Did I REALLY sign up for this??

 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 worri...

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 d...

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 excite...

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 ps...

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...