ONE MORE

So I'm not doing a very good job at keeping up with this blogging thing...

I meant to post this back in October:
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Ahhh so... last time I posted I was 6 weeks into the semester.  Now, it's more like 6 weeks LEFT in the semester (maybe 7).  Time is flying by.  I started my hospital clinical rotation at South.  It's a really nice campus, and I might be there in the Spring for practicum!  I had such a hard time deciding between OH and FH.  Two different hospital systems with pros and cons.  I would love to be able to do my practicum in the NICU, but more than likely I will probably be starting on a Med-Surg or PCU floor, which is fine.  either way, I will (hopefully) be learning alot.

I'm absolutely loving this cooler weather :)
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Now, today (12/10/12), I have finished my finals and my 4th semester of nursing school.  Only ONE MORE to go!  I have to say, it was kind of a struggle the last two weeks of the semester.  I had zero, I mean ZERO motivation to study for finals.  It's not that the semester was as intense as Spring, although the classes were just as hard (if not harder).  I'm not sure if it was the combination of long 11-hour clinicals 2x a week, plus the beast of a case study (25 pages) for Care of the Adult 2, among other things, that led me to having senioritis like I've never had before.  I got a B in Adult 2, which I'm kind of disappointed in, but I deserved it since I didn't study very much for the final.  Hopefully I was able to pull off an A in psych, but we'll see.  I think I can kiss my "cum laude" possibilities goodbye.  In the end, a bachelor's degree of nursing is the same no matter what GPA you have.  Passing NCLEX would be the really important part.

Let's see if I can go back and try to remember what went on this semester... and give a brief recap:

August/September: School started.  Had Psych clinical rotations with adults and children.  Ran around to different activities for community psych clinical, some of which included attending an AA meeting, an event for the homeless veterans, and a self defense class.

October: Started Adult 2 clinical at South on a PCU.  Don't really remember much else other than classes and exams. Oh. Kiara came to visit me in O-town for the first time :) We went to the outlets and Magic preseason game (Go Magic!)

November: Went to Gainesville for the Roueche wedding. Hung out with the Gville crew.  Good times :)  Had Adult 2 clinicals.  Went to festival of trees with Amy from church, tried Indian food, and went to OGC growth group. Took engagement pics for Jess & Ryan. Went home for thanksgiving, hung out with the family.  Conquered the Adult 2 case study with a 96.

December: Visited Farmor and Uncle Bud and Aunt Gloria in Tampa.  Ate at Backporch restaurant in Lake Alfred with them.  Procrastinated for finals. Finished finals!

Overall, this semester really wasn't too terrible.  Although classes were hard (specifically Adult 2) and clinicals kept me busy, there was definitely a lot more free time. Thanks be to the Lord for bringing me through another semester.  It's crazy to think that in 5 months I could be a working RN!

6 weeks into the semester... ALREADY?

So, 6 weeks into the semester and I'm now finished with psych clincals.  I gotta say, it was so much different from the usual hospital clincals. The differences? Well.

Number 1, the instructors were so LAID BACK and chill. It was great.
Number 2, we didn't have to do anything but sit around and chat or play cards with our patients.
Number 3, NO CARE PLANS, med cards, case studies, etc.!

So, I will kind of miss it, even though we didn't really do anything.  It was interesting to see all the different cases in adults and children, though.  I got to talk to people who thought they were god, or that their nephews were Lebron James and President Obama.  It was really sad at times, too, especially with the children, most of whom came from horrifyingly awful backgrounds. It's no wonder they have mental issues.  I think I can safely say I have no plans of going into the psych nursing field...

We also had to complete 30 hours of community clnicial, which included going to an AA meeting, yoga, different faith service (I went to a Messianic synagogue), and other volunteering activities.  My favorite volunteering experience was probably at Give Kids the World, which is a place for families to visit for free with children who have life-threatening illnesses.  We got to dress up and be a part of the Winter Wonderland parade. (Every thursday there it's Christmas!)

So that was a pretty fun experience :)



So far I've only had two tests, one in psych (98!)and adult 2 (88).  I have another adult 2 test on Monday and it's gonna be even harder than last time -.-  But hopefully with enough preparation I'll do well.  I hear that the exams get harder and harder.

