BSN

I did it.  I graduated from nursing school.

When I started an accelerated BSN program in June 2010, I thought it might never end.  Nursing school was intense, and consuming, and I did not love every minute of it.  But it ended...at least, this chapter.  

And I survived!  

(Actually, I survived quite well considering my habits of procrastination.) 

And I am happy with the overall experience.  I feel like I received a well-rounded education and had lots of good clinical experiences.  Now, whether or not that translates into being prepared to be a real nurse is a different story.

Dad, Grandma Marj and Mom - part of my fan club!

J. and I - he's been a good cheerleader.

The spoils:  Gold cord for honors, purple for Sigma Theta Tau International membership.  The pin and Florence Nightengale's "Notes on Nursing" were gifts from Alumni and faculty.

So Close Now

Well hello again, old friends.  I realize it's been a while since we've caught up.  I hope you've had a lovely fall.  

So I completed my Senior Integrated Practicum.  I was a little less than excited about my placement.  However, I had a great experience.  My preceptor was a lovely woman who has been an oncology certified nurse for almost 30 years.  What a wealth of knowledge!  I also enjoyed the culture of the hospital, and the other nurses and administrators were extremely supportive.  

(They even encouraged me to come back and apply for a job once I pass the NCLEX!)  

I completed an educational project about Graft-Versus-Host Disease after stem cell transplant for the unit, and really enjoyed both the subject matter and the research.  The night shift was difficult, but I learned to manage.  It's not so bad as long as you are prepared and manage your time accordingly.  It does require a lot of planning ahead for meals and homework (and I'm sure childcare and transportation for many).

The actual didactic portion of the class was less than fun, but important I'm sure - to cover the roles of leadership, management and quality in nursing.  What I am learning in this semester is that I am really not a huge fan of online classes.  I miss the connection with classmates and teachers, and sometimes it is hard to know if you really grasp a concept if you don't have someone explain it to you.  Sometimes, books and articles just don't cut it.  But then, you don't know that you haven't really grasped it until you do poorly on the exam.

After SIP ended, I decided to feed my creative soul for a bit.  I did no homework for a week.  Instead, I got a haircut (see above photo), I finished the thrift store dresser I had been trying to refinish since August, and I started crocheting again.  It feels good to relax and put my effort into something I really enjoy.  

I recommend a creative and/or active outlet for anyone going through nursing school.

Public Health is my last course, and it started a week ago.  My clinical placement is in rural Colorado, near where I grew up.  Although public health is not something I want to jump into after graduation, I do have an interest - especially in rural public health.  I know that it is very hard to recruit and retain qualified health professionals in rural areas, and that access to care is limited in many areas.  I think that once I have some acute care experience under my belt, I will probably be interested in doing some rural public health work.   Perhaps I will even enroll in a Masters or Doctorate program in the future.  But let me not get ahead of myself!   

By the way, did you notice the countdown to graduation in the sidebar?

Attitude Adjustment

Well.  It seems like a lot has happened since my last post.  I finished up Mental Health with a good grade.  I finished my 26-page paper one hour before it was due at 0700.  I took my final a day early because  

my Papa Virgil went to heaven.  

We said goodbye to his body, and gave thanks that his soul could finally rest, with a little memorial service with family and friends.  I spent some time at home with my family, praying for rain, enjoying the animals, losing all my pennies to the senior citizens at bingo, and savoring every delicious bite of my momma's cooking.  Now I am back in D-town, preparing for my last semester of nursing school - yipee!  My diploma application has been submitted, my financial aid is verified, I am enrolled in classes and ready for the challenge.

This week I finally got my clinical placement information for my Senior Integrated Practicum.  I was so hopeful that I would get placed at one of my top three choices, because they all have Bone Marrow Transplant programs.  Well, I did not.  At least I got placed on an oncology unit, but my 144 clinical hours will all be achieved on the night shift.  That's right, my old friend the night shift.  

Sheepishly I will admit that I was incredibly disappointed when I received my placement information.  It's not because the hospital isn't wonderful; in fact, I have heard great things about it.  I just wanted to be at my first choice so much, and felt that I would have a much better chance of getting hired there later if I could complete this rotation there now.  And, of course, I am not a huge fan of night shift as you might remember from my pediatric rotation.

When I was little (and naughty), my mom used to tell me that I was in need of an attitude adjustment.  Well, she's right.  I know that I should be grateful to be placed on my unit of choice in a great hospital with a preceptor who is clearly organized and experienced.  I know that I will get out of this experience what I put into it, so it's up to me how much I will learn from it to become a better nurse for my patients.   

Thanks Mom, 

I think an attitude adjustment is exactly what I needed.