Sigh

I haven't felt like writing much lately, mostly because there has been so much happening. I'm so torn right now about 2009. Most of me has come into this year thinking "this is MY year". Now, there is also that small part saying "well...maybe not yet". As most people reading this blog probably already know, my first nursing job did not work out. (by my choice) After working 7 days on the floor, I knew in my heart it was not the right place for me. I left with absolutely no regrets, and now am searching for a better fit. I had mixed emotions about it, and although it was mostly feelings of happiness for standing up for myself, there was still a bit mixed in that I didn't succeed at my first nursing job. (I probably shouldn't use the word succeed, but I can't quite think of the right way to say it...)

There are a couple other issues going on in my life right now, but unfortunately, this is not the place for them. I know that they will be resolved eventually, but the present added stress is not so good. I'm trying to balance it out by continuing to go to the gym on a regular basis, which always serves as a mood booster.

I got together with my family yesterday to celebrate Mother's Day a little early, due to work schedules. I met up with my parents at lunchtime, spent some time with them, then went to my brother and sister-in-laws house. We went out to get a bite to eat around the same time we were hit with some horrible storms. My brother's house lost power, so when we got back, we opened cards and ate a Mother's Day cake by lanterns and candlelight. (it was actually kinda neat) I have definitely been blessed with the best Mom in the world, and hopefully I was able to show her how appreciate I am at least a little yesterday! :)

Ok...now it's REAL.

I am a nurse.

What a weird feeling! I figured it would be slightly strange coming out of school, but it is WEIRD! I landed a full time job and completed a 2 day facility orientation earlier in the week. I started the 3-11 evening shift last night, which means I just got home from day 2. (its now after midnight, which means a. I am usually never up this late and b. its now my birthday)

I like the facility so far, I like most of the people I have met so far, and I like working the 3-11 shift.....again so far. :) I think the weirdest things so far are.....saying out loud to a resident "I am your nurse", signing initials behind my name, and being in charge of the nursing aides. The biggest things I see so far that will take some getting used to are passing meds to so many patients at once and the documentation.

I'm lucky to have this weekend off and hope this coming week's orientation continues to go well!

YIPEEEEE!

I was offered a full time nursing position today and accepted! I will be starting my career at a nursing and rehab center in the evenings, with every other weekend on. I felt good about touring the place, meeting some of the employees, and in general just getting my very first nursing job! :)

Nursing Job Interviews

I have found over the last few days that interviews for nursing jobs are somewhat different from other jobs. I did a lot of preparation, expecting to be bombarded with questions. Instead, the directors took a look at my resume, cover letter, and references...then pretty much told me I was in the running. One director even told me that I presented myself very well and should hav no problem getting nursing jobs. (I don't officially have one yet by the way)

It has become apparent that the job crunch has not only affected the rest of the world, but healthcare jobs too. I asked the opinion of a couple of the girls I graduated with and they agreed. At first, we thought there would be a plethora of jobs waiting for us once we passed our boards...yeah, not so true. I do have a couple options that have opened up now though, so I'm just waiting to hear the results. Monday morning I will also be calling to follow up on some other resumes I dropped off.

I will say this though, I feel extremely blessed to actually be employed currently while so many others aren't. It may not be the greatest job or the job I finished school for, but it's a job. I pray for the many people that are out of work and I really hope the situation with the economy starts to turn around soon.

April Fools

Every year I go into April Fools Day very prepared and have prided myself on the face that no one has ever really gotten me...until today. I spent the morning filling out job applications, each time writing the date and being reminded it was the 1st. I stopped for lunch at a drive-thru, handed over my debit card, and was told my card was declined. I started to get frantic, thinking "didn't we just get paid YESTERDAY"??? I was going into my purse when the woman handed me the card and receipt and said "april fools". My mouth literally dropped open, I even told her she got me good.....I asked if she had been doing that all day, she said I was her second try, but I'm sure my reaction probably kept her going all day! :)

The search continues...

So, I was delayed slightly in getting a lot of my applications/resumes out, primarily because I was trying to write a cover letter that I liked. I had one all prepared a few days ago, but then decided it didn't sound quite right, so I rewrote it. I now have two envelopes going out tomorrow to different nursing homes/retirement communities. I also completed some online applications a few days ago, so now I suppose is the waiting part.