OH! I have 2 junior buddies, which is kind of cool.  They pair up seniors and juniors so they have a mentor or someone they can ask questions or get advice about what to expect, or simply have someone to look to who's survived the first year.  It's weird, cause I feel like I was just there, but at the same time, when I talk to my junior buddy, I feel like I actually know stuff! lol.  We had a junior-senior buddy meet and greet yesterday, so I got to meet one of my buddies. It's pretty nice to feel like you're helping someone out :)

This past Tuesday, I went to a Rays game when I was visiting Farmor, so that was fun :)  I made it to 3 games this season, which is the most I've ever gone.  They're such a good team, but they didn't make the playoffs :(  I mean, they won 12 of their 14 last games!  Unfortunately, too little too late.  I think this was my first season where I followed them the whole year.  I've been following them for the past 4 years, but I watched alot of their games on TV this year.  I don't know what I'm gonna do now :) lol  I usually came home from class or clinical and turned on Rays baseball and did homework.  Ah well... I should get back to studying!

And so begins senior year...

Yesterday was the first day of class... Care of the Adult 2 bright and early at 7:30 a.m.  Hard to believe senior year is finally here!  I'm halfway hoping it goes by kind of slow-- I still feel like I hardly know anything sometimes.  At other times, I look back and see how much I've learned and how far I've come, though I still have a long way to go.  This semester will be tough, but not as intense as last spring.  The workload is lighter but the coursework is harder, if that makes sense.  We have more clinical hours this semester, as well.

On another note, my one month summer break was great.  It was nice being away from the stresses of school for awhile. Our fam was able to take a roadtrip for 3 weeks, going to Mammoth Cave, Fort Knox, Creation museum, Cedar Point, Niagara falls, Connecticut, NYC, Virginia, North Carolina, and Jacksonville for a wedding :)  I finished the break with a family/friends boating/waterskiing day on Saturday, followed by travelling to O-town and dinner at Contemporary resort at Disney (which was ridiculously expensive, but good).

Two semesters of undergrad left! Praise the Lord for how he has directed me and given me the opportunity to  pursue my education :)

I survived!

The craziest semester of college I've had (and probably ever will have) is FINALLY OVER... and I survived (passed) by God's grace. I still have to find out one more grade for my families class, but pretty sure I got a B.  so that's 1 A and 3 B's for the semester.  I am totally happy with that :) Couldn't have done it without the help of my nursing classmates, either.

BIG SIGH.  I can't believe it's over. I feel like I should be studying for preparing for something!  hehe.  It's going to be so nice to relax for 2 weeks before summer classes start :)  

To God be the Glory :)

It's almost here!!!

My first year is ALMOST over... soooo close I can almost taste it... I'm not sure I'll even know what to do with myself! (well, for 2 weeks anyway, before it's back to class).  Nothing to study or clinicals to prepare for! Whew.  We finished 5 exams on wednesday (family and pharm, along with the 3 corresponding ATI tests).  We have 2 more on Monday (adult and patho) and they're both cumulative :(  However, even that can't bring my mood down right now.  Found out I somehow got an A in pharmacology for the semester (thank you Lord!).  Dr. Howe did give us quite a few bonus points :) I was so sure I wouldn't get an A in any class this semester!  Also, I had a great day in the NICU. My nurse's patients were quadruplets. It's amazing...these tiny little miracles!  So cool! and the nurses were so wonderful.  I really liked it, and it's something I would think about in the future, for sure.  Now its off to study for finals on Monday... :)

13 days..13 days...13 days..

I keep repeating that in my head over and over... 13 more days!!! Ahhhhh! : ) Well, there's still a lot to do between now and then, including 3 more clinical days, 8 exams, and a TON of studying.  I spent the weekend at Farmor's, and got very little accomplished school wise, but it was a nice break.  Sometimes you just have to take a step back away from it all, then get back into it feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the the books!

He is Risen

He is Risen, indeed!

Went to church service with the Cubits in the a.m., followed by a fellowship meal.  Afterwards took a long 3-4 hour nap, since I was exhausted.  Now to finish studying for this exam tomorrow, VA interview tuesday, and another exam wednesday, and back to back clinicals Thursday and Friday.  Oh boy.  By God's grace I will hopefully make it through the next 3 weeks without having a breakdown :)  I am so thankful for my CNC group, without them, I don't know how I'd make it through the semester.   It's gonna be a late night...

Clear the stage

 

motivational boost

Soooo, I posted earlier how I was having problems finding motivation to finish out the semester strong... I totally got my motivation back :) by God's grace, got my FIRST A of the semester in Pathophysiology!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I may or may not have done a happy dance around my room and giggled like a maniac =D

Now off to study for Pharmacology exam tomorrow! :) :) :)

diagnosis

I have self-diagnosed myself with early-onset senioritis.  I still have one more month of nursing school...and I'm finding it harder to motivate myself to really study.  Not that I'm not studying, cause I definitely am.  I guess it's more just being tired of looking at textbooks all day long everyday.  After all, I was supposed to graduate t his spring originally :) before I got setback a year.

