Essays, Midterms and Finals...oh my!

We are halfway through our second week!  This week has been different from last week.  We were split into two groups for lab.  I am part of the afternoon lab.  The morning group goes to campus at 8am for lab, we have lecture from 11:00-3:30 and then the afternoon group has lab from 4-6pm.  Well, then it gets all thrown off, like tomorrow, when just have lab for 4 hours!  Good thing I have a detailed schedule to follow.  Tomorrow in lab, we will continue to practice preparing for our final next week of a head to toe assessment on our lab partner.  We will also be tested with our partners on our vital signs.  (could I say lab five more times?!?!)

Yesterday, we all received an email asking us if we had a carpool buddy (or 2) that we would want to be paired up for clinical.  I am lucky to have two car pool buddies!  It will be so beneficial to have two nervous, anxious students to travel to and from clinical with.  That was a piece of advice from the current students too; it was helpful to decompress with fellow students after a 9 or 12 hour shift!  It is so crazy to think that in a few short weeks, I will be working with patients!!  We get to order our uniforms one day next week.  Our clinical uniform will be white, leather shoes, navy blue scrub pants, a navy blue T-shirt with the school emblem and a white short sleeve lab coat.  It is quite an improvement, I am told, from the uniform just a couple years ago.  It is a HUGE improvement from the uniforms back in the 70s and 80s, which are on display in the school of nursing.  I would NEVER want to wear a dress to work in a hospital!!   A classmate also found a little shoe store where the owner has agreed to give us a discount on Dansko nursing shoes.  I love discounts :)

This week we have already had two writing assignments.  We have to prepare narratives based on the assessments we are learning and performing on our lab partners.  I feel lost and overwhelmed!  They say that is how we are supposed to feel.  We also have a patient needs essay to research and write up.  So, tomorrow, we have two written assignments due, a lab midterm, a lab quiz, a 4 hour lab, thankfully no lecture and then we have to prepare for our lecture midterm on Friday morning!  Whoa!
I am so glad my wonderful Erin made us a delicious grilled dinner.  Now I am full and ready for the few hours of work that await me.

Dear 16 Year Old Me

This public service announcement was played during our lecture on skin assessment in class on Friday.  I wanted to share.  It's pretty powerful and I am taking it to heart for two reasons:
1- My first cousins both had skin cancer in their early 20s
2- I am a ginger!

First Week

I survived my first week of nursing school!  Only 61 more to go...again, not that I'm counting.  It is now Monday evening of a 3 day weekend.  I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed all over again.  It, thankfully, is not nearly as bad as the night before this program started.  I have less fear of the unknown, and now fear of the workload that is ahead of me!! 

Last week, our Freshman year, went better than I expected.  I am more than impressed with this school, program and professors.  The professors are incredible, caring, supportive, strict and experts in their field.  It is reassuring and challenging but at the same time I know that they will help us all succeed and train us to be great nurses!  Our course was Fundamentals of the Professional Nurse.  There was a lot of information packed into 5 days.  Somehow, I got an A in this first course!  I will do my best to keep this up.   It was so exciting to know we are already going to be different.  We were told our friends are going to hold us to a higher expectation and we will see people differently( we will always be assessing!).  I already found myself catching a nurse on TV using inappropriate communication skills! I know, I am quick to judge after only a week into this, but I already completed a year of course work, right?! 

Our next course is all about nursing assessments, which we are told will become second nature to us in know time (aka we will be practicing these skills NONSTOP for the duration of this program).  We have a lot to read, videos to watch and practice NCLEX questions to keep us more than busy.  We have lab in this course as well.  We will be tested on taking vital signs and learn to do a basic head to toe assessment of our lab partners.  Let the fun begin!!  We started this two week course on Friday afternoon, due to having this Monday off for Memorial Day.  Our professor is a former pediatric nurse, which is probably why I liked her from the get go.  She also devoted some of her lecture to the mission trip she did last year and plans to do again over our spring break in March of 2014.  I am VERY interested in looking more into this and hopefully getting the opportunity to participate.  She took 7 students to Montana to an Indian reservation to help implement heath records for the kids.  I think this will be an amazing experience; and also look great on a resume!  We will get more info in the fall.  At that point, if we can afford to pay for the trip, we have to apply and a committee chooses which students will go.  More on that later (code for I will most likely beg for donations!)

Erin is home from her beach weekend.  Jackson and Aramis are beyond thrilled, as am I!!  We missed her lots, but glad she had the chance to go and relax and get in some beach time.  I am reminding myself again, this whole process is stressful on her as well.  She is stuck putting up with me and my stress (crabbiness), anxiety (short temper) and my absence.  My Erin is the BEST!