On another note, I have been consistently going to the gym every week and am actually enjoying it. I decided not to work with my trainer one on one (primarily for financial reasons), but I feel good about trying things on my own. Plus, I have a couple friends who joined around the same time, so it's nice to have other "newbies" with me. I was there this afternoon and the door was open on a spinning class...it still intrigues me to see that...the room is dark, there is some sort of glow in the dark paint on the walls, and the music is awesome. One day....maybe....I'll try it out....I think I have a long way to go though before I can handle that! :)

The search is on...

Now that I have my nursing license, the search is on for a job. The thing that is different about nursing jobs is that there are SO many options it may be hard to find what area is right for you. I have thought about going into pediatrics, psych, a nursing home, home health care, or a doctor's office. The thought of going into a hospital really didn't cross my mind, but I know it's recommended for a new nurse to do that for one year before going into their chosen field. So, I have officially applied with a couple area hospitals and will be taking my resume/cover letter by one of the HR departments in the next few days.

I am pretty terrified of leaving my current job (or at least cutting down my hours) to take on something completely different. I have been at my current job almost 11 years now. That is also how long it's been since I have sat down for a job interview! I talked to a friend (Zandria) who gave me some good advice about being terrified at the thought of switching careers.) I just hope that whatever road I choose is right for me!

Finally a SNOWstorm!!!

I love snow...being originally from the north, I grew quite accustomed to it when I was young. It has been quite a while since we have seen a significant snowfall here, until tonight! A lot of my memories growing up involved making snowmen, snowball fights, and most importantly, sledding. It seems we have about 2-3 inches here as of right now, and I'm hoping when I wake up in the morning, I'll see much more and get some really good pictures!

Also, some of my friends at work surprised me on Thurs with my 2nd cake!!

The NCLEX

This past Wednesday I took the NCLEX-PN exam. A couple people had asked me to share my story, so I figured what better place to do it than on here. Prior to taking the test, I had done my fair share of research about the test, including joining an online forum to read about other people's experiences. I have to say, some of the information was quite nervewracking, but the common factor seemed to be that there really is no way to prepare for it. I did purchase one book, the new 2010 Kaplan guide. I highly recommend it for the sole purpose of their strategies for taking this type of test.

Fast forward to Wed morning at 7:30am when I arrived at this building.



I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but walked in with 50% confidence, 50% nervousness. I went through the following steps:

1. Check In (consisted of showing id, giving proper form, and reading a list of rules)

2. Be fingerprinted and have picture taken. (total of 3 fingerprints taken)

3. Get personal locker and leave all possible belongings except for ID.

4. Go to next Check In station, present ID, be fingerprinted again. Have pockets checked, also have wrists checked. (no watches allowed) Get Earplugs.

5. Be escorted into exam room to PC. (You must be escorted in and out at all times and if you leave to take a break or use the restroom, you are fingerprinted again...I did not do this.)

That basically brings us to the exam. They are very strict about what information you can discuss about the exam, but we'll just say it was not what I expected. It was unlike any test I have ever taken in nursing school, not to mention school in general. I received the minimum number of questions, which for this particular exam, was 85. This told me that at that point, the system knew that I had either surpassed the level of competency or had not. I left feeling numb (the best word to describe it) and had no instinct whatsoever about whether I had done well or poorly. (weird huh)

The next 24 hours were the longest of my life. (good thing I don't live in another state where they have to wait 3 long agonizing weeks for results) I called a toll free number about 6 times before my results were listed on the automated system. I am a licensed nurse!!!!! I proceeded to remain in shock for probably a good 48 hours. In hindsight, the first 30 min were hilarious, I was at work when I heard the results and literally did not know what to do. I ran to a couple friends desks, then proceeded to call some family members. My hands were shaking, my heart racing, and I had a perma-grin.


About an hour later one of these was mine...





A couple days later, my family surprised me with this...

I ran over one of these today...

In my years of life so far, I have prided myself on having never hit any animals, not even a squirrel. Well, this morning that all changed.

