to talking about the job and its scope of practice.  Well I thought it was just your regular CNA job, which we all know what that entails.  And because of that I had still been applying at the hospital where I do my clinicals at for an extern position.  I liked the fact that this job was closer to my house, but I wanted the extra experience that an extern gets b/c of their broader scope of practice.  So as we were discussing orientation, that came up.  She said "You're going to be the only nurse tech we have!".  At this point I was like "Say what Willis?"  My first

Ok so maybe trounced is a bit strong, seeing as 2 people in our class walked away with 99's!!!  But I'd still say getting an 87 is still pretty good!! And not just on any old HESI, but on a Pharm HESI at that!! I'll take that any day of the week.  So now that brings my grades as a high B in OB & a mid B in Med/Surg.  I would LOOVE to get an A in OB, but you know what?  I'd be happy walking away with 2 B's again this semester.  Tomorrow is our OB final & Lordy Bejordy it feels like there is SO much information being covered, but then when I start studying for it, it feels like common sense.  I hate when that happens.   I mean I know it's not common sense, but since we've gone over it once already I feel like I already know it & then I don't want to study for it & then when that happens, well you know the rest.  But, I guess I am going to force myself to study for it & hopefully I can get an A :)  The highest I've gotten on any te

It's getting soooo close to the end of the semester!!  I cannot believe that this Friday is our last OB class (final & HESI on the same day, can you say yuck!) Tomorrow is our last lecture for Med/Surg & then our HESI is on Wed & our final is a week from tomorrow & then we will be DONE!!  Do you realize that once this semester is over that we will have passed the halfway point.  We will be on the downhill slope!! Only 2 more semesters. I am so excited!!!!!!!!!! Speaking of the last 2 semesters, we got another cool thing going on at our school.  Up until this semester our 5th semester consisted of leadership, community health & something else (which we all heard was major boring).  I mean you go from having hands on clinicals to community health?  Uh no thank you.  So, one of the newer professors came up with a great idea called a Capstone.  So now instead of doing those boring classes with NO clinicals, we will get to CHOOSE what we want to focus on for our f

Last night I had my first real college study sesh.  I met up with some nursing buddies in the library after clinical & we studied for our OB test today until about 11:45.  Well, that's when I left since I live about an hour away, all of them left around 1:00 I believe.  But I am VERY glad that I did it b/c I  hadn't studied for that test one bit & luckily just about everything we went over was on the test & I ended up making a B because of it.  Well that & getting up at 5:30 this morning to finish studying.  Four & a half hours of sleep is no beuno, but it was worth it to see that B.  Right now I am on the veeerge of an A in that class.  Unfortunately the only things we have left are the HESI & the final.  Well & the participation points, I don't really know how to average those in.  Maybe, just maybe I can pull off an A in there, that would be awesome.  Monday is our last Med/Surg test before the final, so this week will be spent studying lik

So the director of the Med/Surg floor said I would hear something by today and well, I waited as long as I could before calling her seeing as I hadn't heard from her.  I said I would wait until 4:00 but by 3:30 I was chomping at the bit so I called her.  She said "I was just filling out your paperwork to offer you the job"!!! Yay me!!      Now I know it's just a PCT/CNA job, but hey it gets my foot in the door right?  I've talked to several of my friends who are in the semesters ahead of me & they've all said the same thing.  "Get a job NOW".   I have one friend who said she can't even get a PCT job b/c no one will hire her b/c she's too close to graduating.  I never thought of that. Why wouldn't they want to hire you knowing that soon you'd be able to be a nurse there??  I don't know, but I am glad to have the job.    The director said she thinks the pay is $10 an hour, which is pretty decent.  I was worried they

Can I just say how happy I was walking out of class today?  It was about 68 degrees, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing slightly & I was officially wearing flip flops for the first time this spring and most of all I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO GET A PATIENT!!!!!!!!  I am soo super happy that I had Med/Surg as my first rotation during the cold part of the semester.  Now instead of being stuck in the hospital for the next two days (like those poor suckers who have Med/Surg now) I am FREEE to take my books to the park tomorrow & study in the gorgeous sunshine.  I can sleep in for the next two days (would have been three but I'm signed up on Thursday to work the health fair at school) and basically enjoy this spring weather.  God is so good.  Sometimes blessings come in the form of something so small as to get the rotation you really want.  Yay! I'm also loving that we have NO tests this week, unfortunately though that just means that after this week we basically have ba