Last post of 2007

As I sit here and reflect back on the last year, it amazes me all that has happened. I successfully completed nursing school, I found a new job which has led to the job I will be doing as a nurse, and so many things in between that I can't remember them all right. I worked a lot, I studied a lot, I cried a lot, I laughed a lot. But I am so looking forward to 2008. I have needed a positive change in my life for a long time. It's taken me a long time to get to this point in my life. A lot of rough roads took me through nursing school. I'm a stronger person because of them, but I'm ready for some easy roads. I know my transition to nursing won't be all roses, but it's a new change that is going to help me in many untold ways. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year's eve. I'll be back in full force next year! cjb

A link to share

I just wanted to share this with you. It's a link to the site to check out all of the pictures of my pinning ceremony. They turned out really good. I'll also be getting more from the rest of my family pretty soon, so I'll be able to post some more here.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Mine was very low key. I worked yesterday and it was basically madness. I figured it would be because that's how it was the day after Thanksgiving. My only saving grace was that we didn't have any fresh heart surgeries. As each day passes, I'm more and more ready to get started as a nurse. I find myself going into patient's rooms to help out more and more.

I've spent the day finishing taking down Christmas decorations and cleaning up the rest of the house. I've also done some NCLEX questions, just so I don't get out of practice. So, that's all I've been up to. I'll post more later in the week. Let me know what you think about the pinning photos, cjb

Merry Christmas to all!

I haven't posted in a few days. Sorry about that. I worked this weekend and had a horrible head cold to boot!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, wonderful Christmas. I have already had mine, but will be spending today with friends as I did yesterday. I have to work again tomorrow, but will have to get back to my NCLEX studying in full swing on Thursday. I have managed not to get any done at all this week.

I also need to wish my wonderful brother, Danny, a very happy Birthday. This is a very busy time of year for my family. You noticed mom and dad's anniversary on the 22nd. I didn't post on my birthday, but I have managed to turn another year older since last posting. My birthday is the 23rd. We always did Christmas on the 24th. Then Danny's birthday the 25th. Things didn't slow down for awhile around our place! It was always a fun time though!

Have a happy day everyone, cjb

Happy Anniversary to

the most wonderful parents in the world. I most surely wouldn't be here without you! Thank you for everything you've done for me and everything you continue to do for me. I hope you have a wonderful day together today. I'm so glad I got to see you both last weekend (even if it was hurried and crazy and chaotic). I love you both more than you will ever know. Happy 33rd Anniversary!! I love you, cjb!!

Something else news worthy . . .

According to the Texas Board of Nursing, I am officially a Graduate Nurse and can practice in the state of Texas!! How cool is that! I knew it would show up pretty soon, but this made my day.

I'm off to do more NCLEX questions and hang my new shower curtain. I'll post pictures of the shower curtain when I get it up! cjb

This just in . . .

My ATT finally arrived in my "inbox" around 1400 this afternoon. I called Pearson Vue as soon as I got my authorization number. I have my NCLEX scheduled for January 17th in Dallas. I could've taken it on January 3rd in Texarkana, but I didn't want to be the only one driving up there by myself and have to fork out the money for a hotel and gas, etc. Anyway, that's all I know, just wanted to let you know, cjb

What's a girl to do?

So I've spent the last three days working on my self-study review course. It went well. I feel like I'm a little more prepared for THE exam. Now I just have to wait for my ATT. This is killing me. I've never watched my email inbox so insanely in my life. My review course (and several other reputable sources recommend doing questions for 2 hours a day and then studying on the topics where you are weak for an hour or so. I can make that work, but I just want to get my NCLEX scheduled already.

Even if I do the recommended amount of studying a day, that still leaves a lot of hours in a day. I'm struggling with what to do with myself. I've turned into a homebody while I was in school (and during the hectic Christmas shopping season), but I really don't feel like starting any major sorting and dumping projects at home. I think I'm going to make a trip to Half Priced Books today and then maybe go see a movie. There's not a lot out that I want to see, but I'm sure I can find one or two that look okay. If that fails, I can always hit up Blockbuster for DVD's to rent.

So needless to say, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place on what to do. I obviously have to study for the NCLEX and that's my priority. This getting to know myself stuff is harder to do that I thought it would be! :) I'll let you know when I have my ATT and my NCLEX date. Until then, I have to figure out what I'm going to do with myself, cjb

Picture time

Let me preface this by saying thank you to my secret pal, Susan over at Susan Knits. She has been my secret pal for the last few months. She has done a wonderful job of sending me sweet gifts and keeping my spirits up during my last semester of nursing school. I also want to thank Janet over at Pixel One, Purl Two for coming up with the secret pal idea! I think it was a wonderful idea and I hope to be involved again! Thanks, Janet! Without any further ado, I will share my pictures with you. I'll try to caption them for you.

This is the lovely package Susan sent to me for the revealing! Thank you for everything, Susan!! I will enjoy trying to teach myself to knit! The crochet hook gadget looks neat. I'll have to let you know how it works out!


Here's the gingerbread house that Devon, Carla and I had so much fun making. At first Carla and I were talking about why we didn't do these growing up, but the further we got into it, the more we understood! :)

This cake was at the brunch we had Thursday after pinning practice. The icing was as thick as the cake and was butter cream. We split a piece and still couldn't finish it because it was so rich! I had to take a picture of it though because it was so pretty!

This is me and one of my instrumental instructors. I actually ended up having her for three semesters. She really helped me out a lot this semester as my sounding board. I love her dearly and will miss seeing her on a regular basis!

This one was taken as we were walking out after pinning. My family didn't get any good pictures on my camera of me being pinned, so this one will have to do for now. As I get the pictures from the rest of the family, I'll share them with you.

This is a typical picture of Devon! He is such a character! He is always posing and being a boy!! We can hardly get him to smile for the camera!!

This is me with my mom's parents. They drove in from Kansas and are now on their way to California to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family. They are so much fun to be around and I love them dearly!!


This is me with Carla and Devon before pinning. Devon wanted to be on the stage so bad it was killing him. He is such a sweet kid.

This is me with my mom. She had matching shirts made for us. You can't really see it, but it's an angel nurse. Hers says "Proud mom". It was so much fun to have everyone here!!


I don't have any pictures of the entire crew on my camera. As I already mentioned as I get more pictures from the other digital cameras, I'll be sure to share them. I hope you enjoyed my photo journal of the weekend!! I'm sure I'll come up with something to post soon! cjb

A whirlwind of a weekend

I know I haven't posted recently. I've been kinda occupied this weekend. It all started Wednesday night with my sister and nephew coming into town. We had a blast making a gingerbread house! (FYI, I have a TON of pictures, but it's going to take me awhile to sort through them and make sure I get them all from the rest of my family as well).

Thursday was spent at pinning practice and then a lovely brunch put on by one of my classmates and her husband. We had a nice time being able to sit around and visit for one last time before everything got insanely busy. Carla, Devon and I all ran errands the rest of the morning before mom and dad and Mary Ann got into town around 4:00. We met up with the rest of the family around 4:30 or so and were able to visit. Then we all headed over to eat dinner at On The Border. It was nice. After dinner, I headed home because I knew I needed to be able to get a good night's sleep before the next day's activities.

Friday morning started off early for me. I headed off to a hair appointment because I really didn't want to have to mess with my hair. It was a cold, humid day and I knew my hair would only frizz if I started messing with it. That was probably the best thing I did for myself all day!! After I finished up there, I came home and finished taking my time getting ready and then headed down to the hotel where the family was staying. I got there around 11:30 and then we headed out to lunch around 12. We ate a quick lunch at Chick-fil-A and then headed to the conference center. We probably got there a little bit early, but at least my family had really good seats! :) I was also able to talk to some of my instructors and meet a few of my classmates families. It worked out well. The actual pinning ceremony went off without a hitch. I got a little teary eyed walking in and then almost lost it completely when I was pinned, but I was able to maintain my composure until I saw my family afterwards. Hugging my parents always seems to make me loose it. We still had to take a ton of pictures, so I had to pull myself back together. Then we went to the reception and had cookies and coffee and mingled for a little while. We headed back to the hotel around 3:30 or so and then left for dinner at 4:30. We had reservations at 5:00. I'm really glad we were able to move our reservations up. They were originally for 6:00 and that would have been too late. As it stood, I was already exhausted and probably could have come home and been content. I got some really neat gifts and will share pics of them later.