Babies & Muscles

Seems something must be in the water, because quite a few people I know have had babies in the last few months. It has also been a string of boys...3 in the last couple months. This means great things for me...I get to hold babies and take their pictures. :)

On another note, it's been almost 2 weeks now since I joined the gym. I have been off to a great start and honestly, have never felt better. The only downfall is that I wish working one on one with my trainer wasn't so expensive. Looks like I will be on my own after the free 8 week program they offer. I knew it was expensive to work with a trainer, but didn't realize it would equal a pretty substantial car payment each month. (I am happy with having paid off my car in '04, not ready for another car payment yet)

Going to the gym is interesting, there really are people of all shapes and sizes at different workout levels. I've seen kids as young as 1-2 doing fitness activities in the kids area and people as old as 80. (maybe older) There are those in their fancy matching workout clothes and those in their old t-shirts (ahem...me). There are those running on the treadmill at 5+ miles per hour and those trudging along on the elliptical (ahem...me again). I'm confident I will build up my strength though with a little more time. One thing is for sure though, I have never felt better!

My Dream Gift

What is yours?

Justin

This is Justin, one of my parents cats. He went to kitty heaven tonight around 7pm. When my parents got him, I was still living at home, in fact my Mom and I went to the SPCA together to adopt him and Dixie. When we adopted him, he ran up and jumped up on my lap and started snuggling my face, which is how I knew we were taking him home. Unfortunately, that was only about 4 years ago. I know we will all miss him greatly!!

Memories

Yesterday I spent a few hours at my parents house going through my childhood things. I climbed up into the attic, knowing there would probably be a few boxes, but there were actually about 12. I am very fortunate that my Mom decided to save pretty much everything from the day I was born until my moving out days. I was able to go through so much yesterday, weeding out what I didn't mind getting rid of. (there was not much)

My favorite finds were my ballet box (I pretty much lived ballet from age 4-13), my Cricket Doll , and my first ever Fisher Price medical kit. I distinctly remember playing with this medical kit, but had to take a picture on my cell after seeing how great it looked after all these years!

Your neighborhood store...

I have a new friend at Kroger, his name is Leon. A new store opened close to where I live and last week I decided to check it out for some grocery shopping one evening. As I was loading my bags into my car, he came up and asked if I needed help, which of course started a conversation. I was so impressed that evening by his service and the store, I decided to email the store manager. (working in customer service I know that complaints far outweigh compliments) I received an email back from the store manager pretty quickly thanking me for my comments.

Tonight, I had to pick up a few more things, so I headed back to my new favorite store. As I was walking out, who was coming in with some carts but Leon. Although he didn't remember my name, he recognized me and told me to wait where I was for a minute. He promptly returned his carts and came back to not only wheel my cart to my car, but to insist on loading all of my groceries into the car. We then had a great conversation, which led me to believe we both have the same philosophy on life. You see, Leon is much older than me, but he told me that he believes in karma and that by being nice to everyone and helping where he can, it will come back to him. I try to do the same, though sometimes I slip, however Leon renewed my motivation as well. As he was walking away, another customer spotted him and called him by name. I knew then that this 60 or 70 something man would probably touch a lot of lives there in that parking lot.

Things to do...

I've been working on trying to get my resume updated, so that I can start applying for nursing jobs. Am I the only one who has problems with resumes? Even though I can use the "resume wizard", I just never feel like it's the best it can be. Am I thinking too much into it?

Yesterday, I went to a blood drive in memory of a family member of a friend of mine. We took her 5 year old son with us, who is insistent that he will be a doctor when he grows up so he can "give the whole world shots". I made sure to tell him all about blood donation, so when it was my turn, he told the woman that my blood would be going to someone who is sick to make them feel better. Everyone of course thought it was adorable. He held my hand and intently watched as the needle was inserted into my arm, he thought it was great when the blood started flowing, then he proceeded to sit down on the floor and watch the bag fill up. The woman said its pretty rare to see a child like that, most go running in the other direction fast. haha

Today is my 2nd Sunday off since going back to a normal M-F shift at work. I am loooooving it. I worked Sundays for so long (10 hour days) so it's nice that I have a normal 2 day weekend back. Hope everyone is having a great one!

The Circle of Life

I just arrived home yesterday after an unplanned trip to NJ. We lost a very close family friend who has been part of our lives since even before our parents were born. The services were held at the same funeral home (and same room) where I stood 2 years ago when my Grandma passed away. It was a very emotional night Sun.