In things non-nursing school, I did go to universal yesterday which was a fun break from studying.  Too many people though.  I don't know if I'm going to renew my pass when it expires in September.  It was nice to have it for a year, but I had my fill of the rollercoasters there.  What they need a Six Flags in Orlando... I'd get a year pass for that :)

one...more...month

AHHHHHHH!!!! <<<----------- that accurately sums up how I feel right about now.

But, in other news, I finished up Adult 1 clinical before spring break (which was SO nice to have). When we got back to school, we picked up right where we left off...going 100mph. Already finished my brief OB rotation, which was an interesting change from Adult clinical.  OB is generally a happier atmosphere, with babies being born and all, compared to the cancer unit I was on before.  There's still depressing times though, like seeing the sick little babies or hearing a mother sob hysterically because she lost her baby at 39 weeks. It was fun getting to hold the little newborns though.  I had never thought newborns were cute...honestly, I thought they were kind of ugly lol.  I thought they didn't get cute until they were a bit older like 5-6 months.  But after bring around lots of them, I've changed my mind. They're cute lol. Even though they all look the SAME to me. It's pretty amazing that there as many healthy babies as there are...there's SO MANY things that can go wrong.  It's truly a miracle.

After doing this rotation, I could possibly see myself being an OB nurse, since you still have the adult nursing care aspect of it (the mother), with the baby added.  So, we'll see how pediatrics rotation goes.  I am NOT looking forward to it.  I feel like I'm the only one who feels like that... hehe.  In the meantime, I have 4 back-to-back-to-back tests in the next 2 weeks.  Gonna be rough.  Fortunately, I have this thursday and friday off!!  Is it sad that the first thing I think of when I have a day(s) off is :"Yes! I have extra time to study!"  <--Don't answer that question.

Almost...spring...break...

Last week of school before spring break! Patho exam in the morning followed by Adult 1 class... then straight to studying for Pharm exam on wednesday.... ahhhh well.  And we're starting OB clinical rotation this week too -.- [even though it wasn't supposed to start until AFTER spring break, but nursing school likes to mess with your spring break plans]  

I haven't blogged in awhile, so thought I'd put at least a little update :)

It's friday!

So, it's Friday night.  I have officially survived this week :)  Feels good to have it over with.  Did some work today, and have been relaxing for most of the evening, watching some NBA basketball.  Go Magic! and Nash! (my first fave player back when I was like 10 years old) and Linsanity! Feels good to sit back and relax for a little bit.  Tomorrow it's back to finish my case study and work on study guides for upcoming tests.  I found out I passed the Peds/OB exam.  I got the minimum grade to pass, 75 which is a C.  At least it's much better than I thought I did.  SO glad all the first exams are over with.  I feel like I'll be better prepared for the upcoming ones now. 

A fun picture that basically decribes my life at the moment  =)

It's been a rough week.

...and it's only Monday (or Tuesday, technically).  It's not going to slow down either.  Had our first Adult exam today, class from 11-6, then immediately after class went to the coffeehouse to study for OB/Peds exam on wednesday.  Got back home around 11:30, and still finishing up some of the study guide.  I have Adult simulation lab at 10am tomorrow, followed by another 10 hours of studying, and other things I HOPE to get to, but probably won't, like short forms, care plans, case study, pharmacology readings and homework, pathophysiology study guides.  Then class wednesday from 9-3, followed by patient pick up at the hospital, then school/clinical work til late in the night.  Then 12 hour clinical Thursday.  Whew. Counting down til spring break. 16 days. Aghhhhh.

Been listening to some Jimmy Needham.  Helps me feel less stressed. Reminds me that by God's grace, I can make it through.  I lose that focus sometimes and start relying on myself, and that's when I feel completely lost, unfocused, and stressed.

"If I ever needed grace"/ Jimmy Needham

sometimes...

sometimes....nursing school makes me want to cry. it's stressful mentally, physically, emotionally.  why did i choose this career path again?

And it's uphill from here

Well, we were going up the rollercoaster, almost to the point where you finally drop.  The big drop finally came last week...now it's a rollercoaster ride from here on out! Yesterday we got back our first 2 grades for our first 2 exams (pharm and patho).  Thank the Lord I passed both!  I wasn't too happy I got a C in pharm and a B in patho, but this semester I think I will just be grateful to pass.  Hopefully now that I know what the tests are like now, I'll be able to be better prepared for the next ones.  Adult 1 and Maternal/Family are next week... pretty scared about those.  Whew, well, off to do more work! I will be at my spot in the coffeehouse all week...