Saturday was our family Christmas. We managed to squeeze 9 adults and a 6 year old into my living room. It was nice to be able to do that with everyone here. I almost feel like I could take my Christmas tree down now! :) We had fun and everyone left after lunch. Mary Ann and I were the only ones left. We still had things to do!! Mary Ann is from Illinois and needed to get some t-shirts for her kids, so we headed to the mall. We didn't do much there other than try to find shirts, it was too crowded. Then I took her to tour my hospital. That was fun for her. She is a scrub tech. We ran a few more errands and then we drove into downtown Dallas and back, just so she could say she had been to Dallas! After getting back to McKinney, we ate dinner then came home and collapsed. We were both exhausted. We watched a movie and went to bed.

I took Mary Ann back to the airport today. After dropping her off, I headed to Waco to see my other grandparents. Everyone headed down there yesterday, so I met everyone for lunch at the house. It was really nice. I got to see my dad's parents and my aunt Carol and uncle Dave and his wife Jeanie. We had a nice lunch and a good visit. I headed home around 3.

I really didn't know what to expect this weekend. I knew it would be busy and crazy. But the emotions have been almost too much for me to bear. I am part of an extremely emotional family anyway, so I really should have expected it, but this are emotions that can't be explained until you experience them. It is a sense of amazing relief coupled with some sadness for the losing the familiar. After all, I'm leaving a part of my life behind that I have worked for 3.5 years to attain. I'm incredibly happy. I don't start my nursing job until January 8. Until then, I only work on the weekends. I will be studying for the NCLEX and taking some time to get to know myself again. You will probably be noticing some changes on my blog over the next few days or weeks. I have to take some of my fellow grads off the student list and move them to the nurses list (YAY HOOSIER AND PRISCA!!! WE DID IT!!!!) You may have already noticed some changes. My sister helped me with some of it. She suggested the new title. What do you think?

I'm sure you'll be hearing from me a lot over the next few weeks. There are so many things that I still have to process. After all, I have made the transition from student to nurse overnight and there is really no way to understand that until it really happens. After all this time, I AM A NURSE. Until next time, cjb

Am I Really Ready?

Kim over at Emergiblog posted an inquiry about clinical hours in various programs and the readiness of graduates upon exiting the programs. Since I just finished I figured I'd go ahead and post something about this. I know I haven't started my job yet and my view on this may completely change the day I step foot into a patient's room at "THE NURSE", but we'll see where this post takes me. Thanks for the challenge, Kim. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's views!!

When I first started nursing school I don't know exactly what I thought would happen regarding my clinical time. I knew I would have some clinical time and some class time, I just didn't know how it would all pan it. It turned out that my first semester worked out to having six hours of lecture on Monday; approximately six to eight hours of clinicals on Tuesday and Wednesday; and skills lab on Thursday. Of course, all these courses required additional study time and clinicals required A TON of paperwork. I spent many a late night up trying to figure out exactly what a care plan was and what lab work correlated to the diagnosis and why. My second semester was very similar to my first except that we rounded through psych and surgery. It was a little more chaotic and I felt more comfortable with the paperwork. I spent two days in surgery and three weeks in psych. Third semester we dropped the skills lab and only had class and clinicals. This semester we had half of the semester as an OB rotation and half of the semester as a Children's rotation. The paperwork changed again, so it was back to the drawing board. Of course, the labs hadn't fundamentally changed, so I didn't have to learn them over, but ranges had changed and why they were different had changed. I felt like I was learning a new language again. My final semester (which I just finished!) was probably the most unique. We started out the same on a med-surg telemetry floor and rotated through ICU but towards the end of October/beginning of November we had to do our "transition to nursing". This involved 5-12 hour shifts with a nurse chosen for us. We basically did everything he/she did for the entire shift. I was very blessed in this case. I had a wonderful preceptor who felt very comfortable with me. I was able to take her full patient load most of my days. I got to admit and discharge patients and really see how it's going to be.

Overall, I feel like we had adequate time in the hospital. If I could go back and change the way our program was done I would like to see the program go to 12 hour shifts once a week. I think it would help from the beginning to understand the entire patient process.

This just in . . .

WOW!! They didn't waste any time getting grades posted and updated to the official school site!! I particularly like the part that says "CORE CURRICULUM COMPLETED"!!!! And I managed to do it with a 3.6 while working. I don't think that's too shabby.

I'm afraid ya'll are going to get tired of me over the next few days. I'm sitting here and can hardly stand it. I don't know what to do with myself. I really finished nursing school and I have almost a month before I start my job. A lot of things NEED to happen in my apartment, but mostly I want to be lazy. Is that a bad thing? I want to stay cuddled up in my nice warm bed and relax for a little bit. Sip on hot chocolate and watch TV. Surf the internet and look for interesting articles and fun stuff to do around here. I want to start living life as a person instead of a student. I need to start doing that. Since the summer of 2004, I've done nothing but work full-time and go to school. Since January of 2006 I've been in nursing school. A lot of changes have come through my life since then. I've moved once. I've bought a car. So many things I can't remember ~ little things. Holidays have come and gone. I want to start enjoying life again. I haven't been able to enjoy for a REALLY long time. I need to be able to do that.

I'm looking forward to having my family come into town. The last time we were all together was last Christmas. They are all coming to help me celebrate my accomplishment and I'm glad for that. I promise to get pictures. I know I haven't been the best at that. Time hasn't exactly been my friend lately. I've had priorities other than my blog. So with all that being said . . . I'm off. Two posts in one day is . . . well . . . speaks for itself.

Hoosier and Prisca, I'm proud of all of us! We did it! Both of you hang in there through your last exam. It will be okay! Just a few more days and we can have that cyber party! :) cjb

I'm finished! :)

So I am OFFICIALLY through with nursing school! It feels so good. I don't know if I have a B or a C, but I really don't care! I'm finished. I'm off to lunch with my friends. I'll post more later. La la la, cjb

Baby it's cold outside . . .

Maybe we'll finally have a winter. The temp on my weather bug is reading 35 right now. And it's supposed to be rainy and icky for the next few days. Hopefully it will clear up by Thursday when everyone is going to fly in. We're not supposed to get any major winter weather, just cold temps and rain.

I have my final in just a few hours. I reviewed as much as I could. I get most of the questions right. I can't tolerate any more studying right now. I'm going to call it any early night in my nice cozy bed. I'll get a good night's sleep and go knock out my exam. I already have a lunch date with several of my class mates to celebrate our accomplishment! Then the rest of the day is going to be spent relaxing. I'll finish up cleaning on Tuesday and a tiny bit on Wednesday and then the troops start arriving! :)

I hope you all have a good week. I'll post as much as I can. More later, cjb

One week away :)

A week from now I'll officially be a graduate nurse. I'm to the point now that I'm so anxious I can hardly stand it. Nerves won't kick in until I go to take the NCLEX and then start my job. As soon as I finish that final on Monday, I consider myself finished. It's so hard to believe on so many levels. As I think back over the past two years some of the things that have happened seem like they were a lifetime ago and some of them seem like they happened just yesterday.

John, I saw your comment and will get to that meme, just not today. I have to work all weekend and continue to prep for my final. Watch for it sometime early next week! :)

I need to get back to studying for that final. I'll post more later, cjb

LOL!

I had to call my sister tonight to talk to her about some things about next week. She put my nephew on the phone for just a second. He is just a riot! I had to post this because it was too good not to. He started off by telling me that he was getting ready for bed and that he just wanted to tell me hi and that he loved me. I told him that I was excited that I was going to get to see him in a week and I asked him if he knew why I was going to see him. He said, "Of course, it's for your graduation, your KINDERGARTEN graduation!" Ha ha ha! I have such a comedian for a nephew. And to think that the little stinker is only 6 years old. I really don't know what we are going to do with him when he's older. He's so smart it's scary!

I really can't believe that this time next week he'll be here and I'll be prepping for everyone else to get here as well. I've made great strides in getting my apartment ready. I decided not to be a Scrooge and put up my tree. It's really pretty. I'll post pictures after I get them uploaded. I still have a few more things to make the house ready for guests but I'm feeling a lot more comfortable about the whole situation. I'll post more later, cjb

I finally have a date! :)

No, not that kind of date, silly! I have a start date for my job! I have to go through nursing orientation at the hospital and the first orientation of the year starts on January 7. I won't have to go through the full week because I've done a lot of it already, but I have to do all of the nursing stuff. It's getting kinda scary, ya know. I've worked so hard for this and now it's finally happening.