Earlier that day, I went to visit my cousin and his wife who just welcomed their first child about 5 weeks ago. If you know me, you know the thing I love most is spending time with children of any age, so of course I was walking on cloud nine. When we left for the drive back, my mind started wandering...I had to transition from seeing the beginning of a new life to honoring the end of another life. It was an interesting shift of emotions.

While I was there, my Aunt surprised me with a graduation gift, a short train ride into New York City. We mostly walked around for the day and stopped for lunch at an Irish pub, and I took everything in like a little kid on Christmas morning. I was a little overwhelmed at times, due to the mass number of people there for the holidays. I also saw a taxi almost take out a group of people crossing the street when they weren't supposed to. I commented "that's crazy", to which a woman next to me responded "welcome to New York." :)

A great Christmas gift....

This past Friday when I accomplished one of my major goals, I knew it would be one of the best Christmas gifts ever! I cannot even put into words how it felt to work so incredibly hard for the past 16 months, then to have it finally pay off. I mailed out all of my paperwork a couple days ago to the Board of Nursing, so I have one more major hurdle left to get over, which is my NCLEX exam. I've heard all sorts of stories about it, received lots of advice, even heard about someone passing out prior to the test. I'm going to give myself a little break for about a week to enjoy the holidays, then I'll start studying for it. There really isn't a "best" way to prepare from what I've heard, but I have plenty of practice questions and flash cards.

Also, it's time to start a job search. I have already found one place that I would be interested in looking at. It just so happens that one of my nursing instructors from a few years back is a resident and put in a good word for me with the director of nursing. I have left a message already and am waiting for a call back to find out if they are hiring. That leads me to something else. After working for over 10 years in the financial field, it is quite scary to me to know that I will be making a career leap in a completely different direction. I guess it's mostly normal to fear the unknown and such a big change though.

Does anyone have any advice about changing careers or jumping into something brand new?

I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I have not blogged in about a month and a half....

BUT


I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!! I am officially a graduate of the LPN program as of 11:11am today!!!

WOOO HOOOOOO

(more to come)

Stayin' Alive

Did I ever mention that I love disco music? Oh, maybe I mentioned that I should have been born in a different era. Anyway, I looooove disco. So, you can imagine my delight when I read the recently published article about using the ever popular Stayin' Alive when performing CPR. I've been certified for quite a few years now, so should the day ever come for me to use my skill, it's nice to know I can use a fabulous song to help keep my compression rhythm going.

The funniest part? A different song, Another One Bites the Dust, was ruled out but not for having the wrong rhythm, but sending the wrong message to people. :)

I waited a long time for this....

I got a 97 on a nursing test.

I got a 97 on a nursing test.

Sorry, had to type that twice, it felt really good. For those who don't know me really well, you probably miss out on hearing just how difficult a nursing test really is. I have been walking on cloud nine ever since my grade was put online today. Not to mention, it was the respiratory unit, which personally I feel is the second hardest unit, following cardiac.

I also gained a lot of experience in clinicals today, especially in the form of IVs. The day flew by and I learned a lot, thanks to one nurse in particular that recently became licensed as an RN. (she remembers how it felt to be a student)

I have my balcony door open, listening to the rain, and I'm getting ready to watch a recorded show from this past Fri evening, Most Haunted Live. :)

Fun Weekend

Congratulations to my good friends Teresa & Kevin who got married this past weekend!

Um....Yeah

I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post. Trying to juggle nursing school, a job, family, friends, studying, and sanity takes quite a lot of effort. I don't even know what to say. I have been feeling slightly overwhelmed recently, but really I should be more than used to it by now. Currently, I am repeating my med-surg class, which is the final class I need to graduate from my LPN program. I'm looking into some options to pursue my RN degree, but haven't chosen one yet. I would looooove to be done with school mid-December, but I know I should go on.

