Who Am I? Well, I'm still figuring that one out...

When I think back to our very first day of nursing school, I remember thinking "there is no way I can do this" I was completely terrified of the great unknown we were all jumping into.  Now, we are less than a week away from the end of the first semester of nursing school and I think most have us are different people than we were 16 weeks ago.  I think nursing school has changed our view points on many different aspects of our lives.  I know being in nursing school has made me one of the biggest stress baskets of all time and I am constantly having mini breakdowns, and it has definitely made me appreciate the little things in life such as naps HA!  Throughout this first semester of nursing school I have definitely been finding out I am stronger and more determined than I thought I was the first day of our nursing classes.  I am the type of person who is very scared and intimidated of the unknown, I like to know what is going to happen, when it's going to happen, how it's going to happen, and what the end result is before it EVEN happens.  I absolutely despise not knowing what is going to happen next.  Our whole first semester has been a complete up and down rollercoaster of emotions, I never knew I could switch from complete joy to stress so fast in my life.  But, I think the amount of stress and emotions we constantly go through during the program is what will make us great nurses in the long run because that is what nursing is all about.  Rolling with the punches to save lives and never knowing what is going to happen or what the result is going to be.  During these quick 17 weeks I have learned to adapt to stress, crazy emotions, crazy hours, and what ever else happens to come my way during nursing school.  So who am I now compared to who I was 17 weeks ago?  Well I think I am still trying to truly figure that out, but I know I am a woman of God who has been called to serve others and I am going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.  I am not the type of person who will just give up on my dreams because they seem unattainable, I will keep pushing through the circumstances with the support of my new found family, all of my fellow nursing students! We have all seen each other at our best and worst this semester and we all continue to love and support each other!  We have all become such strong willed individuals and we will continue to persevere through these next 3 years together! :)

 

'Tis the season to be thankful!

What am I thankful for? Well, when I think of everything that I am thankful for in my life there are so many different things that come to mind.  The most important thing to me is my family.  My family is my support system, especially during this tough time in my life during nursing school. 

 

One of the most important people in my life is my mom she is mom.  She has been my rock and my best friend growing up.  Growing up it was just her & I, and we did not have an easy road.  There was many ups and downs, but she always pushed herself to the limits and made sure we had food on the table and a roof over our head.  My mother has shown me what it is to be strong and independent and when I am older I hope that I am half the woman that she has always managed to be.  Although I did not have as much as other kids growing up and I didn't always have the opportunities to do things that other kids did, I had the love and support of my mother and that is something I will always be thankful for.  I couldn't have the material things I thought I needed, but I had love and care and compassion from someone who made me their whole entire world.

 

(My mom, me, and my uncle Mike)

Up until I was 18 years old I did not know the rest of my family.  Within the past four years I have gained a relationship with my father who left when I was four years old, my two step brothers, and my two step sisters.  In addition to step brothers and step sisters I have also had the chance to witness my nieces grow up.  Growing up as an only child basically, I never imagined I would have the chance to come to know my other siblings and my nieces.  The bond between us all is very strong and we all treat eachother as we are full blooded siblings because to us family is family, bottom line.

 

(My sisters, sister-in-laws, and nieces)

 

(My baby sister Elizabeth)

(My cousin Breann & I)

Although I have so many things to be thankful for such as my job, a roof over my head, amazing friends, and the opportunity to be blessed as being accepted into the nursing program at CBU, the most important and valuable thing to me is each and everyone of my family members, because without their love and support there is no saying where I would be at this point in my life and there is no saying what type of person I would be without them.  I am beyond thankful and blessed to have such amazing people in my support system and I am lucky enough to call them my family!

 

(My dad, baby sister Elizabeth, and I)

(My nieces Lacy, Lexa, and Haylee)

 (My niece Haylee)

 

 

 

 

let the stress begin! :)

Welcome to nursing school - let the stress begin!