February. is gonna be rough.

So I was looking at my planner.... and I have 6 exams within a 4 week timespan.  Whew! Better kick up my game a notch, if I'm going to pass this semester! :)

P.S. I'm really longing for some mountains and hiking and snow... ahhh.

"Nothing to Say"

Studying it up @ Boston Coffeehouse! I love this place :)  Great coffee and food and good study atmosphere. Reviewing pharmocology... pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, and all that good stuff.

Listening to Andrew Peterson's "Nothing to Say."  Talks about Arizona and the Grand Canyon... ahhh I want to go back out west!

The little things...

Survived another 12 hour clinical!  I was super tired at the end of it, but not nearly as tired as I was last week after going 8 hours Thursday and 12 hours Friday.  Now to tackle the massive amount of work to do this weekend... I am really thankful to have Fridays off, though.  That makes my weekend SO much better.  I figure if I'm good and focus on school tomorrow, I can treat myself to taking some photos, play some guitar, and read some theology books on Saturday.  Welcome to the exciting life of Grace :) hehe.

I haven't really talked much in detail about my community and clinical experiences, but today I discovered the power of the little things you can do to make someones day so much brighter.  My patient hadn't had a shower or bath in 10 days, and she was absolutely dying to take one.  I offered to help her, and man, I have never seen someone so excited.  I also told her I'd change her dirty sheets and blankets and what not, and she just seemed so astonished.  To me, it was no big deal at all (after working as CNA at a nursing home, this was cake)!  She was pretty independent other than setup assistance. Afterwards, she was rather tired and worn out from walking around and showering, so she laid in bed.  I then asked if there was anything else I could do for her, and she burst into tears. Thinking that maybe she was in pain after moving around so much, I asked her if she was.  All she said was "I'm clean!"  In school, we learn about all this theory, procedures and skills, but really, it's your bedside manner that people truly remember.  It made my day and hers :)

Hospital food is actually...pretty good...

So I ate hospital food for the first time today at the cafeteria.  I was actually surprised-- it was pretty good!!! Lots of options and it all looked good :)  Today we had 8 hours of sitting in a conference room discussing orientation details along with the bunch of assignments we have to complete... e.g. care plans, med cards, short forms, long form, journals, case study, and pathophysiology presentation.  Plus all the stuff for the other classes...  I try not to think about all that I have to do! One day at a time, because it's a little overwhelming...

Getting up at 5 tomorrow for a 12 hour shift... whew.  My first 12 hour shift ever! Even as a CNA I never worked 12 hours.  I need to get used to it I suppose... Hoping that as I do these drug cards I will finally start getting back into school mode.  Mentally I'm still on Christmas break! :)

First day of clinical at the hospital

Ah! Tomorrow's an exciting but nervewracking day... first day of rotation for Adult 1 clinical.  I hope my instructor isn't too tough on us... 8 hours at the hospital tomorrow and 12 hours on Friday!  Whew, I'm going to be worn out.  Then I will be stuck in a little corner at a coffeehouse catching up on reading and schoolwork this weekend!  200+ pages of reading...along with all the weekly requirements of clinical.

My long weekend was nice-- spent it with Farmor doing various things...going to little local restaurants, walking in the park, helping out her friends, church, the mall, and Beauty and the Beast 3D :)  We were pretty busy all weekend long so I didn't really get much rest!  Already looking forward to spring break...or better yet, the end of the semester!

Praying tomorrow and the rest of the week goes well...

Back to school

Wow, my undergraduate coordinator wasn't kidding when she said we start the semester at a running pace.  I'm enjoying this first (easy) week and long weekend before the storm begins!  Pharmacology, pathophysiology, Adult 1, and Maternal/child care nursing plus the corresponding clinicals. It seems like there's exams almost every week! Don't forget the hundreds of pages of reading.

Lord, give me strength to survive this semester with passing (but hopefully good) grades.  Time management is going to be a challenge, as it always is. Well, hospital orientation and drug calculations exam tomorrow, then computer orientation at the hospital friday.

I'm excited for this semester, though, since I find patho and pharm really interesting.  All of the instructors seem good-- especially the patho and pharm ones.

After a month long break, I'm still in transition from vacation to school mode.  Going out West for 2 weeks was a lot of fun.  The scenery was beautiful-- Grand Canyon, the Rockies, etc.

Orientation @ 0800!
Good night

P.S. I learned a cool thing in pharm today... if you take grapefruit juice with your morning coffee, you'll get more caffeine in your bloodstream (might be using that trick this semester, hehe.) When you're on certain medications, you can't drink grapefruit juice.