Anyway, I need to get back to cleaning. I've made quite a bit of headway and don't want to loose my momentum. I'll write more later, cjb

What I need is M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N . . .

So I finished my last day of lecture was TODAY!!! I can't believe I don't have to sit through another ADN lecture again. I just have to take my exam on Monday and then I am finished with nursing school. WOW! It's insane. Everything is quickly coming to an end, but I'm so lacking in motivation.

What do I need motivation for you ask? Well let me tell you. I have an exam in a week that I still need to study for even though I only have to get a 35 on it to pass. I have an apartment that desperately needs to be cleaned. I can't seem to get it done. I don't have the energy. All I want to do when I'm off is sit on the couch and randomly surf the net and watch tv. (Things that have also been massively ignored over the past two years). I need to continue my NCLEX study course. I'm on to the 3rd of 12 CD's, so I'm making some progress. I need to decide if I should decorate for Christmas or not. I'm really torn. I do have a lot of family coming into town who will be seeing my apartment for the first time. I don't want to seem like a bah-hum bug, but I just don't seem to be in the Christmas spirit this year.

That's just a tiny look at the tings I need to do. As I start to clean, I need to do deep cleaning, so it's taking me a really long time to do it. If any one has some good suggestions for motivation, I'm all ears! I am going to sign off for now, and start sorting all my papers. More later, cjb

FOURTEEN DAYS AND COUNTING!!!!!

I'm seriously almost finished with nursing school. I'm sure by now, I'm starting to sound like a broken record to all my dedicated readers, but it's really all that I think about right now.

I did something insane yesterday. I was ready to take scissors to my own hair, so I made an appointment and went and had it cut REALLY short. I'll post pictures when I can get some decent ones. But she straightened it after she cut it and it actually looked good (after I got over the shock of seeing my hair straight!) I'm seriously considering buying a flat iron (and that was a purchase I NEVER thought I'd make!)

Here's something else I think I need to get. Since you remember meeting my bear, I think she probably needs to help celebrate my graduation from nursing school as well. They don't have a lot of choices. I really wish they had something in all white. Oh well. It will be a purchase well into the future.

I figured out that I only have to get a 35 on the final to pass. That's really not motivation to study. I could probably get a 35 by guessing through the 100 question test. Needless to say, I haven't been very productive this week. I passed one of the two ATI remediation tests this morning. I still have to retake the Leadership one. I did it again after I got home and did just fine. I'm going to see if they'll accept that or if I have to show up next week. I'm just worn out. . . I'm beyond worn out.

On the up side, I think my phone company finally fixed my phone. I have been having a horrible time dropping calls in my apartment. So much so that we exchanged my phone today thinking that would help the problem. It didn't. After that, I spent about 30 to 45 minutes in the store while they worked with customer service on the phone to get it to recognize all the cell towers that are located around my apartment (and apparently there are quite a few). I'm just glad I was able to hold a 20 minute conversation without dropping the call 3 times! :) Sometimes it's the little things, isn't it?!

I have started my NCLEX review course and am really liking it. I am able to get stuff done around the house while I listen. Plus it's on CD, so I can relisten to the course as much as I want! :)

Well, I've rambled enough for one night, I need to run to the store and pick up a few things for the weekend. I'll write more later, cjb

Prisca, this post is for you. . . We're almost done, but I want to know how you are doing!! I can't access your blog anymore, so would you kindly add my email address (auntpickle@gmail.com), so I can see how you are? I miss your updates. Thanks dear!

For the rest of you out there, I'm doing fine today. Taking it kinda easy. I'm still working on cleaning the rest of my apartment. It's coming slowly but surely. Still have a TON of studying to do, but that too is coming along. More later, cj

Growing anxious. . .

Well, ATI told me today that I have a 99% chance of passing the NCLEX. However, for some reason, I still have to take the Pharmacology and Leadership ATI tests over again because I can't seem to get the 82% that our school requires on them. Seriously, this is getting beyond silly.

However, on the up side of things, my countdown timer numbers keep getting smaller and smaller. For some reason, I guess I really didn't think this day would come. I know that I have worked for this, and now that it's happening it's almost too good to be true. I have a job lined up. I have taken a test that tells me I will pass another test. And I only have one more lecture day before my final exam. Wow.

My brain is pretty much mush right now so I'm going to close for now. I'll post more later in the week, cjb.

Back online

Upon waking up yesterday, I found that my internet and cable TV service were mysteriously disconnected. I figured it was a glitch in the system so I went about my morning and hoped it would return to normal status by early afternoon so I could accomplish my goals in a timely manner for the day. Of course, all the assignments I had to do yesterday required the use of the internet in one form or another. The TV would have just been a nice distraction. When I returned home from my meeting with my clinical instructor (I have an A in clinicals ~ which we all expected), I still had no cable or internet, so I called the company. They gave me the run-around that there were no reported outages, but that we could put in a work order. So I did that. By six o'clock (after having done deep cleaning in the bathroom and most of the bedroom), I called back to check the status of the work order (hoping that maybe an outage had been reported and that I would get my service back SOON). The lady told me that I was scheduled for the day after tomorrow (which would have been Thursday), but wait, there's a time for tomorrow. "Do you want that?" Of course I do, idiot. I have school work I have to get done by Thursday. I've already lost a day because I didn't have access to my internet that I pay for. Please kindly book me for the 11-2 time frame and I will be home. When the cable guy showed up today around 1:15 or so he said that someone had been tampering with the box outside. Gee, thanks to whoever did that. It really screwed me up. However, my apartment is slowly coming together. Now, I just have to get these assignments finished. I have now officially perched myself on my couch with my laptop in my lap and my internet up so I can do just that.

I also received my NCLEX study course today. After thinking it got lost because my apartment office thought they didn't sign for it when they really did. I went down there and we found it. So far it's really good. It seems that I need to work on pharmacology and fluids and electrolytes the most. I have to wait to continue the audio portion because I was accidentally shipped two of the same CD, but they are shipping that out today. Hopefully it will be here Friday or Saturday. No big deal. They were very concerned for me though.

I have also found the next purchase that I'm going to make for my home. I've been looking for the perfect shower curtain and I finally found it! Here it is! Isn't is gorgeous? Okay, you may not think so, but I am such a purple girl it is not funny. I already have towels and rugs, so I hope to get this with my next paycheck. I'm very excited. I really want my bathroom to be finished when all my company arrives for pinning!

The promised cold front has finally blown through. In fact, it is still blowing through. Right now it's in the low 50's and the temp just keeps dropping. I'm really glad I don't have anywhere to go today. I guess I'll be bundling up good tonight.

Well, I really should get on these assignments. I have several to finish up and really want to finish them today. I have to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so there goes my weekend. At least I have my weeks to play with. I'm actually doing a lot of studying right now. Oh, I got an 80 on my exam. So, if I can get an 85 on my final (kinda iffy) I can get a B in theory. I have lots of study time, so it could happen. I hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving, cjb

3 down; 1 to go. . .

So I took my 3rd theory exam this morning. Considering the amount of time I had to study, I did really well. My raw score is 79. If they give us points back like the have in the past, I'll have a decent B. WOO HOO! And, I'd have to do about the same on the final to get a "B" in theory this semester. Not too shabby considering I failed the first exam. I only have two more quizzes and I should ace those with no problem and that will help my grade as well. I'm pretty hyped about this. I started this semester just hoping that I would pass, now I might actually be able to pull a B in a FIVE hour class!! :) I know that ultimately it doesn't matter except that I pass, but it sure would feel good for me to come out of nursing school with three B's and one C in theory. I've worked really hard and I want that to show.

I have also finished my clinical transition on Friday. Overall it went very smoothly. I had a great preceptor and the staff on the unit was very supportive. It feels great to be done with clinicals. I'm meeting with my clinical instructor tomorrow for my final evaluation then that's it.

Tomorrow, I will also work on finishing my work for my leadership class. Hopefully I can get it all done tomorrow so that I can work on cleaning my house for the rest of the week.

I need to go finish my summary for my clinical transition. I'll touch base soon, cjb

One class almost down

Well, I took the final in my Leadership and Management class today. It was on the computer and 100 questions. It wasn't too bad, but we totally didn't know what to expect. Tests like that drive me crazy. I passed none the less. When I came home to figure out how many points I needed to get an A, if I did all the assignments for the last module, I come up 3 points short, so I've decided that a B in my 2 hour class is acceptable. There's no chance for extra credit, so there's no point in doing extra work if I don't have too, right.