Off I go for week 2!

You Are Smarter Than You Think

Today, day 4, was actually pretty fun! We started learning all about vital signs.  Temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure and pain...oh my!  I had the opportunity to use my stethoscope and blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer...say that 3 times fast!).  Next assignment is to take vital signs on 5 of our friends.  Good thing I have wonderful friends (and an ever supporting wife) who will allow me to practice.  We also had our first experience in the labs.  They are impressive, even just at a first glance. The lab I was in had 10 beds and looked just like a hospital.  It was impressive and also, a tad overwhelming.  I will be learning so much in the weeks and months to come.  It is still so crazy to think I will be with actual patients in just about 6 weeks!! 

After lab and lunch, we had the education specialist who is our support person for the duration of our program.  She is specifically there to help all the nursing students (there are about 590 in 3 different programs!).  We had to buy a book called You Are Smarter Than You Think.  I remember from the Meet and Greet when a current student told us about this particular lecture.  This specialist would be coming in to teach us how to study!  I was excited and ready to take meticulous notes.  We began by taking some assessments to learn what type of learner we are.  I am a combination language processor.  This basically means I learn best through auditory and visual  language.  I think I should have someone here at all times to read me my textbooks while I follow along; it is the way I would learn best!!  The other part of the assessment told me that I am a spacial reorganizer.  This means I am a person who loves color and simplicity.  I am overwhelmed by all the words in textbooks.  YES!!  I will learn best knowing the bottom line.  I now have some new techniques to try when I am studying.  Concept maps may become my new best friend!  Finally, the assessment told me when it comes to retention, I am musical and body kinesthetic.  Reading the descriptions of these was like reading a description of myself!  This was nothing new, I tap constantly, have to have music playing and need movement while I study. 

I now get the opportunity to use my new found knowledge of my learning style as I study for our first final (and the end of my freshman year!).

Freshman Year

I am now done with 3 days of nursing school!  It seems to be going so slow!  Ok, ok, it's only day 3...but 3 long days it has been.  It has been emotionally and physically long.  I have had many ups and a few downs.  It has been a good experience so far.  I LOVE the professors that we have had, all 2 of them.  They both obviously love what they do, as it shows through their excitement for teaching us the basics.

Funny story: I sat next to the same two girls I sat with yesterday when I first arrived in the lecture hall this morning.  I leaned over to one and said, wow, day 3, it feels like we have been through more then that so far.  She said, "yeah, it should be mid June already!"  In comes our professor, grinning ear to ear (love it!).  She says, "Good morning!  You've made it, day 3, hump day...you are halfway through your Freshman year!!" And so day 3 began.

We had a second full day of lecture.  I find myself a lot more tired today.  I attribute it to the stress and emotions I have felt the last few days.  I have also gotten up and go for a short run the last 3 mornings (today was a little easier!) and I think the adrenaline and newness of this program has worn off.  Now, I am finally realizing, this is it for the next 13 months and 26 days!  Whoa!

Off to read and get ready for another long day filled with knowledge.  We have to bring our stethoscopes and a watch with a second hand tomorrow.  Sounds like vital signs!

Day 1

Well I have survived my first day of nursing school!  I am taking a quick break from the 4 hours of reading and reviewing I was advised I should be doing a night to write this post.  This program is no joke!

I am feeling very overwhelmed, but thankfully, a lot less nervous.  Maybe a different type of nervousness now.  I didn't sleep well, as I expected last night.  I woke up panicked a few times during the night thinking I was going to over sleep.  I got up at 5:15am and actually went for a quick run.  It must have been all the adrenaline I have from the excitement and nerves of the start of this program.  It was helpful, although reminded me of how out of shape I am!!  I think having this blog as well as exercising will help my stress and mood.  Hopefully I keep up the running!

I made it to school 45 minutes early.  Traffic wasn't too bad, but still a 40 minute commute.  I made my way into the lecture hall and sat next to a familiar face.  It seemed everyone was nervous, which made me feel a bit more relaxed.  Our program director and professor for the first course started our day.  They had us write on an index card what our major concern(s) were about the next 14 months.  We had very similar responses: How will we get all the reading done?  What if I don't fit in?  What's the best way to start preparing for the NCLEX exam? Our wonderful program director was very empathetic and reassured us all.  This program is doable!!  She also reiterated the fact that we all belong here.  The application process is a rigorous one and none of us would be here if they didn't think we could do it.  She said the only people left to convince of that fact was all of us.  We all had the opportunity to stand in front of everyone (again) and introduce ourselves and see if we could find a car pool buddy based on where we live.  It seems our class has around 80 or so students.  So far everyone I have had contact with is very friendly.

