I have 8 days of class and 6 tests to go before the Christmas break. I'm beginning to see the semester's finish line. I wish I could say the semester flew by, but honestly, it's been the longest 3 months of my life. It hasn't been all bad, of course, but it's been one of the hardest things I've ever done. And if you know me, that's saying something, considering my time as a houseparent at Mooseheart or living with my great-aunt Eileen! Although I'll have several projects to complete over Christmas break, I'm very much looking forward to a 3-week rest. I plan on playing with my nephews, petting my parent's cat, Peaches, celebrating the birth of Christ, watching movies, and only doing 2-3 hours of homework a day. A real treat, I assure you.
In less than 2 weeks, I'll be 1/4 of the way done with nursing school. I'm not sure if that feels exciting or depressing! We are still spending the vast majority of our time in the lecture hall. We occasionally go to the skills lab to practice, but we'll do more of that next semester. So far I've been "checked off" on several procedures, meaning I can do them on a real person as long as I'm supervised. According to the State of Tennesse, I am officially allowed to insert a foley catheter. Do I really think I can do it? Let's hope so, but to my first patient: my sincerest apologies.
We will start clinicals the end of February. We'll be in the trenches Mondays and Tuesdays, and spend the rest of the week in the lecture hall back at school. I'll spend 2-5 weeks at each location so I can gain experience in a variety of settings. Some of those settings include a prison, a mental hospital, a birthing center, a Veteran's hospital, and a nursing home. I'm often asked what kind of nurse I want to be. I have no idea. I'm hoping I'll figure that out during my clinical rotations.
Praises:
It's almost Christmas!!
I'm almost completely recovered from a bad case of bronchitis
I'm blown away by the generosity of friends during my immunization fundraiser. I still have plenty of items to sell if you're looking for a Christmas gift or two
Prayer request:
Motivation to finish the semester strong
Recall on my final exams
A relaxing Christmas break
