I've got a feelin'....

You know that feeling you get right before you're about to do something you've been waiting FOREVER to do....those butterflies....the anxious anticipation.....the googling of EVERYTHING related to the topic of adventure.....well that's the kinda feelin I have as I anxiously await the first day of the clinical portion of nursing school.

 Shit's about to get real....and I'm stoked! 

Disclaimer: This post is about to get uber cheesy and uber nurse "moto" --- Sorry but if I don't do it now...my moment will have eluded me and I can't bypass a chance to be a super nerd.

Every night as I lay in bed I can't help but have images of IV starting, needles, blood, and emergency situations dancing in my head. I've "liked" every nursing page possible on Facebook and am loving every minute of reading advice and words of wisdom from those who have come before me. I can't help but feeling like I'm about to truly enter a profession where my future co-workers share my passion...and that my friends is a WONDERFUL feeling.

One of my fav readings so far is this article about new nurses.
As I read peoples comments and experiences....I can't help but wonder if I will feel these things. I know my experience will be different than some when it comes to certain "firsts" because I've already had a lot of "firsts" at the hospital. I can't help but be thankful for all the desensitization I've experienced/witnessed over the past year and a half (who would have thought I would have ever said I'm thankful for poop/vomit/other forms of defecation)....as I now how more room on my board for other things....hopefully leaving room for a little less of those overwhelming "I want to cry" experiences (I've had those too and they really suck).



The more I read, the more I Google, the more I want to be the best nursing student/future nurse I can be. I can't wait to hit the books this year...and hopefully practice and master a few of my skills on friends and consenting loved ones.

Get ready for more future nurse cartoons and all things nursing reading material...

I've got the nursing school back to school bug!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

To say this journey has been a struggle would be the understatement of the CENTURY! What I thought would take a year or two tops....has now turned into a 3 year affair....but FINALLY there is a light at the end of the tunnel....and I'm hoping it's not a freight train.

Today I think back on when this whole adventure first began....it was quite the leap of faith. But I jumped...with both feet...into the unknown...and all I can think is.....I'm so glad David held my hand and jumped with me.
In the beginning my future looked bright....I was FINALLY doing something I knew down to my very core I was meant to do. But slowly things began to dim as road blocks were put in my path. I needed this class, and that class, and this class I needed didn't even exist yet but I needed it to move forward....soooo many confusing options and alternatives as the career of nursing itself is changing...and I couldn't help but feel caught in the middle. There were so many detours to take....and there were so many times I wondered if I took a wrong turn. But today I've reclaimed that feeling that what I'm doing is what I'm meant to be doing.....and I'm ready for this next chapter that I've waited what seems like an eternity for!


I've mentioned in previous posts about possibly trying to transfer to Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids (about 30 min away) .... I wondered if it was silly for me to transfer yet again to another university....but I finally said screw it...I don't care what people think....I don't care how ridiculous my path looks on paper....it's my path to make...and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get to where I want to be.
So I met with the head of the nursing program there today (who also advises students) and let me just start by saying it was like NIGHT and DAY!!!! I wanted to scream it from the roof tops: FINALLY a program that made SENSE....lead by a woman who KNEW what she was talking about....who didn't leave me guessing and choosing....she wrote it out on a piece of paper in black and white....here it is...take it or leave it.
She wrote out my whole entire schedule....starting this fall (as in August 31st...3 weeks from today) with my first clinical class and a few online classes....all the way through until my pending graduation December 2013. She also gave me a bunch of paperwork detailing the classes and other things I have to do to get my ducks in a row (health forms, comps I have to complete, uniform order forms...etc.). By the time our appointment was over she showed me their Sim Lab, walked me out, and I had to fight every urge in my body to hug this woman with every ounce of strength I had. I practically RAN to my car to squeal with delight like a little 5 year old school girl. FINALLY there is an end to what has been one hell of a ride!

I went into this meeting with very low expectations....and by low I mean none. By the time I had arrived I pretty much had convinced myself that we'd probably be moving back to South Carolina when our lease was up having failed at this whole endeavor. It just seemed in my head like my whole nursing career as a student was stalled out over the most boring part of the whole major....pre-reqs....I'm over them. If I never have to hear the word pre-requisite again it would be too soon... I'm ready to dive in to the good stuff. I didn't want to get my hopes up again like I had done in the past....thinking that I'd finally be done with the pre-nursing material only to be hit with more classes to take before I could advance. Even still, as I pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, I can't help but think this somehow will all fall through and I'll wake up tomorrow with shattered dreams. For now I'm on my quest to make this more real...I've signed up for registration/orientation Tuesday at noon...and I'm placing my order for my uniform as soon as this blog post of glee is finished.

I'm ready to get this ball rolling again...and get this show back on the road....cross your fingers for a wonderful year of travel weather! 

Destination BSN here I come!

ETA: December 2013!