Today was also our first of many ATI tests this semester. It was also over Leadership and Management. We had to pass with an 82% in order not to have to remediate. I got an 80%. Seriously, I have to take the test again for 2%. That's just the way it goes.

I have to get focused on the next exam that falls on Monday. I have limited time to study, so I have to make the best of my time. Have a great day everyone, cjb!


Amended post ~ they gave us FIVE points back on our final, so now I HAVE to do all the rest my assignments, and I can get an A in my 2 point class!! Gotta love me jumpin' the gun and thinkin' I was going to get a B!! Just thought I'd let you know!!

30 days!!!!

My dad is so wonderful! He called me this morning to remind me that in 30 days, I will graduate and be a nurse! Of course, I still have to take the boards, but I'll be a nurse none the less!! 30 days, people! I've worked many years to get to this point and I can't believe that I'm finally to this point. I have a busy week/weekend, but I'm going to celebrate today. The next 30 days are going to be spent studying for my final exam and the NCLEX, and doing lots of cleaning on my apartment, but it has been worth it. I have to get on with my studying. I just wanted to say I graduate in 30 days!! cjb

I feel so loved

I must say, I think I have the greatest secret pal. I seriously don't know how I would've gotten through this last semester without little surprises in my mailbox. It has been such a pleasure to be taking part in this fun treat! I was surprised today (it would have been sooner if my apartment office was open later on the weekends) with an amazing package. I've somehow managed to misplace my camera, so I can't take a picture. Words will have to do. It included a book on knitting dishcloths. Obviously, I won't be doing this right now, but I will have a ton of time after I graduate to learn lots of new things! :) Also included were bamboo knitting needles and some really nifty looking needle holders, a cool organizer so I can put all my needles and such in that is pink plaid, four different skeins (are they still skeins if they are cotton?) of crochet or knitting cotton that are variegated (pinks, greens, yellows, and blues), and then a bunch of neat pens and pencils and a nice journal. All of this was included in a larger blue and white striped carrying case that is really cute. I really am just almost overwhelmed!! Thank you so much! :) You are truly a special secret pal and I can't wait to find out who you are!! cjb

NEWS ALERT! NEWS ALERT! NEWS ALERT!

This just in. . . .I finally accepted the RN position on the telemetry floor at the hospital I currently work at! Seriously, not even an hour ago! I'm really excited about the possibilities that this will bring for me!


But, alas, I must go to bed, for I have to go back to work tomorrow ~ with the horrible head cold I've somehow managed to catch. Let's all hope it stays in my head and doesn't move to my chest like it's trying to do! NyQuil here I come!! Good night all, more updates later, cjb

Crazy weekend

So I know I worked like a fiend all summer, but I wasn't having to go to school at the same time. Working 3-12's and then having to sit in class all day Monday really does a number on a person. My first transition day went just fine. Nothing major happened. My nurse is really great. I'm one of the lucky ones. Some of my classmates have preceptors that either really don't want to be preceptors or really don't need to be preceptors. Either way, I lucked out. For all you nurses out there who are preceptors, thank you for what you do! You are very much needed.

Work this weekend was just almost too much for me. It all really turned into much ado about nothing. And I don't tolerate that well. Sunday was much better than Saturday, so that's good.

Yesterday in class was crazy. Lecture days are tough to say the least. We had neuro all morning and then burns all afternoon. After the burn lecture I know something else that I'm not cut out for. Just looking at some of those pictures made me squeamish. I don't think I could handle the wound care.

On the job front, I still haven't accepted a position, but I know which one I'm going to accept. I need to just buck up and do it.

I have a crazy week. I'm trying to get some studying done today. I have transition tomorrow. Then I need to get studying done on Thursday. Friday is transition again, then it's back to work on Saturday and Sunday and we start the vicious cycle all over again. I guess that's the name of the game right now. After this week, I only have two more days of transition and I'll get those done next week!! Woo hoo, nursing school is quickly coming to an end. I have to get back to my studies. . . . I'll write more later, cjb

As promised

Well, my meeting really turned into more of an interview. I'm glad I planned ahead and dressed more professional and had my portfolio and everything that goes along with it because my manager had asked the clinical educators and the other floor manager to attend our "meeting". It turned out very good. They answered all my questions and left everything open for me to ask anymore that may arise. After it was all said and done, my manager and I talked for a few more minutes and she really encouraged me to continue to interview and make sure that I am making the right decision. She doesn't need a final answer until closer to the end of the month, so I still have some time. Based on the two interviews I've had so far, I would go with the one I had today. That's not to say that something else would come up that would be better, but I haven't had any other calls.

I have to get some rest for my first day of transition. I'll try to post tomorrow to give you an idea of how my first day as an almost nurse goes! I'm almost a nurse. I've almost accomplished my goal. Wow! Post more later, cjb

Doing the November Dance!

Happy November everyone!

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I guess I made so many phone calls that it truly felt like I posted. I forget I have several of you that I DON'T talk to on a regular basis and you rely on my blog to know how my life is going! So my apologies.

My interview yesterday pretty much made my decision for today much easier. I don't know if that is because my mind was made up before I went in or because I didn't like what I saw, either way, I'm ready for my meeting with my manager today at 2:30. It was good to interview with another hospital and know what I would be expected to do. I would have a higher patient ratio and probably be working indefinitely on nights. I think I can make myself work nights for a little bit, but I don't think I can tolerate working them without an end in sight. And she didn't even tour me on the unit. So, that's the jest of it. It wasn't a bad experience and I don't regret doing it. As I was talking to my parents last night, my mom brought out the fact that at least now I won't wonder what it would be like somewhere else! I promise I will do my best to post this evening. I have another meeting at 6:00 for work, so it may be later, but I'll do my best.

Tomorrow starts my transition. We won't have our instructor breathing down our neck and will be there for 12 hours. None of that bothers me. In fact, I'm kind of excited about it. My days are a little more spread out than I would like them to be, but that's related to the way my preceptor's schedule melted with mine. I'm going to have to really watch how I study for the next exam because of it. I won't have a lot of continuous days off. They are REALLY spaced out. I'm trying not to worry about it too much. I know it will work out and I'll get the grade I need. I figured out that I can still pull a B in theory if I get decent B's on the final two exams and get all my points on the last few quizzes. This is a possibility. I know grades aren't everything, but I do need to consider my educational future. I don't totally want to screw myself. So far, I only have one C in theory, and I really would like to keep it that way. Plus, I have to remember how much I've had to work with all of this going on. No one else has to consider it, but I do!!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween. I need to start reviewing like I have the exam on Monday. I'll post more later today and let you know how things go!! cjb

Decisions, decisions. . .

So I have my interview tomorrow afternoon, but there's a twist. This weekend, my manager came in and I was able to pull her to the side and talk to her for a few minutes. In the few minutes that we talked, she told me that if I wanted a job, I had one. I would start in telemetry and we would basically personalize my orientation to what I want. She told me that I could cross train into day surgery and PACU and then go from there. Pretty much how fast I move up is up to my initiative. I'm still going to my interview tomorrow. I also have another meeting with my manager on Thursday afternoon. I want to finalize some things with her and really figure out some things. The way it stands right now, I'm pretty sure I'll accept the position where I work now. I like the facility, I know the system. . . there are so many pluses.

I have one more clinical day!!! Then I start transition! It turns out I won't be finished with transition until the 16th, just some schedule glitches b/t my schedule and my preceptors schedule. It all works out though. I'm still done well before Thanksgiving and that leaves me almost a month to concentrate on theory and preparing for the NCLEX.

That's what is going on in my world. I'll let you know how my interview goes as well as my appointment with my manager. I'm going to try to get some things done around the house. I'm looking forward to finally having some time in my world!! More later, cjb

Almost. . .

Well, I finally got my official grade from my test. I got a 79. That's almost a B. One point away, to be exact. I'm very happy with my grade, but really could've used that one point (just like the last exam!)

I'm also almost finished with my assignments for the day. I just have an essay to knock out and I'll be through. I've left it until last, and I'm not really sure why. I don't think it'll be that hard. After all, I do enjoy writing.

Just wanted to update you with the news. I need to go get this essay finished so I can go to work in peace this weekend! :) Have a good rest of your day, cjb!

Under 50!!!

I'm finally to 49 days! It feels good to be where I am. I'm still awaiting my final test grade, but I feel good about the exam.

