thankful

I got my first gift from a patient the other day!! I was so surprised. It was actually from a family member. A little teddy bear, mug, candy and a thank you card for "taking such good care of my mom."

It made me feel like...yay, I don't suck as a nurse!!

by myself!!

I am on my own now!! I had two days by myself and actually, it is so much better. Everything is on my schedule and I do things when I want them and how I want them. I was terrified at first, but now...okay, now still kind of scared, but working through it. And I think I'm doing pretty good too because after my first day, two of my patients requested to have me again for today and one took down my name because she said she wanted to send me a card!!!
Also, in the cafeteria I saw Sandi and a group of med surg 1 USF students. aw, it made me smile so much because I know how they feel. I just told them to stay in school because it's worth it!!!

OOH and today I had a patient who was 100!! I loved him. All day yesterday and today he would ask me when he was leaving and I would tell him, then he would, without fail, say, "oh you're going to miss me!!" and I would say YES OF COURSE, and he would laugh or say, "No, I'm only kidding." lol. aaha.

Life has been absolutely wonderful since getting my license. I am set up with an awesome preceptor and I feel like everyday I grow as a nurse. I still feel that my heart belongs in critical care, but I have to start somewhere and I feel that tele is definitely the perfect stepping stone. I should probably be finished with orientation by the end of November, so I still have about a month to go.

Besides the nursing "stuff," everything in life seems to be falling into place. I moved into my first real apartment on October 9th and I've slowly been organizing and what-not. It is a definite work-in-progress, but I am young and I have time to decorate!!:)
Here is a link to a slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31987402@N07/sets/72157608602952647/show/

When I moved, I had a ton of help from Mirza's family and friend, Z. He gave me a lot of furniture, as did Mirza's mom, Alma. I am so grateful for them. Yesterday, Mirza and I headed over to JoAnne's with the intent of finding new fabric to cover a dining room set Z gave me. This was my first attempt at any sort of "re-upholstering," but I think the end result came out great!

What do you think?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31987402@N07/sets/72157608603296957/show/

Also, I never really posted any pics from graduation, so here are a few:

RN

I PASSED!!

I'M A REGISTERED NURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Nicole, RN, BSN

NCLEX

I take my NCLEX in ONE HOUR FROM NOW.


Results soon to be posted in the following days.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Graduation!

It's official!! I am a college graduate.
I survived nursing school.

Yesterday my graduation and award ceremony at the CON. It was wonderful and fabulous.
I am still debating whether or not to post pictures. We'll see.

I start my job next Monday. Tomorrow I am going to hit the books hard to begin my NCLEX studying.

I feel so proud:)

I graduate in one week! I could not be more excited.
My graduation begins at 1:30. Following that, at 4pm, there is an award ceremony at the College of Nursing. I am getting an award, but not sure for what. I think it's just for honors. Not just, but you know. I can hardly stand the excitement. I just lay in bed and imagine graduating. It's so cheesy, I love it!
My sister and brother in law are flying in on Thursday.

Words can not describe how happy I am with my decision to pursue nursing. Obviously, it's a wonderful career and I'll be helping people, which will be fulfilling. The other reason I am so satisfied with my choice is the security that comes with my new career!! Financial security will feel so good. And benefits? I can go to a doctor and even a dentist in a few months!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

cardiac

My interview went great for the Renal floor, but after, I headed over to the other campus to see what the tele floor was like for the position I was already offered. I loved both places, but I am choosing cardiac!! Ultimately, I feel it offered the best stepping stone into critical care. The other nurse manager was kind of discouraging me from going into the internship very soon, she wanted me to stay for a year. However, the tele floor nurse was totally for me going into critical care and said I should try as soon as I am eligible next time. I love when people are understanding!

So, now I just need to decide if I want to start working early as a "PCT-new grad" before I get my sit pass, or just wait for my sit pass and start as a GN. I will be paid $22.25 either way, so I think I will start early to start making money.
I'm so excited to be starting where I want (cardiac).
I need to call the recruiter on Monday to let her know my decision regarding starting early. I am eager to learn about my options, as far as 401K, benefits, etc.

I got a job!!

Even though I have three interviews set up next week, I received a call yesterday from the nurse recruiter at the hospital I want to work for and she said the nurse manager on a med-surg tele floor offered me a position!! I still have an interview for another floor, but it is med-surg with urology. The only up-side is that I want to work in Clearwater (urology), but the tele one is at Countryside. Still, I am pretty sure I will choose Countryside since I want that cardiac component!
I'm so excited to finally have a job!!!
I just want to sign some papers now to make it official

Done with everything

It's hard to believe that I am finished with everything. I still have an "information day" on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with my team and instructor on Friday at Chili's (bla), but as far as assignments? FINISHED!!
It's a strange feeling. I wake up and there is no pressure to do anything.
Technically, I should be studying for the NCLEX, but c'mon.
I graduate in 27 days!!

last day

Tomorrow is my last day of clinicals...ever!! I am actually sad though because I really love the CSICU and I had an awesome preceptor.
Currently I am still trying to get a job at this hospital, but census is low right now, so it's turning out to be a lot more difficult than anticipated. Damn summer-time! Meanwhile, I'm applying to other places just in case. I don't qualify for said-hospital's Critical Care Internship this time around because I would need my sit pass by 8/12. I'm debating whether or not I should go for it if another hospital offers me one.
All that I have left now is:
-Finish PAT
-Turn in my forms
-One "seminar"-ie meeting at Chili's with my team
-Information day.