A good friend of mine that I have known for years is getting married this weekend. I'm very excited for her! I am also serving as the mistress of ceremonies, which means much responsibility, but that is right up my alley. I've always like planning things, organizing, throwing parties, etc. Plus, weddings are just plain fun. :)

Has anyone ever watched that show "Jon & Kate plus 8"? It's one of my favorites, maybe because the kids are so darn cute, but maybe because I have always secretly dreamed of having that many kids. (won't happen now of course, not getting any younger!) There was also an article recently that they were looking for a new home pretty close to my area. Now, that is exciting...if they moved here, I would go to their door and offer to be their personal live-in nanny/nurse. (haha)

This is why....

I haven't posted much recently and it's because I've been.........reading. I have always loved to read, probably more than most, so when a friend recently recommended a book series to me, I decided to check it out. She went on and on about it and even showed me pics from a recent book party she had gone to with some friends. The name? The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I quickly came across the first 2 books in the series, at a low price I may add, and started reading. I got to the second chapter of the first book and was officially hooked. I finished the first book in a little over 24 hours. It was true when Rebecca told me she couldn't put it down and apparently she was not alone. I'm on the second book now, which I will finish in the next day or two. I will then go buy the next two books in the series to take on vacation with me next week. I highly recommend checking these out......

790 Miles

A lot has happened over the past week....first and foremost a good friend of mine Chris was in a car accident and thankfully is ok. I was so worried about him and made sure to keep in contact with another friend for updates (thanks Sunshine). Please keep him in your thoughts!

I drove 790 miles in the past week, going up to and throughout NJ. I had originally planned for a 5 day vacation to stay at the shore with some family members, but when my aunt passed away suddenly, it turned into a week long stay to help everyone out in any way I could. I feel that it was meant to be that I was already scheduled off work and heading up there.

If the week wasn't filled with enough events, yesterday's drive home proved to be quite a stressful one. I started out my drive and when I hit the Jersey Turnpike ran into a storm unlike one I have ever seen before. There was high wind, rain, thunder/lightening, and hail about the size of grapes. Needless to say, traffic was at a standstill with most people, including me, pulled over on the side of the road. The hail was so loud at one point that I covered my ears for a few minutes, the sound on top of the car roof was almost deafening. After about 30 minutes, it finally passed and I started moving again. Once I got through Delaware and Maryland, I thought I was in the home stretch, but fate didn't have it that way. I hit the standard northern VA traffic and was creeping along when a lady (a nurse none the less) started honking at me. I rolled down my window and she said my back tire looked really low. Luckily, there was an exit 1/4 mile away, so I quickly made an escape and pulled into a nearby Exxon. Sure enough, my tire was almost to the ground and there was a nail in it.

I looked around and there was a man sitting next to the door of the building with a backpack, shaving with an electric razor. I knew right away he was homeless, but he quickly came over and introduced himself. He looked at my tire and his next words were...do you have a spare? This very kind man changed my tire in the rain and all I had was a measley five dollars left to offer him. He told me that he believed God puts people in our path for a reason and yesterday he was mine and I believe that 100%. I will never forget his name or the kindness he offered me at a time when I was feeling run down and pretty desperate to get home.

Eye Spy

Friday I had an appointment with my retinal specialist for her to check up on both of my eyes after I have been having more issues recently with my left eye (the one I had surgery on). She said both eyes look ok and the left one looks stable right now. She did do some photos of my eye and found some fluid again, but last time that happened, it resolved on its own.

While I was there for 2 1/2 hours.....yes that is 2 1/2 hours (which actually is a fairly quick appt for that place), I managed to find some people to chat with. One of the ladies had a 2 month old baby who was born 3 months premature (which basically made the baby look like she had just been born). Apparently one of the doctors who makes rounds through that particular office now does baby eye exams, which is pretty neat. Also I observed 3 elderly people who had been sitting in the waiting area for quite some time talk for 20 minutes about what candy bar is best frozen...the winner overall according to them was 3 musketeers. It was a really in depth conversation.

Also, in a day where I am getting used to be calling m'am (am I THAT old?) it was refreshing to be called "kiddo" by the lady who took me in the back to dilate my eyes. Judging by the fact though that usually I am the youngest one in there by about 50 years, its understandable. :)

No Words

Guardian Angel

So, as I round the corner to the last few days of the summer semester (including finals), I had a couple special things happen yesterday reminding me that I'm not alone. I attended a close friend's bridal shower yesterday and went to visit my parents beforehand. My Mom keeps a framed picture of my Grandma on one of the shelves of her entertainment center. It's heavy enough that it couldn't move on its own and when you walk past the entertainmen center (its huge) nothing rattles. A few times now we've noticed that the picture will turn in a completely different direction and nothing else will move. Well, yesterday my Mom and I were sitting there on the couch and she looked up and noticed that the picture had turned the other way again. She said to me "look Grandmom's picture turned" and as soon as she said Grandmom, a loud bang came from inside the entertainment center. Coincidence? Maybe.....but I think it was her.