Lots of other things are going on in my "real" life right now that I don't want to go into. Sometimes I really wish life would stop while nursing school was happening. But that's not the way things work. I'm a stronger person because of it.

I have a ton of work to finish for school tomorrow, I haven't been very productive today due to a lot of things.

The weather in North Texas has been absolutely delightful. Last night we were in the low 40s and today we barely hit 70. Tonight we'll probably get down into the upper 30s! Wow! Finally, fall is upon us! It's nice to be able to keep my house open during the day (when I'm home!) I have some cleaning that I need to do, and it kinda motivates me.

Not much else to tell from here. Thanks for checking in on me, cjb

p.s. this is for my secret pal ~ I LOVE chocolate of any kind (especially with caramel, mint, or peanut butter). I also look at those combination packs of crochet hooks everytime I go into Michael's because I'm forever missing the ONE size I need. I also enjoy drinking hot tea. It's the perfect time of year for it, too. I'm always up for trying new flavors! Is that enough ideas for now? If I think of anything else, I'll post it as a p.s.! Thanks for all you do for me, you really brighten my day! :)

It finally happened!!!

Well, I finally got the call I've been waiting for from the beginning of nursing school. I got my first call to schedule an interview for a job on a telemetry unit at a large hospital not far from downtown. It will be next Wednesday at 2:30!! I'm so glad that I'm starting to get calls on my applications, I was really starting to feel like I wouldn't have a job when I graduate, even though I know I will.

That's the news for the day. I'm going to try to get some soup and warm myself up. It got cold last night and looks like it's supposed to stay cold for the rest of the week. The days are gorgeous, and we were due for a change. I'm so glad fall is here! More later, cjb

Doing better on a test day. . . .

So I'm much better today than I was this time last exam. I might actually get to graduate and be a nurse! Imagine that. I passed my test very comfortably and could possibly pull a B if they throw out enough questions. That makes me very happy. Plus they extended our due dates on some of other class work, so that's nice too. So that's what I know. I'm going to try to knock out some of this work that is due so I can have a little bit of a break soon. More later from chilly north Texas, cjb

Trying to make myself feel better

So I sat down to figure out how many days I have of each class left and here's what I came up with:

• I have 8 more lecture days (3 exams will be in there, the last day is exam only, so I guess I technically only have 7 lecture days)
• I have 4 more clinical days (going Tuesday and Wednesday) then I start transition
• Transition is 5 days (12 hour shifts ~ this will be completed on November 13)
• One test day for my transition class. (this will be on November 15)
  

Boiling it down like that makes everything seem much more attainable. I have to get back to my books, just thought I'd share my breakdown with you! cjb

Time is flying . . . .

First of all, let me say thank you to my secret nurse pal for the cute gift she sent me. I got a book titled "Wit & Wisdom of Women", a bookmark, and a magnet that is too funny. It is a lady dressed from the 60s or 70s with a huge smile on her face with the quote "More paperwork, please." Right now, that describes my life to a tee!! These gifts really come at great times. Thank you for thinking of me and making my days brighter!!

On a school note time just keeps going right on by. I can't believe that it is already the 17th of October. By this time next month, I'll be done with all of my classes except for theory. It doesn't quite seem possible. I'm working on figuring out my transition schedule. We just have one day to figure out. I think I'm going to have to do a Saturday and not have go to work, I'm trying to get it all figured out between work and my clinical instructor. I'm currently waiting on a call back from my scheduling manager at work. We'll see if it will work out. Hopefully it will because if it does, I will be done with clinicals on November 13th!!!

So, that's the deal with me right now. Not much else is going on. I have a ton of studying to this weekend. Our next exam is Monday. I will pass this exam, I will pass this exam, I will pass this exam. I'm sure I'll be posting on and off throughout this weekend. I'll let you know how the exam goes. Until next time, cjb

60 days

two months, eight weeks, however you want to look at it, I'm a heck of a lot closer to being finished than I was when I started! Seriously, I know that sounds stupid, but the end is so close, I can almost taste it. I only have three more exams (not counting THE exam). My next theory exam is is in a week. I have confidence that it will go much better than the last one. I've been able to balance my time better this go-round. I just had to post today because it is a mile stone! I know the time flies, but some days do seem worse than others! Thanks for bearing with me, cjb

Job Fair

I had a good experience today. I carpooled down to Grapevine with three other students in my class and experienced a job fair with one area hospital. They have several hospitals in the metroplex, and most of them were represented at the fair. It was set up very nicely and we were able to pick and choose which departments we went and talked to.

I started off by going and talking to the critical care area. I have thought all along that I really want to work in the ICU. I probably shouldn't have started off by talking to them because it was kinda discouraging. The lady I was talking to didn't seem interested in anything that I had to say. She also was really encouraging me to go and talk to other areas, which really indicated to me that they really don't want new grads, but they are there because they have to be.

The next stop I made was the telemetry booth. I've also thought that I could start off in telemetry and be okay with that. I had a good interview there. I felt more comfortable there than I did in critical care, though I still didn't feel like I had made my match. I had one more stop to make before I decided I was finished for the day.

When I walked in I saw a PACU (recovery for those of you non-nurses out there) booth and told myself that I would stop there before leaving. They were interviewing a few other people, so I sat down and waited. By this time, I was completely relaxed and knew what questions they were asking and kinda what my answers were going to be. I didn't think any of the area hospitals were offering PACU internships, so I was very excited. The manager I was talking to had a very positive energy and she and I had a really good conversation. It really felt like more of a conversation than an interview. As the time continued to march on, we talked about some of my experiences and what I bring to the table, along with what I expect in the team I plan to work with. It really sounds like I might be a good fit there. Before I left, she told me that she was going to put me in her call-back list! :) That means I get to go in for a second interview with the nursing team to see if I really am a fit! I'm very excited about this! I've gone from not knowing what I wanted to do, to possibly working at a Level I hospital doing over 100 surgeries a day. Plus I could possibly be able to work my ideal 11 am -11 pm shift!!! What could be better than that?

Overall it was a very productive day. I must get to cleaning. My apartment needs my attention very badly. Then I have to study some. Then tomorrow, it's back to work. The cycle must start over again sometime! I hope everyone else is having a wonderful weekend! I'll touch base again soon, cjb

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Now playing: George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
via FoxyTunes

I must need closure

So a new super Target opened right by me just yesterday. I didn't make it in there until today because I was just too tired yesterday. I had several things I needed to pick up and just didn't want to go to wally world if I didn't have to. I kept forgetting to get them at other times, so I finally made my list and made myself get them on the way home from the clinic this morning. As I was perusing the aisles, I noticed someone I hadn't seen in a couple of years (I thought, why me? Didn't this just happen?) It was a guy I had dated not long after I was divorced. I just wasn't ready to be dating and things ended as okay as they can end. We actually met working at Target and he is now working at the Target here. We chatted for a few minutes and I found out that he just got married in August to the girl he dated after me (go figure). The funny thing about all of this is that just last week I thought about him. I must have some crazy stuff going on in my brain. I must really need to close out some parts of my life before I graduate from nursing school and move on with my life. It's amazing to me how all of these things are happening. Now, if I could just get a job . . . off to iron my interview outfit . . . more later, cjb

Another thought. . .

Ok, so by now, ya'll know how random my posts can be, so hopefully this one won't be totally surprising. I've thought about this on and off throughout school, but haven't done enough research to really know how to go about it from here. You here about government money available for loan repayment if you work for an underserved community for a certain amount of time. I've done a tiny bit of research today and haven't been able to come up with a lot of information. The one link I was able to find was for doctors, NP's, and the like. I went ahead and sent an email to the TX source hoping she can get me some additional information, but I'm also pleading with my reading audience for help. I'm leaving school with a lot of loans. I want to be debt free as quickly as humanly possible and I am willing to work somewhere that needs help, after all, it won't be forever. Thanks for your help with this, cjb

busy, busy, busy

I know I haven't posted recently. Partly because I feel like I'm saying the same things over and over again and partly because I'm just so busy. When I'm not working or in class, I'm studying, so life is just crazy. I'm still extremely tired, but I guess that's par for the course.

We FINALLY had a cool front come through the DFW area and we are in the mid-80's today!! That may not sound like cool, but compared to mid-to upper 90's it is wonderful! I can't complain because this summer hasn't been bad at all.

I'm not much of a chatter box today, so I'm going to get back to my studies. I'll check back in when I'm up to talking more! cjb

What to do . . . .