I've already purchased graduation announcements, cap/gown, etc.
eeee!

Last HESI EVER!!!

I am so relieved!! Today I took the all-important HESI. The final one. The cumulative one. It would determine if I could graduate or not. We needed an 850 to pass.
I scored a 1001!!!
I am proud and I feel I can brag about my score without feeling bad about it because I really studied my ass off.
Now I just have to finish this semester and then GRADUATION
AND NCLEX!!

hearts

Yesterday went awesome! My preceptor is really nice. She has been there for 2 years and she graduated from my school, so that is good. She isn't able to take open-hearts yet (meaning fresh out of surgery for the first few hours), but we still had one critical patient and one step-down. I was mostly just trying to absorb everything, so I didn't jump in as much as I would like, but tomorrow is another day.
The coolest part was when another nurse got an open heart patient, so I went in the room for approximately 4 hours while he assessed/monitored him and tried to get him extubated. It was soooooooooOOoo cool. And this nurse was awesome. He was definitely into teaching, which was helpful and I liked. I pretty much stood there and told the patient to keep breathing and wiggle his toes to keep him awake so we could finally pull out the tube. I was just really amazed by the whole process. I never realized they extubate them so quickly. Before change of shift, he was already sitting in the chair using his incentive spirometer. I have a lot to learn.
Tomorrow is my second day. I hope it goes okay. My goal is to do more and if my preceptor has a stepdown/tele patient then I want to take him/her and be more proactive. Also, if another nurse gets an open heart, then I definitely want to come in the room and "help."
I can't wait until I just KNOW all this awesome stuff.

first day tomorrow.

In less than 12 hours from now I will be starting my preceptorship! I'm really nervous. I don't know why though because it's not like they're going to leave me alone or anything crazy with ICU patients, but I am worried about my preceptor and whether or not she will think I am stupid. Also, I am worried because I hope she is a good teacher in general.
Once I get the first day over, it will probably be a lot easier.

getting nervous!!!!!

I finally have my preceptor name and schedule. Now, I just need to pass my med calculation exam on Tuesday and I can begin preceptorship. I am starting to freak out just a little bit though. For one, June 3rd is the final HESI. We need an 850 to pass. I have always gotten above 850, so I have no reason to worry, right? Right~! Wrong. I keep thinking worse case scenario: Failure. And then failure a second time means redoing the entire semester.
OH and I keep worrying about the med calc exam even though I have never failed one. Why do I worry? Why? Because it's getting down to the home stretch and I am so close I can taste it. I just don't want to fuck this up.

Tomorrow, hell is officially over!
I'm sorry, but peds/OB was a total downer for me.
I cannot wait to get back into the swing of things. After my women's health HESI, I will be moving back to St.Pete to save money until I graduate and begin working as an RN. I CANNOT WAIT!!
However, I'm super stoked about preceptorship. I haven't received any information about my preceptor yet, but I know I'm in the CSICU. I can't wait to deal with adults and actually interesting things. I'm excited to begin learning things that will benefit me in my life as a nurse.
I just paid a crap-load of money Monday for KAPLAN. It's required by my school. Sigh.
I start my FINAL semester on May 12th. Until then, I plan to relax and have fun.
I need it. Truly.

I'll try to keep this updated for my final semester. It should be hectic and nerve-wracking, especially while getting back into the swing of things. ICU=scary, but I'm ready.

peds sucks ass

I am now on a two week spring break! woo.
Why two weeks? well, ever since clinicals ended, I only have class on Wed (and one online class), so I won't need to go back until Wednesday, 18th!
Today I had my second peds exam. I was so nervous and I studied MY ASS OFF. On the first exam I did horrible (76, but with questions thrown out: 82), so I was counting on something higher.
98 baby!
It covered so much information. Almost as much as one entire semester of med-surg. Evil.
But 98, ah. Feels good. And that is with no questions thrown out.

peds, ob, preceptorship, bla

I am a horrible blogger.
Nursing school is moving along quickly. I haven't even looked at my last post, so I can't say where we left off.
I am currently in my peds/OB rotation and lecture. Let's just say it is not my favorite, but I am surviving. My last clinical is this Tuesday because then everyone else will start Community, which I finished during the summer, so I am free!!
I took my med-surg HESI last semester and I got a 98%, which means I get to choose where I complete my preceptorship. After much deliberation, I decided on the CSICU. I had a good experience there, but I am still scared shitless. Part of me wanted to just choose telemetry to gain confidence and skills, but the other part of me feels that I have worked hard to earn my HESI score and I KNOW I want to be an ICU nurse, so...why not?
There are many fears though, like what if the nurses think I am an idiot because I don't know how to do something? What if they think, "Gosh, why did she choose to come here, she should have gone to MS, she knows NOTHING!!"
Silly, I know.