During our morning lecture (on the history of nursing and what is a nurse) I had a moment of clarity.  The last few days, especially last night, I have been so nervous but really couldn't even put into words what exactly was making me so nervous.  Aside from the obvious workload, 14 months of putting my life on hold, the time commitment, the long hours and the unknown, I felt like there was something else that was leaving me with knots in my stomach.  During our lecture about what makes a nurse (qualities and responsibilities and such) it all became so obvious!  I was nervous about the professors and how hard they would be.  Then came the moment of clarity; we are being taught by nurses!!  Nurses who are caring, compassionate, empathetic, thoughtful, respectful and who have all been where we sit today!!  How amazing is that?!?!  This realization gave me a sense of calm.  This paired with what the professor and program director were telling us gave me a glimmer of hope!  Maybe I can do this, maybe I am right where I am supposed to be.  Maybe this is a moment of confidence (until I go to read my 7 chapters required for tomorrow and am quickly knocked off my high horse!).  I know I am in for a wild ride, ups and downs. 

Ok, off to get cracking on my reading to get geared up for day 2!!

Nervous

It is finally here, the night before I start my nursing program! It is surreal.  How is it here already, but also, it seems like forever since I found out I was accepted back in April of 2012.

I am feeling a whole mix of emotions, but the main one is NERVOUS.  I have knots in my stomach and so much anxiety of what tomorrow and the next 14 months (62 weeks or 435 days...yep I counted) will bring.  I am hoping that after tomorrow, I will get rid of these knots and have a better idea of what this week will entail.  I am fearful knowing I have my first final this Friday...a final in 5 days!! One course this week and on to the next.  They weren't kidding when they said we start this program and hit the ground running.

What I have also felt in an overwhelming way these past few weeks, and especially the last few days, is an abundance of love and support.  I have such an amazing wife who is really the only way I am able to do this program.  Erin is behind me 150%, willing to do whatever to make everything easier on me.  I have to remind myself that this journey will also be stressful on her.  She is my #1 supporter.  I really don't know how I got so lucky to have her as my partner, best friend, wife and provider. My family is also behind me 150%!  They have checked in with me, shown me in so many ways how proud they are of me and are routing for me!  My friends have also been amazing!  Just tonight I got a happy little daisy plant from two of my best friends!  With all they have going on, they still took time out to cheer me on!  I'm so lucky to have so much support and so many caring and thoughtful people surrounding me.

Sleep will most likely be rough tonight.  I am wired now and it's 10pm, usually I am barely able to stay awake this late!  I have come a long way to get to this point.  Now is when the real hard work begins.  I am still not sure how this will all play out, which, I am sure is why I am so nervous.  I look forward to meeting all the people I will spend the next 14 months with and getting my first day started and over with!

Nursing school...here I come!

A poem

A poem by my simply wonderful, supportive, amazing wife.

Katie L, R.N.

 

Nursing school will be tricky, nursing school will be tough

With all the washing of your hands, they are sure to get pretty rough.

Make sure to use the lotion, use it all the time.

And when you do, it will remind you of this rhyme!

You can do this babes, of that I have no doubt.

When you are stressed, it's okay to pout.

Make sure that you study hard

Write everything down on an index card!

Coffee is the answer, you will drink it morning and night!

The "prof" is for your headaches, it will make you feel alright!

Energy bars will get you going, they will give you a needed high!

Tissues are there too, if you need a little cry.

Do what  you can do get rid of the stress,

Squeeze a ball, go to the gym, or even call your Jess!

Just know I am behind you 100 percent!

I am always here if you need to vent!

I will do whatever I can to make these 14 months easier,

I will even make you pizza, but my piece will be cheesier!

July 2014 can't come soon enough!

Just know you will get there because you are super tough!

I love you babes!

Love, Erin

Top Ten

 

A while back my fantastic sister gave me a great book, How To Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School.  (I believe the birthday before that she gave me a study book for the GRE...so practical)  I loved the nursing book!  I found it to be helpful and overwhelming, but hopefully, gave me a little tid bit of what is to come.  That book was based on a 4 year nursing program, so some of it won't apply to my 14 month crash course.  One piece of advice, which I plan to do, is to list the top 7 (or 10, or 20!) reasons I am going to nursing school.  Next, post this list everywhere!  I plan to have one on my night stand, in my closet, on the bathroom wall, in a frame where I will put my diploma, in my car, in my textbooks, in my back pack...EVERYWHERE! (Sorry Erin)  It will be a constant reminder of why I am going through this insanity, lack of sleep, hard work and missing out on a lot of quality time with my wife, family and friends. 