So I have another dilemma (imagine that). If I know you outside of cyberspace, I've probably already talked to you about this, so feel free to skip this post. I need to vent this out so I can start to figure out what I need to do with the rest of my life.

I still don't have a clue what I want to do or where I want to work in less than 3 months. It's really starting to eat at me. I listen to my classmates and even read some of your blogs about how you've known for a long time exactly where you want to be and how your jobs are already set up. I'm just so afraid I'm going to make a bad decision. What if I choose ICU and it's not where I need to be? What if I go the med-surg route and I'm bored to tears? I've already ruled out OB, peds, and psych. I'm just not cut out for those specialties. So I've got some things narrowed down. I also know that I don't want to specialize (i.e. only a renal floor or cardiac floor or something like). So that being said, what am I supposed to do? I can't have gone through all this for nothing. . . . BTW, my super end goal is to be able to travel. Any advice, comments, or anything to calm me down would be helpful at this point! Thanks, cjb

a long week's wait. . .

It was a long week's wait to find out that I officially failed my first exam. Granted, I only failed by one point, but I still failed. I still have to schedule an appointment with my advisor and meet with her regarding my poor test performance over one point. I'm changing my strategy for the next test a little. Of course I'm still going to do all my reading and such, but I'm really going to focus in the NCLEX review books. It's proven successful in the past, so hopefully it will work this time, too. I'm over being discouraged. (At least for now). I've accomplished a lot over the past week. I finished the group project and all the support work that goes along with it. On Thursday, I only have to participate in class discussion to get my full points for that. It's nice to be a little bit ahead of the game for that class. I still have some work to do to get truly ahead and not have to worry about any of it at all before the next exam, but I'm well on my way to that. I feel like I'm rambling, so I'm going to try to wrap my brain around lecture material from today. I have a lot to learn about the heart and all the intricate working thereof. Have a great Monday night, cjb

They're BBAACCKK!!!!

So THIS is what I've been waiting for all summer long. Last season disappointed me, but I'm willing to give this season a chance. I just can't seem to part with my Grey's!! I'm actually typing this as I watch (during commercials, of course). So far, so good. I think the interns as residents could prove to be interesting. In fact, it already is.

I have to devote my full attention to my friends. I'll post more later, cjb


Later: I think this season is going to be great. Tonight's episode was awesome. Some VERY interesting things happened tonight. My mind is just racing with them. . . . Can't wait until next week. Maybe this will be what gets me through nursing school! Goodness knows I need something. Thank goodness I can focus on George, Izzy, Meredith, Christina, and Alex instead of myself for an hour a week! :) Tomorrow it's back to reality. Have school work to do, but tonight, it was all Grey's! Good night, cjb

So much to do

I'm almost finished with my intense first month of school. I have my group presentation tomorrow and that is the last BIG thing I have to do for one of my classes. September is almost over and I'm still alive. I know I've been down in the dumps lately, thank you for all your kind words. This is my place to come and vent. It's my sanity right now. I can let out my feelings and you can read or not. This is MY place. I can say what I want, when I want and how I want. It's the beauty of having my own blog. I'm hanging in there. I'm tired, and that's the biggest problem. I'm off to get a good night's rest because I have a presentation tomorrow and then I work all weekend. Have a good one, cjb

Still no word

I appreciate all your kind words. I'm still in a lull over this exam. I still don't know my exact grade on my exam, but I know it's not pretty. I was really glad that I went to the clinic to work last night. It helps me to give back when I'm feeling down and out. I came home and just wanted to crash out, so I did. Then I got up early and went to clinicals. Clinicals went a little better this week. I'm feeling more confident as a nurse ~ still not 100%, but getting better. I'm going to sign off here, but know that things are starting to look up, cjb :)

I think I need to find something else to do

If things don't start looking up soon, I'm going to have to choose another career path for my life. Maybe I'll be a chef ~ wait I don't even cook for myself (and if any of you even vaguely remember any of my cooking stories, I don't think that's a feasible option). Ummm, maybe I'll be a beautician ~ highly unlikely seeing as how I hardly even dry my hair before flying out the door in the mornings. Maybe I'll just be a bum. Anyone want to hire me? I'm real cheap and don't require much.

I'll quite whining now. I'm just really upset by all of this. I obviously didn't do well on my exam. I'm not sure how not well I did until they post grades, but I didn't do well. I have to go work the clinic tonight. I'll post more later. cjb

At this point . . .

studying is overrated. It's almost 7 pm on Sunday night and if I don't know it by now, I'm probably not going to know it. I spent most of Thursday and Friday reading and reviewing. Then yesterday and today at work, I was able to lots of sample NCLEX questions. I've found that's the most effective way for me to study for my exams. I also go through the stuff in my books, but doing lots of questions is best for me. We'll see how it works for me. I'm going to get a good night's sleep and then eat a good breakfast in the morning. I'll let you know how it turns out! Until then, cjb

I so need to be studying . . .

So I have my first MAJOR exam of the semester on Monday. I've been studying all day and am about beat. I started with chest tubes and chest trauma. And am now onto liver, biliary tract, and pancreas problems. I still have acute hematologic problems and oncology to cover. Plus, I have to work Saturday and part of Sunday. I HAVE to finish liver . . .I'm almost done, finishing up with cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. YIKES!! Such crazy words, I know. . . Oh well, I'm off to finish reading about the gallbladder (BTW, that's what those big words on the previous line mean, in case you were wondering!!) I hope you are having a better night than me! cjb

Still countin' down. . .

Has anyone else noticed my timer getting smaller? I sure have and I cherish every day that has passed. For me it's another project, clinical day or lecture day that I don't have to go to again. I'm not saying I'm not going to continue my education, but it sure will be nice to be finished with school for awhile.

When I finish next week, I will have accomplished a major milestone of the semester. The first module of transition is complete and due tomorrow (yes, I already have it all turned in). Monday is my first theory test of the semester and Thursday is our group project for the semester. Why they saw the need to throw this all in one week, I don't know. They say it's to teach us better time management, I say it's to see if we'll break under stress.

I figured out the other day that I really only have to make it through the end of October before my load really starts to lighten. Then by the middle of November, I'm done with everything except theory. I'll have a month of class for only one day a week. I guess the stress I'm going through right now is worth it. I know it will be when I walk across the stage on December 14th!! Thanks for listening to me gripe all the time. I'm off to start studying for my theory exam. Hopefully I'll be able to come back and tell you that I've passed with a decent grade, cjb

Real quick

I just want to say, you never know who you are going to run into. Today at work, I was minding my own business, filing labs and EKGs when I heard my name. I looked over and recognized a vaguely familiar face, but it took a minute to place it. The female was standing in a patient room, so I was even more thrown off. She said, "Crystal, it's me, Jennifer!" I was astonished. I met Jennifer back in August of 1995 when we both started our freshman year at LCU. We quickly became good friends through LOA and many other similar activities. The years have taken us our separate ways and we lost touch. I ask that all of you keep her fiance in your thoughts and prayers. I can't go into details, but I can say that much. It was so good to see Jennifer. In my time of distress with school, an old friend was a breath of fresh air!

Off to bed for me, more later, cjb

This just in. . .

So, after much agonizing and craziness and having to take this stupid exam THREE times, this is all we get on WebCT. I don't get my grade, I don't get what I passed with, I don't even get an exclamation point. I get the simple statement I posted above. Doesn't that just give you the warm fuzzies? Well, at least I can give meds next week and continue on with my life as a 4th semester student nurse. Just thought I'd share, cjb

THREE MONTHS AND COUNTING!!!!

Ok, so I reached a major milestone today. It's officially three months until I graduate. That's only 90 days, folks. I know I've been doing a lot of whining and complaining and I'm sure there's lots more to come because after all, this is MY blog and you don't have to read it if you don't like it. I'm frustrated and this is my venting place. The place where I have set up to journal my memories or whatever about what has gone on.

I actually got a really good nights sleep last night. I was so tired that I crashed out before 8:00 pm and didn't wake up until 6:00 this morning. Of course I went back to sleep until about 8, but it felt so good to be able to do that. I have a ton of stuff to do today, but I feel like I can do it. Plus my job allows me to get some minor projects done there. That helps out A LOT!!

