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.

code blue!

omg, I just had a mock code at school in the lab with sim man. IT WAS SO FUN. But holy shit, we had a group of about 50 new students WATCHING US, LIKE AN AUDIENCE! How embarrassing is that?? especially when you don't know what you're doing?! hahah. wow, so funny. We saved the sim man life though. Stan.
The first time we did it, it was a mess and we were bumping into each other, etc. Second time was much better. They said we did like 435 times better than the other team who also had an audience.
You definitely need to be in good shape to do CPR and run a code. I could hardly breathe once I got to 30. Good thing someone else finally decided to start counting along with me!!

Yesterday I was in the MSICU. For the most part it was awesome and I am still sure I want to work in the ICU, but yesterday was a bit boring only because my preceptor's patients were stable and getting ready to transfer.
I was only there for about 15 minutes when this 90 year old called me over to his bed. He said, "I've been watching you....and I just wanted to say, I wish I could go back in time and become your adopted grandpa." aw!
Then this man just would not STOP TALKING. He seriously talked FOR-EVER. He kept going on and on about how life moves too quickly and how he loves one-on-one conversation. Then he was talking about books and he asked every single person if they have seen the movie Soylent Green. He seemed obsessed with this movie. He said he loved words and learning new things everyday. Seriously, I have never met someone so happy, not even for a 90 year old, but for a HUMAN. He was kick ass.
Later, they did an endoscopy at the bed side (he was a GI-bleeder/MI) and they clipped some blood clots that had formed from his billroth II (that is what I got out of it anyway). After, the doctor called me over and handed me 3 color, glossy photos of his stomach for me to keep. I was like, "Oh, is this my souvenir?" haha.

I also saw them insert a swan-ganz catheter.

EMERG-N-C

I'm in the ER tomorrow! I'm excited, but a little nervous. I hope I get to start a lot of IVs, insert a foley, and maybe drop an NGT. I have never had the chance to do an NGT, so I really would like to accomplish this goal.
I will post after clinicals.

critical care

My day in the CCU was so awesome! My preceptor was a male, which I have never really had before, but he was totally cool and you could tell he loved to teach, etc. We had two patients who were stable and self-sufficient, so he said it wasn't a good picture of his normal patients, but I didn't mind because it gave us a chance to discuss a lot of the going-ons of an ICU. Since I thought the ICU was a place I'd like to be, but I was still waiting until I actually went to know for sure, this definitely helped to reiterate this is the place I want to be. However, as I've mentioned in previous posts, lately I've been debating whether I should do the year MS experience or just go straight into a critical care internship program. I know everyone has a different opinion on this, but for me personally, I don't think I would be ready or safe as a new grad in the ICU. Another option that my preceptor brought to my attention yesterday was starting in progressive care first (step-down unit) and then applying for the CCIP!
For some reason I thought these internship programs were only for NEW GRADS, but I was wrong.
I think this is an awesome idea! The reason I am not so keen on MS is because I am going to school for all this time, learning all this neat stuff, but once you go to MS, you're just so busy that it doesn't even give you a chance to honestly learn everything about your patient and apply all the concepts we've learned. All you have time for is passing meds, dealing with paperwork, doctors, and that is pretty much it. The reason I like critical care is the fact that you have to know everything about your patient and you actually get to apply the things you learned in school. HOWEVER, in MS, I could get a lot more experience with time management, brushing up on my skills like foley's, IV's, NGT's, etc. If I can start in a progressive care unit with tele, etc., then this will most likely give me the chance to do all of the these things, as well as not lose all the crap I am learning now. OH, and the hospital I want to work in has a Progressive care course internship program!
I am worried though because I graduate in August and I bet those internship programs begin in May since a lot of people graduate then. I need to look into this.

First MS2 exam

I got an 88%.
pft. It is decent, but considering I stayed on top of reading and reviewing everyday after class, I expected a lot more out of myself. I mean, there isn't much else I could have done. I was studied out, but it would just be nice to see a grade in the 90's again. However, even a 92.4 is a B, soooo.
I wish I could just be happy with my B grade, but I'm not. I have high standards for myself. I don't want to know that I can pass; I want to know that I can kick ass and truly understand this information. 88 means I missed 6 out of 50. The average was 84.9.
ARGHHHHHHHHH.