I mentioned to my Mom that I didn't have that particular picture of my Grandma, one that had been taken professionally in '88. She told me she had an extra and when I got in my car to leave, I set it in the dashboard, where the speedometer is. I started to drive to the bridal shower and had my AC on. All of a sudden, this smell came over me, like it was coming out of the vents. It was the exact same smell of my Grandma's house, particularly her attic. The only way I can describe it is that it has a slight smell of mothballs and just the smell of her house. It lasted maybe 20 seconds and if anyone was looking at me in my car, they probably thought I was crazy, because I was leaning forward smelling the vents.

I called my Mom and Aunt right way to share the story with them. No matter what, I KNOW my Grandma was there yesterday and despite not knowing the reason why she was making her presence known, it was incredibly comforting. I feel like my Guardian Angel is truly with me.

8 Days

The countdown to the end of the summer semester is on.....8 more days, then I have FOUR glorious WEEKS off. That includes 1 definite summer vacation and 1 possible summer vacation. Then back to the grind for 16 weeks, which hopefully will be followed by me passing my boards and being a nurse!!! (the light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting a little brighter)

Movies & License Plates

I saw Mamma Mia on Friday.....fabulous!! I highly recommend it, but make sure you at least slightly like musicals, because if the reviewers got one thing right it's that there is a song every 5 minutes. (don't listen to anything else they say though) I thought Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep were awesome...oh yeah, I also bought the soundtrack yesterday at Target.

On another note, personalized license plates with a couple's initials make me want to throw up. I never thought I would say that, because I too want to be part of a couple one day, but I would never put initials on a license plate. You know the ones I talking about......A*E & R*E (starred so that I don't accidently guess someone's license plate), UGH.

Apples?

"Sex and apples were the only thing missing from this buffet"....were the words a friend and I heard walking out of a restaurant at lunchtime today. Ok....so my friend thought he said "ass" not "apples", but I swear I was right! :) This came from a somewhat creepy looking guy walking out behind us.

The point of this post though is what I actually go to do today. As part of our leadership class, we got to go the Board of Nursing and watch some trials this morning. I guess you could call it a field trip of sorts....but anyways, we watched 2 trials before breaking for lunch. That was the end of our assignment but one of the board members invited all of us to come back to the afternoon case. Most of the students couldn't attend, due to other commitments, but I decided to sit in on it. There were actually 5 of us who arrived for the 1:00 session, but by the time they actually started at 2:00, I was the lone ranger left standing. Did I mention I didn't leave until 7:00??? I am very glad I stayed, despite the looooong trial and deliberation. It was a joint hearing with the Board of Nursing and Board of Medicine, something I found out later rarely happens. The case also involved a family nurse practitioner, who was at stake of losing all of her licenses.

Without going on and on.......I was able to see opening statements, witness testimony, examination and cross examination of the person on trial, and closing statements. I sat in the waiting room with a small group of people for an hour and 15 minutes while the board deliberated. I got to see the final results, which were part good, part not so good. I also happened to run into an old nursing instructor of mine from my CNA program, and after talking for about an hour, she invited me to have dinner with her at her retirement community to check it out as a possible nursing opportunity. :)

Good day....good good day.

A future journey...

Today was my first clincial day for peds. Although I would have really enjoyed spending the time on a peds unit at the hospital, I spent the day at a child care center in a junior toddler room (15-24 months). Anyone who knows me knows that I love children and focusing on their development today reminded me that I had almost completed my associates degree in early childhood eduation a few years ago before going back to nursing. I believe I would only have to take a few classes to finish, so more than likely I'll do that after finishing this nursing program. I figure I already put in most of the work and it would look great to have something extra on my resume, especially if I go into a field of nursing dealing with children.