 

Here are some funny lists...

 

 

 

And now for my list...

 



Top 10 Reasons I am in Nursing School:

1. I want to be a nurse.
2. To have a career (finally!).
3. To be a provider to Erin and our future family.
4. No longer have to struggle to pay bills (aka be EXTREMELY frugal/cheap).
5. I want to help people.
6. I am excited to wear scrubs!
7. To have a flexible schedule (3 days of work then 4 days off...yes please!).
8. The freedom to have many possible jobs.
9. Not afraid of hard work.
10. Nurse Love has a nice ring to it.

Home Stretch

I’m in the home stretch before this program begins!  Maybe home stretch is the wrong word; I’ll use that when I am almost done with this program.  I have 5 days left of freedom!

I have been busy these last couple weeks.  Erin has a new great nephew that we have been to visit a couple times.  My parents and brother came to Philly a couple weekends ago.  We also just went to DC to visit Erin’s brother and boyfriend for the weekend.   Busy and exhausting; but all worth it.   Erin and I have also made some home improvements.  Erin trusted me to refinish our office floor (thanks to FE for some advice and tools!!) and paint our bedroom.  I find these home projects to be a BIG stress reliever and can now enjoy the new paint and shiny floor.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment, which is huge right before I start nursing school.

The emails have been flooding my inbox these last couple weeks as well.  Our program coordinator is on top of us making sure we are getting our “to do list” completed and just checking in to make sure we are doing ok.  Our program coordinator is amazing.  We had the opportunity to briefly meet her at the Meet and Greet.  She made a quick introduction; made sure we all ate pizza and then had to run to class.  Any time I have emailed about a question, I get a reply quickly and always with an answer or the means to find the answer.  I have been so impressed with the organization, support and friendliness of the staff thus far.  The current students expressed how much support and how the professors and advisors all want the students to succeed and they do everything in their power to assist students.  One of the most valuable things I have found so far has been from the current students; they have given us words of wisdom. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to write a few words of advice, and also given us their contact info to be available for any questions of concerns we may have.  One of my favorite words of wisdom from a student:

“BREATHE – just when you think you are at the end of your rope, the course is over and you have a break.   I know that this program is hard and is in such a short time frame but it is important to relax, take things in stride and don't let other people hype you up. If you were accepted to this program, you are capable of succeeding but don't let other people get you all freaked out about exams, worry about yourself and have confidence that you can do this.  Also make time to go out and have fun! Yes this is nursing school but this is also an opportunity to meet new people and explore a new avenue of your life, you can't work all the time!!” 

I will need to read this frequently over the next 14 months.  Deep breath. 

My anxiousness is, at times, overwhelming.  I feel the stress already, but I am telling myself to embrace this time.  I can do this.  I am fearful of the unknown and terrified of failure.  I am not sure how insane it will be yet.  I am not sure how I will get all my reading and studying done.  This will also be the first time in years that I will not have regularly scheduled time with kids!  I am excited and sad about this.  I have already forewarned my friends with kids that I may stop by to get in some baby snuggles, toddler high fives and play time.

 

 

To Do List

In the months before this program begins, the program coordinator has sent all the students an informative email with important dates, a tentative schedule and all the requirements we must fulfill prior to our start date.  I quickly made my own to-do list, as I like to cross off my completed tasks.  This list has included registering for a parking permit, my student ID card, getting a drug screening, FBI fingerprinting and a child abuse background check.  I am had to take a CPR course through the Red Cross.  (That was a very beneficial course and I learned a lot…this is, of course, after I got over the hilarious fact the two instructors could have totally had their own SNL skit.  Picture Cheri Oteri and Will Ferrell; add 30 years and some arthritis mixed in with bad hearing. They were awesome!) I also ordered my stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.  When I picked them up at the meet and greet, it all of sudden became that much more real.  I will be using these tools on actual people!  Deep breath.  Of course, all these little tasks cost money and it is quickly adding up!  I just received my textbook list for the summer.  Good-bye money and hello more anxiety!  Slowly but surely I keep crossing off items one by one, with just a few more to go! 

20 days until I begin.