One more thing before I go accomplish all my goals for the day. I need to wish my wonderful father a very happy birthday. They are busy packing up and getting ready to move, so I know he won't get to enjoy his day. But both of my parents have been such a rock for me through all of this that I couldn't imagine trying to do this without them (even though they don't live in the same state, and won't be moving back to TX). I wish them all the best in their new endeavors. I love you, Daddy. Happy birthday!! (p.s. I love you, too, Mom and happy unbirthday!)

Until I have more to say, I'll go accomplish a thousand goals while I have the energy, cjb

Some better?

Well, I survived today. I took my 3rd pharmacology test. It was stupid that I even had to take it. It was open book so after I answered my questions, I double checked all my answers before I went on to the next question. My mood today is better than it has been though. I don't know why, other than maybe I got some sleep. I've been working on tons of school work today. And just overall sitting on the couch. I'm going to get back to my assignments, so I don't have to do any major work next week other than study for my exam. cjb

So frustrated . . .

I haven't had the best week. I extremely tired and it seems like every professor wants to try our patience. Mondays are going to be very frustrating. We break out into discussion groups and talk about a case study specific to a disease process. Our group split into two smaller groups so the room was a little bit chatty. That was distracting to me. Maybe those will get a little bit better as the semester goes on. Then we had to take a quiz after class and then head to the hospital to pick up our patient information for the week. It took forever because we had to reset our computer passwords in order to get into the computer charts. I was so worn out when I got home, I didn't even have the motivation to want to do paperwork. So, we headed to the hospital early in order to get any additional information we needed, plus we wanted to know who our nurses for the day were.

I could continue venting about clinicals and the rest of school, but there's really no point. You can't do anything about it. And it only makes me more upset.

I have to take my pharmacology test again tomorrow. I'm frustrated about.

John and Marispan, thanks for your comments re: NCLEX. Marispan, I would love if you email me those files. Check my profile for my email!

I know there was something else I wanted to say, but I really can't remember what it was. I'll post it later if I remember. Thanks for listening to me vent. cjb

This is ridiculous. . .

I failed my pharmacology test again. . . I don't know what I got, but I have to take it again. This time, though we get to use ANY resources we want to use. I guess they want us to pass. Why don't they do something differently then? I'm insanely upset all of this. I'm talking to a good friend as I type this and we just don't understand how to get through this. Oh well, I'll stop venting and start studying. More later, cjb

Lookie, lookie

Ok, here's a long overdue picture of my Build-A-Bear, Boogie. If you remember back to July 25th, I had my name officially changed. I just haven't taken the time to take pictures or upload them. Sorry for lagging so much. Her shoes are so cute. I really couldn't capture them on camera very good. They light up when they hit the ground. I love it. I forgot to take one with her "birth certificate". I guess that one will have to be taken at a later date.








I got a surprise in mail yesterday. I am participating in a Secret Pals for Nurses put on by POPT. I was kind of surprised when I had a package from a state I didn't recognize because honestly I had forgotten about the whole thing. I actually opened the package partially in the apartment office to figure out who it was from. It had a ton of cool stuff in it. I am a happy camper. :) Somehow, my secret pal knows that Sharpies are my weakness. I can hardly walk by the Sharpie aisle without buying them. I managed to not buy any this school year, and I got 16 from my secret pal! What a pay off!! I got some really cute sticky notes and a package with some cutise paper clips, little stickies and big stickies. Overall, it was an awesome package.


The next thing on my mind, is whether or not I should take an NCLEX review course after I graduate and before I take the NCLEX. For all you out there that have been through nursing school and have done it either way, let me know what you think. Also, if you are getting ready to graduate, what are your plans. Part of me just really wants to take the NCLEX as fast as I can so that I don't have to worry about it, but I think the soonest dates available will be in early January. That will still leave about 2-3 weeks for me to study. I could opt for an online course. I just don't know how to go about this. I'd love some feedback!

Oh, I got to see my brother and his new girlfriend, Jenni, yesterday! We met at Cracker Barrell in Denton for lunch. We were only able to visit for about an hour and a half, but considering I haven't been able to see my brother since Christmas, I'll take what I can get! He recently moved back to OKC so I hope to be seeing more of him, especially once school is finished!

I have to get back to my school work! I'll touch base later in the weekend, cjb

I hate pharmacology

So I took the 2nd of 3 chances for this new pharmacology test. I know I did better this time, but I don't think I got a 90%. This new test really isn't fun. We are now required to pass the math test and the pharmacology test before we can pass meds in clinicals. We are supposed to start passing meds next week. Unless they make some major changes in policy at the faculty meeting today, we won't be passing meds next week.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with them trying new things out on out us to see if they will work, but I do have a problem if they place restrictions on us based on brand new policies.

Hopefully we'll find out later today or early tomorrow about the outcome. I'll keep you updated. Until then, I have a ton of stuff to do today, so I'd better get on it, cjb

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Now playing: The Fray - How to Save a Life
via FoxyTunes

So Cool

This is the coolest toy. I should be studying my drugs, but I'm playing with WinAmp and FoxyTunes. I've been wanting to sign my blogs with my music, but I haven't imported any and haven't taken the time to get my cd's because of school. Well, I finally did because I didn't want the TV on and such. This just happens to be one of my favorite songs. I'm glad it's what I was listening to when I was typing! I know this is geeky, but I had to share. Back to the drug cards! cjb

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Now playing: James Blunt - You're Beautiful
via FoxyTunes

School Update

So I have one more day in this week before I have officially completed TWO weeks of school. It doesn't quite seem possible, but it is. Yesterday was spent orienting to the hospital of the week (well, it's actually the hospital of the semester, but, hospital of the week sounded better!) I feel like I've done nothing but orient to hospitals recently (wait, maybe that's because that's all I have done!) Then, today, we basically hit the floor running. We only had to take one patient and were responsible for total patient care with the exception of meds (though we had to know our meds. Next week will be a different story. We will start with two patients and depending on our day, and if we pass the pharm test, we will give meds one day and still be responsible for total patient care. We will only have to turn in our concept maps, but are really encouraged to start thinking and acting like nurses. I need to go over my meds for tomorrow. I HAVE to pass this test. It's not an option! I hope all my fellow SN cyber friends are hanging in there! Sending positive we will make it through this semester vibes to all of you!! cjb

Just peachy

So, yeah, I've been working a lot, and yeah, I have a TON of school work to do, but I actually feel like I may have a decent handle on this thing called my last semester of nursing school. Now, tomorrow I may tell you something totally different, but at least today that's my story.

I was able to get quite a bit of school work done despite all of the work I did this weekend. I still have quite a bit of studying to do for my retake of my pharmacology test, but I'm starting to get somewhat of a better handle on it. I have my cards all highlighted and I carry them EVERYWHERE I go.

So that's the scoop in my little part of this big world. I start clinicals tomorrow with orientation at the hospital. At least we don't have to be there until 10:15 and I have a carpool mate. That will make the semester a little bit more bearable. I must get myself ready for tomorrow, so I'm going to sign off for now, cjb

What a difference a day makes

I didn't want to post yesterday because in all honesty yesterday sucked. I was exhausted and almost ready to throw in the towel. (I say almost because no matter how much I complain, I WILL NOT quit nursing school). I was so overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to do this week that I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I finally finished up what I HAD to complete about 7:30 last night and started feeling a little bit better. I took some ibuprofen and headed to bed around 8 or 8:30 because I just couldn't take anything else. (Later on, when I have more time to post, I'll post a sample of my week, so you can see what I'm up against). I still woke up about 15 minutes before my alarm went off and just laid in bed. I refuse to get out of bed before 5 in the morning. However, when my alarm did go off, I was up and just lazily getting ready for work. I just have one more day of orientation at my new job before I'm pretty much on my own. Today was a good day. I am still LOVING my new job. There's not the stress that I had at the old one. I couldn't imagine having to go into that after the week I had. Someone would have been committing me to Terrell State Hospital! I was talking to one of my good friends on my way home from work, and she commented on how good it was to hear me still chipper and happy after a 12 hour shift at work. It didn't use to be that way. I was run down and worn out and over all in a bad mood. I'm not saying that there won't be stressful days where I am now. I don't live in la-la land (tho it might not be a bad place to be!). But to work with people who love what they do and really care about the people they work with really does make a difference. I was able to get a little bit of a handle on my schedule today, so I am feeling a little bit more in control of what is going on. I must get some sleep though because I have to head back to work in the morning. Take care, cjb

Completely exhausted. . .

I took 2 exams today. I passed Math with flying colors and failed Pharmacology as hard as I could. Then we had a long skills day. Then I spent 4 hours at the clinic. I'm just getting home and am going to go to bed. One more day this week and I can refocus.