 

(Image courtesy of: cafepress.com)

I think many of us have shared many of the same emotions during our first few weeks of nursing school: happiness, excitement, exhaustion, anxiety, and STRESS! This is going to be our life for the next three years, and to think this is just the beginning.  We will think there are times when we can't do it, but just remember that we CAN and we WILL! :)

 (Image courtesy of: someecards.com)

 

 

STRESS  What exactly is it you ask!? Well if you were to ask a nursing student four weeks into the program they would probably describe is along the lines of: endless reading assignments, workbook activities for your reading assignments, quizzes, tests, more quizzes and tests, clinicals, videos, making time for skills lab, making time to meet with your mentor, trying to find time to study, eat, sleep and somehow trying to maintain relationships with our families and friends.  This is just touching on the basics of first semester.  For most of us this is overwhelming and we are still, four weeks in, trying to figure our how to prioritize and get all of our assignments done so we can be sure to maintain a 75% average to ensure we move onto our next semester.  While we are trying to figure out how we are going to survive, we all know we are in school because we have been called to be the hands and feet of God and serve for him in the medical field.  According to Medical news today stress is when we feel that everything seems to have become too much, and we are overloaded and wondering if we can cope with the pressures that are placed upon us.  I think that all of us felt overloaded during our first week of classes. 

(images courtesy of: quickmeme.com)

HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS and SURVIVE nursing school!!! We all have different ways of coping with stress in order to be successful.  Below I am going to list a few of my recommendations that I am implementing into my lifestyle, so that I make it through the semester.

 

1. Get organized: I have always considered myself a rather organized person but the last four weeks I have had to change my organizing up a bit.  I recommend printing out the master calendar for all of our courses and writing all of the dates out on a big wall calendar.  This way you know what is due for the week and it is always on your wall to be a constant reminder.  Also, I have a white board that I write all of the important due dates on in big red dates, that way I do not miss any dates and I give myself plenty of time to get the assignments done.  In addition to a wall calendar and whiteboard I also carry my personal size planner with me everyday.  That way any important announcements or reminders that are made in class I can be sure to write down on a calendar that is with me everyday.  Organizing dates and assignments is key to being successful in courses.
2. Prioritize: In addition to getting organized, its also important to prioritize the assignments and readings.  Many of us have jobs so we try to balance both school, studying, and work so it is important to make sure we get the important assignments done and out of the way before we leave to work for the night or decide to make plans and go out. On the days we are not on campus for class I break the reading sections up to read on certain days.  Then I be sure to get any online assignments completed, and then go on to read assigned chapters.  Prioritizing and organizing go hand in hand to help with course success.
3. Take care of your body: I have found that taking care of my health and body is helping me cope with the stress piling up in nursing school.  It may seem silly as a coping mechanism but it is helping in the long run.  With our long hours of school and assignments it is making many students exhausted and run down.  If you eat a balanced healthy diet, go to the gym or do physical activities a few days a week, and try to get as much sleep as possible.  This is essential for helping keep your immune system boosted.  We all know that if we get sick that will only bring us even further behind in school which in turn will add to more stress on our plates. 
4. Give yourself a break: It may seem impossible to take any breaks but it can help clear your head.  Say you are spending all day studying, take a few short breaks throughout the day to just relax.  Whether it be taking a short nap, going for a walk around the block, or watching one of your favorite television shows, escaping from our books temporarily can help lower the amount of stress and anxiety we are feeling.  Also, looking into relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation will help lower the stress we feel during these rough times.

It may seem IMPOSSIBLE!!!!  Just remember to keep POSITIVE! The end is closer than we think.  These next three years will fly by, and the semesters will get harder but as long as we keep positive, keep our faith in our Heavenly Father who brought us here, we will surely make it to the end.  We have made it this far to get into the program, we can now see the glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel! :) Stress may be inevitable in our careers as a student nurse and future nurse, but as long as we find our own ways to relieve it, we will survive!

 

 

(Image courtesy of: someecards.com)

(Image courtesy of: someecards.com)

 (Image courtesy of: someecards.com)

(Image courtesy of: www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk)