Nursing School--week 7!

I'm officially half-way through my first semester of school. Isn't that crazy? It's crazy. We all know time flies when you're having fun, but it also flies when you're holding on with both hands to every scrap of sanity that you have left, trying to keep up with a bus that's running 200 mph.

Don't worry, I don't use that clunky of a metaphor in my writing. :) (I hope.)

Today was the last lab of the semester. In two weeks, I'll be having my hospital clinical orientation! I'm extremely happy that I got my hospital of choice for clinical--it's a giant thing in my city, one of the best in the state. And it's only about 15 minutes away from my house, which means no getting up at 3am for this girl!

A woman from my lab pod will be in my clinical group, which I'm thrilled about. We're the only two from our lab who got assigned together. Clinical assignments are across the board, so we're mostly mixed in with the 100+ students from the main university campus.

My sources say that I'm going to be on the surgical floor! *happy dance* I'll be there all year.

We took some goofy/hilarious pictures in class today, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to share them. We're not supposed to post pictures of anything related to clinicals/in our uniforms/etc online.

So. I have a ton of stuff to finish today, and then it's birthday weekend for hubby. He's going to see Wicked tomorrow with his mom, so I'm going to enjoy having some weekend time to myself (which no doubt will involve cleaning toilets and doing laundry--yay).

Next nursing exam is on October 10, so it's time to start studying!

We've started some major yard work this week, too. Borrowed the big tiller from my in-laws and broke ground for what will be our vegetable garden. Still need to mix in the soil conditioner and 10-10-10/lime; hopefully we'll do that today. As it's hubby's last day on the job (new job starts Monday!), he's coming home early.

I'll get pictures of the yard once we have all our loot from last weekend's garden expo planted. I sure do miss my old garden, though...

So. I'm off to do nutrition and put together a presentation. I hope you are all well and wonderful! Happy October!

This Week in Nursing! (week...6?)

Is it really already 6 weeks into my nursing program? Insane.

Good news, since I hadn't found out for my Best Week Ever post last week, but I also made a 97 on my first A & P exam. I'm irritated at the single question I missed--I knew it, I just didn't read the question close enough! But anyway.

This coming week I have my first lab practical exam, and I have to memorize all 206 bones and be familiar with many of the bone markings by Tuesday morning, as well as all the other stuff we've covered in lab so far.

Service Learning at the high school this week was fun, though I was exhausted at the end of the day. We took heights and weights of around 120 students over the course of the day (almost 8 hours). They were freshmen and sophomores, and holy cow they look little. Some of the boys I seriously couldn't believe were in high school. They obviously haven't hit their growth spurts yet...

We only have one nursing lab left before we start our clinical rotations! Eek! That scares me. I'll have fall break, then the GANS (Georgia Association of Nursing Students) conference, and then we're in the hospital! We'll be getting our assignments next Tuesday. Since our program is spread across 3 campuses, with around 120 students total, odds are very high that we're going to be in clinical groups with people we don't know, which is sad. I'm going to miss my little lab pod of 9. We've gotten very close in such a short amount of time.

Today we practiced donning PPE's (personal protection equipment), which included the bonnet, booties, gown, gloves, and face mask. I felt very much like I was about to walk into a zombie infection or something. All I needed was my trusty machete...

I've lost my ability to take naps. Even though I'm tired, I have so much that I need to be doing that overwhelming guilt consumes me when I lie down, and I can't fall asleep. Sad, that. I miss my naps.

I managed to finish the last chapter I'd started writing and begin a new one in the WIP. Sent it to another CP for fun, and got good feedback, so I'm still feeling good about it. Certainly wish I had more time to write, but at least it's nice and intense when I do. Right now I'm able to use time on campus between Tuesday morning lab and Tuesday afternoon class to write.

SO MANY TV SHOWS! And no time to watch them. I've missed the premiere of most of my shows already, caught a few new ones, and don't even know when the premiere of some of my favorites is, like 30 Rock. Does anyone know? Has it already started? *cries* I want to watch the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, but it's 2 hours! That's ridiculous!

I am taking some fun time tomorrow to go to the big garden expo that happens every fall. Since we bought the new house, the expo is right down the road! I can't wait to score some good deals!

So that's me.

How's tricks, sexies?

I'm Amongst Them

Dear Blog Readers,

   As you are reading this message, I will be hip-deep in high schoolers. Part of my program is performing "service learning," or community service. This semester I'll be helping a local high school nurse take part in a nationwide incentive to combat childhood obesity by measuring BMI's of students.

I'll admit, I'm a little dubious. Most high schoolers are taller than me, and I've been told I look 16 (though I really don't think that's true. Maybe 20, but not 16. I didn't have these boobs at 16, but I digress...).

It's been a long time since I've been around so many teenagers. Like, um, 2004, when I graduated high school? Yeah.

Should be interesting!

Best Week Ever!

Fifth week of nursing school rundown:

Monday: first nursing fundamentals exam
Tuesday: first A&P lab quiz, first A&P exam, hubby has a job interview
Wednesday: done with all tests! Hallelujah! Try to remember what it's like not studying for tests!
Thursday: Start to freak out about skills check-off on Friday. Practice blood pressure over and over. Hubby gets job offer!
Friday: Skills check-off! PASS! Hubby takes new job! Get grade on my nursing test! A!


Celebrate!

The last year as been kicking us pretty hard, so it actually feels weird to have this much happiness in one week, but I can't complain! The weather is cooling, the cards are in our favor, and I'm downright happy, guys.

I also managed to finishing writing a chapter in my WIP! It was awesome and made me realize that I definitely need to keep writing time in my schedule.

Lost a girl out of my program because she broke her foot. I'm already accident-prone, so this really freaked me out. I'm going to be uber-careful not to put myself in willing casualty-zone, because I really can't afford to drop out of the program due to an injury. Note to self: save injuries for May.

Hoping to do some much-needed yard work this lovely weekend.

Also, I saw this picture and thought it was widely applicable:

Nursing School--week 4

Took my first nursing fundamentals exam this morning, after pretty solid studying for several days prior. Nursing tests are formatted after the NCLEX, which is the licensing exam we have to take in order to be able to practice. NCLEX is all about the critical thinking, and not so much about hard-and-fast technical facts.

I'm good at technical facts. The critical thinking style is going to take some practice.

That being said, I still feel like I did pretty well, and after discussing the iffy questions with classmates afterward, I feel slightly better. I'm sure I passed, but I always want an A, which only allows for missing 5 questions. I know for sure I missed 1 question, but I guess I'll see in a few days...

Tomorrow is my first A&P exam, which should be more hard & fast. I'm feeling pretty good about it too, and I have all day to study as well as tomorrow morning/early afternoon.

The best thing about having the first tests under my belt is that I now have a better idea of how I need to approach studying in the future. I think I'm going to be able to structure my days better in terms to keeping up with homework and still having some free time.

I'm desperate for some free time. It feels like lately, every moment that I'm not studying I'm either exercising, doing necessary house work, or running errands.

I'm determined to work some writing time into my schedule, just so I can feel a little more in tune with myself. Nursing school has already consumed me so much that glancing over all the posts and Blogger and Twitter, and seeing how they're all about writing, already feels odd. For so long my world was focused on writing, and now it's so not that it seems microscopic in retrospect. Funny how things easily become consuming.

Anyway. Right now I have three kitties demanding food and love and such, and I've got the bad shakes from too much coffee and not enough food.

But today's goal is to try to write at least a few hundred words. And get outside! Our weather has been phenomenal since Lee breezed through, and I'm hoping fall is here to stay!

In passing!

Somehow I managed to gain more followers during my silence! You guys are the best, and one day I hope to be able to visit you all--maybe Christmas?

I missed my 3rd Week of Nursing School post, because my body decided this past weekend would be a great time to try to get sick. Fortunately, with the aid of orange juice, Zyrtec, and Benadryl, I managed to will it mostly away.

Next week is my first Hell Week. I have my first nursing unit test on Monday, first lab test on Tuesday, as well as my first unit A & P test on Tuesday, then that Friday I'll have my official skills checkoff. I've already made 300 flashcards and still have more to go.

Just for the record, though, I am loving it. Seriously, this was the best decision I've made in a long time.

I'm also becoming even more of a nutrition nut, so I feel duty bound to tell you not to smoke and to check out this website for your health-related interests and needs: Healthfinder.

Last Thursday I went to the health center to see a NP about my leg, which has been killing me. As I suspected, she said shin splints, told me to ice and stop running. I did for a few days, but today I went back out and felt pretty good, and in no small part because the weather is drizzly and 65 degrees.

My brother is trying to convince me to run a 6k on October 22. This would be my first race, and I was kinda thinking a 5k to start out, but it's only 3/4 mile longer. I dunno. I'm still training, though I've made leaps and bounds of improvement, and it's still 6 weeks away. I'm thinking about it...

I hope the weather is treating you all nicely. We got rain for the first time in at least a month, and it's amazing! Some tornadoes hit the metro-Atlanta area, but doesn't look like it was too terribly bad, though I know from experience that any tornado is a bad tornado.

So.

And though I don't usually speak about things like this, because I don't believe in judging or making people feel bad, I do strongly support breast cancer awareness. So if you're familiar with the Facebook "game" relating to breast cancer, or not, check out this link.