Have . . . to . . . get . . . some . . . sleep. . . good. . . night. . .cjb

I remembered today why I despised Mondays so much. I know today isn't technically Monday, but we did Monday's work today. We spent 8 hours talking incessantly about oncology. The ins and outs of chemo, radiation, etc, etc. How to care for an oncology patient as a nurse, and their many complex problems. What a way to start our last semester. Yikes! It was so depressing, but so real. We did much of the discussion with case studies which incorporated the many drugs along with the type of cancer and other symptoms the patient may be experiencing. I found it very helpful (the tiny bit we were able to cover in 8 long hours). I hope all of my classmates will be game to posting their case studies/answers on our yahoo group because I know I put a lot of work into mine. It was well worth doing, but I only have a tiny, tiny piece of a huge puzzle.

Anyways, I need to start studying for my math and pharmacology tests that are either pass or fail tomorrow. I spent about 6 hours last night reading and still didn't finish, so I need to see what else I need to finish with that. I also have a long computer based hospital orientation to do before Tuesday, but I work all weekend. So, somewhere in the midst of all my other studies and projects that are due this week and next, I have to do this computer stuff. It supposedly takes 4-6 hours to complete, so I'm really not looking forward to it.

I'm off to learn math/pharm for tmw. I'll post more later! cjb

First day of my last semester

Wow, what a day! I am so overwhelmed, it's not even funny. I'm sitting here with papers up to my ears and books open everywhere. I have so much reading to do for tomorrow and really don't need to be posting, but I am. The assignments I have to complete this semester are just insane. I have a ton of work to do and am going to have to make myself stick to a very tight schedule to get the points I need.

On the upside, I love my new clinical instructor. She is new to the school and is so upbeat and wants us to succeed! She is really a breath of fresh air. I have a really good group that I'm in, so I'm really looking forward to that side of it.

Well, I really need to get off here. Before I do, I want to thank everyone who has posted comments! Ya'll really make my day! (And Aunt CJ, you might want to have that pain of yours checked out if you think I need to see it! :) Love ya bunches!!)

Take care all, cjb

Last day of freedom

I have spent my last day before school starts strangely getting ready for school to start. I had a few last minute purchases to make and had to get my notebook together and such. But overall, I really just took it easy. I didn't want to "waste" my last day to not have to do much of anything. This semester is going to be jam packed full of assignments and papers and studying and stress, so I'm sure you'll be hearing all about it ~ starting tomorrow! I must go pack my back pack and my lunch and figure out what I'm going to wear. Alas, my work is never done!! cjb

More website changes . . .

Some of you may have noticed (as my dad did), that I have been playing with my site! Well, when I changed my template, I lost my countdown timer. I have had quite the time finding a new one, but I think I have managed to find a decent substitute. Now, I know that it's not centered, and that really annoys me, but we'll all just have to get over that (for my dear dad's sake!)

Have I told you this week how much I love my new job? It is really just awesome!! Even today, after spending 4 hours in computer orientation and then going to the floor that was hopping with excitement from lots of procedures and plenty of things going on, I can tell that I am going to totally enjoy this new job!!

I have to get so much done before Monday, so I need to quit playing with my website and hop to it.

Before I forget, I need to wish my precious nephew a very happy 6th birthday! He is the light of my life and makes me smile every time we talk. I won't be able to make his Ninja Turtle party tomorrow, but we were able to talk tonight for almost 30 minutes. We laughed and had a ball! He's supposed to eat two pieces of cake tomorrow. One for him and one for me! I thought that was fair since I won't get to be there! I look forward to seeing pictures of how much he's grown since Christmas. I can't believe he's in 1st grade already. Time really does fly, doesn't it? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sweet Devon!! Pickle loves you!!

Love the new job!

I know I'm still in my first week, but I wish I could explain how different the two hospitals are that I have been working at. The whole attitude at the new place is incredible. Mostly everyone is truly happy to be there doing their job. Even though I sat through an all day computer orientation today (translate boring), it was still a good day. I have half a day of computer class tomorrow and half a day on the floor. Saturday is CPR renewal. Monday starts school. ARGH! Where in the world did my summer go? I didn't get to leave town once!! I worked myself to the bone, but did manage to find an awesome new job.

And now, I'm only 3 months and 3 weeks away from graduating!! Bring it on! Even though I'm not refreshed or rested!! I can do this. I will do this!! I will graduate on December 14! I will be a nurse before the end of the year! Please remind me of this when I'm down and out and drowning between work and school.

I'm off to relax a little this evening before I have to get back to the hospital in the morning. Hope everyone is doing well! cjb

First day . . .

So i started my new job today. Can I just tell you how happy I am? I am in a completely different environment and am so comfortable that it is amazing. Granted, I know that today was only hospital orientation, but I can feel the difference in all of the staff that talked to us today. I wish I could go into greater detail, but I'm going to keep the place of my employment under wraps for obvious reasons.

I also found out that I will be doing my clinicals at one of the Plano hospitals. My clinical group will only consist of three other students, so I think it will be a great learning opportunity.

Overall, today was a great day. I'm washing my scrubs for tomorrow and have to be at work at 0645 in the morning. More to come on my transition! Hope everyone has had an awesome Monday!! cjb

Another productive day

So I'm really starting to scare myself. Yesterday, I finished sorting all those piles I told you about in the previous post. This meant that I had to start shredding all the personal info that I really needed to get rid of. Well, let me tell you, this pile was huge. So far, I have two trash bags of shredded mess, as well as two trash bags and a paper bag of trash. I still have a pile of stuff to shred, but I think I over-heated the shredder last night. I'm really trying to get on top of my shredding so that I can stay on top of it! Then I just have a little bit more to do and I'm done with my sorting and filing! I'm really proud of myself because this was a HUGE project.

I've also been working on a baby blanket for a good friend that's expecting her first baby in late December/early January. (Very convenient timing, if you ask me!) It flows fast, so I'm hoping that even with all the stuff I have going on this semester I can have it finished in time for the baby. I have a good start on it. I won't post a picture of it until it's finished, just in case she's reading cuz I really want it to be a surprise for her!

I need to get back to my stack of shredding and my piles of laundry, so I'll join you at a later time! cjb

almost done

It feels good to accomplish goals, doesn't it? If you read my post from earlier today, you'll see I had quite a list of things to get done today. I still some things to get done, but all of my errands are done. I only bought one or two things that weren't on my list. I got a cute little pocket stapler to take to clinicals with me that was on clearance at the office store. I smartly stayed away from the pens and post-it note aisle!! Those are my weakness. At the dreaded super store, I remember my hair spray, deodorant, and contact solution. The only extra thing I bought was two black sharpies. I am forever running the black sharpies dry. I could have gone all out and bought the massive 24 pack of multi colored mini sharpies, but I only bought the black ones. I'm very proud of myself. That was a big step for me!! I also managed to get by the school and get my official name change on file. I'm finally about through making changes to being myself again. I have just a few more cards to change and I'll be all the way finished. My bank account and major credit card are changed. Those came in the mail late last week!

FOUR months and counting til graduation!! I'm seriously almost a nurse! I gotta run, more later, cjb

Getting ready

For what you may ask? Well, a lot of things. I start my new job in under a week and I start my last semester in under two weeks. I have a lot of things going on. Today I am spending the day sorting through the papers that have piled up over the past six months or so. It is a time consuming task to say the least. It is very overwhelming because I tend to be a pack rat. I now have three or four piles going. I have a pile to shred, a pile to throw away, a pile to file for school, a pile to file for bills, a pile for nursing magazines. I think you get the idea. And I think that's more than three or four piles. Many of papers from prior semesters will be passed down to help those behind me. I don't see any sense in everyone having to suffer!! I still have three more stacks of unsorted piles to go through, but I also have errands to run today. I have to go to school to get my name changed there and hopefully find out where I'll have clinicals this semester. I have to go to the dreaded office supply store where I'll no doubtly get suckered into buying pens and other what-nots that I love. My sole purpose there is to have my semester syllabi bound and ready for the new term. I have to run to the dreaded super store to get hair spray, deodorant and other personal supplies that I forget the other night while I was there, and hopefully not spend more money than I intend to! All of this needs to be done by 5:30 so I can make it to the clinic and give immunizations to unknowing little kids who are getting ready for school! So, with that said, I need to go finish getting ready!! Have a great day! cjb