Semester 3

I need to be much more frequent with my posts!!!

I am officially in my 3rd semester of 5 and things are moving along quickly! This semester I am taking Med-Surg 2 and nursing inquiry (a research course). The summer was good, but a bit boring, which explains my lack of updates. Let's see...
This semester is not as difficult as the previous ones, as far as course load goes, but the content is still hard, as always. I have my first exam on Monday and it covers Hematology and GI. I feel that my work as a PCT on a MS GI/telemetry floor has helped somewhat, but probably not as much as I would like. A classmate and I have been reviewing after each class, so I feel pretty prepared. Usually I am freaking out by now, but I do feel like I have a good grasp of the information; not that I won't be studying my ass off the rest of the weekend, but at least I know I can relax somewhat.
For clinicals, we only spend about 7 weeks on the floor, with the other weeks being filled up with rotations in the heart cath lab, Main OR, CCU, ER, PACU, MSICU, and CSICU. So far I have been to the cath lab and main OR. My regular floor is an oncology MS, but they pretty much get everything, which I like the best. Also, the nurses have been helpful and friendly, which is always great. The best part is the view. The floor overlooks the beach, ah. And when it comes close to 5pm and the sun is lowering, it looks beautiful.
On Tuesday, I was in the OR. I saw: right colectomy with hernia repair, a laproscopic gallbladder removal that turned into an open cholestcystectomy because of too much scar tissue/fat. And please don't hold me to the spelling because I am too lazy to look this up right now. Following that, a quick drainage of a breast abscess. After this, I heard there was going to be a LEG AMPUTATION. This excited me beyond belief. All of my teammates who went into the OR pretty much saw a bunch of gallbladder removals, nothing too exciting, so leg amputation? Pretty exciting stuff! I saw a stent put into an artery and then FINALLY the leg amputation. It was so cool. This guy already had a below the knee amputation, so they were just removing what was left plus above the knee. I was amazed by how quickly it was done. They just cut it open, and pretty much electrically sawed it off. The surgeon handed the stump to the nurse and he put it in a what looked like a bucket that you used to play with on the beach!!

So, I've been contemplating the future A LOT lately, especially in regards to what area of nursing I want to work in. In 4 more weeks, I am in the ICU and I honestly feel like that is where I would like to be. However, I have such conflicting gut feelings about getting experience first in MS or going straight to ICU through all the great orientation/internship programs that are offered. I honestly do not think I would be ready or safe for the ICU, but if that is what I want to do, then I will be trained. However, if I go straight to MS and then to ICU, I would have missed out on a cool critical care internship.
Decisions!!!!
I still have 4th semester, which is OB/Peds/Women, so who knows? Maybe my entire choice will change, but I highly doubt it.

rock this town.

You know what I hate?? When someone is alert, yet confused and someone will talk about them like they aren't there. For instance, today I was with a male tech and this one woman could respond (most of the time) to questions, but she was a bit disoriented. Anyway, she was incontinent of urine, so he and I were changing her bed and getting her cleaned up while she was still in it. Now, this woman will literally be smiling and then within the snap of a finger, she will look like she is praying and then BAM---bawling!! So of course, she starts to cry and I am holding her hand while he is trying to clean her up and he is just like, "Makes you look forward to old age, huh?" I was like..ha yeah, but I was actually kind of like...annoyed. I mean, this woman is exposed to the world (ok, maybe just me and him, but either way, no one likes to be exposed like that), she is obviously having some anxiety issues, crying, and all he can say is some smart ass comment like she isn't even in the room?
Seriously. I don't like that. Yeah, she may be confused and it is frustrating dealing with mentally unstable patients, but they are still human, geez.

I learned that coworkers can ruin a good thing. Like I said, I like my job so far and pretty much everyone has been helpful and/or nice, but you know how someone can have a bad attitude and it just irks you? Well, I learned to focus on the patient because--truly, there are some very grateful and cool people out there who are happy for your help. Of course there are some people who will never be satisfied, but if I just really focus on the positive patients, who thank me profusely for doing something as simple as helping them take a shower, then I think that will make my job worth doing. Today I got a page that said, "Raspberry Stethoscope is needed in room__." The male tech was like, "Wow, she must like you!" since usually it just says "Room__ needs bathroom/water/whatever." She said she was only comfortable with me! booya.