The NCLEX part 1

It was a cruel trick. Most people after graduating get to be 100% completely free. As far as I know, this is true for 99% of graduates. Nursing graduates are the 1% difference. I had forgotten about the nasty NCLEX. You see, the NCLEX is this extremely difficult and quite ridiculous exam you have to take in order to get your license. My time was, once again, not my own. Instead it was devoted to studying. Ok, so maybe not entirely devoted seeing as how I spent about two weeks up in Brigham City with my best girlfriends- my sisters- but that is besides the point. The point is that whenever there is something looming over your head; a deadline, an exam, or anything that causes your thoughts to wander towards the impending doom, you feel like slave to that one thought. Because no matter what you get to do for a few hours, or days or even minutes, you always have to return to that one horrible thing hanging out in the back of your mind. Yes, the NCLEX had become my nemesis.

I think the reason the NCLEX is so extremely difficult is because it tests you in ALL areas of nursing. In the real world, a nurse will generally work in one area; perhaps surgery, medical, emergency or mom/baby. Unless you are a "float" nurse, you find your little niche of the nursing world and generally stick to it. But in the NCLEX world, you need to know about ALL the different areas of nursing. Ridiculous. And to be honest, it's impossible to know it all. Which is why we generally find our one love of the nursing world and stick to it. However, the NCLEX doesn't take this into consideration.
Here is a sample question:

When assessing the client with chest pain the nurse obtains a thorough history. Which statement by the client is most suggestive of angina pectoris?
a. The pain lasted for about 45 minutes.
b. The pain resolved after I ate a sandwich.
c. The pain worsened when I took a deep breath.
d. The pain occurred while I was mowing the lawn.

Now, these type of questions are alright, because I can generally whittle it down to two of the four answers. (The answer is D, for those who are curious) However, get me against this next type of question, and I feel helpless.

In a client with chronic bronchitis, which signs should lead the nurse to suspect right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale)? Select all that apply.
a. Circumoral cyanosis
b.Jugular vein distention
c. Productive cough
d. Leg edema
e. Hepatosplenomegaly
f. Bilateral crackles

These questions are particularly beastly because should you omit one answer, you get it wrong. If you added one more, you get it wrong. (The correct answer here is b, d, and e). Looking at it either way, you seem doomed to fail. I wasn't too worried, because in all of my flashcards and reading that I had done, the majority of the questions were the standard four-answer multiple choice. I could afford to get the putrid SATA question wrong.

Friday, June 10 at 1:00 p.m. was my scheduled date to face-off with this nasty fiend. And the day came much quicker than I anticipated it would. (WHY is that? If we are absolutely dreading something, why is it that time seems to speed right up? If we are eagerly awaiting something, time moves slower than a turtle watching paint dry. WHY is that?!) I arrived at the testing center a half-hour early, just like my little paper told me to. The reason they want you to come so early is so they can do an eye scan, brain scan, fingerprint and palm scans, take pictures of your face and pull a strand of hair for DNA testing. Just checking to make sure you are who you say you are.

The gentleman who was going to be proctoring for the next 55 min. was very nice. He even let me pick whatever computer I wanted. He recommended 1 or 6, because those were the ones in the corners of the room. I chose 6. And I began my NCLEX duel.

The first question: SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. I took a deep breath and remembered in my study guide books, it told me to go through each option and label it as "true" or "false". I did just that. Next question: SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. What?! Ok, just breathe, you can do this... *click* onto the next one: SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Oh good, here is a nice multiple choice one. But, which one of the two answers IS it? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Math?! Oh dear, my brain panics when I even read the word...SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

That was pretty much how the whole exam went. Right up until question 75 when the computer clicked off, having determined if I was "minimally" competent. It had been little over an hour since I started. I raised my hand for the proctor to come escort me out of the room and I shuffled out of the room in a zombie-like state. Numbly I held my hand up for them to scan my palm and fingerprint so I could leave the building. What just happened?!? The majority of the questions on my test were SATA- that was NOT supposed to happen. I was baffled, dazed, and confused. My final coherent thought:

I should have picked computer number 1.

Life Begins

SO....Now what?

Seriously. I had no idea what to do with all my new free time. I took a week to do some spring cleaning, it was painful, but it needed to be done. But when your schedule goes from looking like this:

To this:

One wonders just what to do.

But I did find things to do, things that would fill up my schedule rather quickly. The first thing is something that I've been dreaming to do for a long time. Write a book. So. I'm starting to write. It's going to be quite the adventure, and I thought, why not blog about it? Follow me at http://doingitwrite26.blogspot.com

The next thing that I'm going to do is something that you already know. Yeah, I'm trying to be a runner. I figured I may as well blog about that one too, so if you get really bored and desperate in all your blog-stalking you can find my running journey at http://runfastrunslowjustgo.blogspot.com

It's gunna be good.

Happy Ending

I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear those two little words, "The End." I graduated April 22, 2011 from Weber State University with an Associate of Science degree in Nursing. The end came. FINALLY. I was surprised as I was sitting down there with all of the graduates because I almost started crying. So many emotions; so extremely happy to be here- that I did it. A LOT nervous and scared to be taking this next step in my career (I have a career!). And so FREE, complete freedom. I'm not a slave to school anymore. Mostly, I felt grateful. Grateful I've had so much help and support along the way. Grateful for all of my friends and family, without whose help, I wouldn't have made it through these past two semesters. It was a very bumpy road, with the unexpected death of my Aunt and also my cousin's husband. It was hard. Emotionally and physically. There were times I wanted to quit, but with the help and love of my wonderful friends and my family, I did it. My happy ending to Nursing school came.

I walked and got my diploma!

My favorite girls came to watch me graduate! Here's one of them:

The amazing people pictured below (minus one-she disappeared after we walked!) are my friends who helped me get through endless tests, assignments and discussions. Thanks girls!

More friends!

We all felt like dancing, but Allie had the best moves by far.

My family, love them so much!

My other family, love them too!

My best friend. He is so amazing and the no. 1 reason I made it through school. His words of encouragement and love made all the difference.

We had a graduation dinner and my classmates nominated me to speak, Tyson recorded it, but it was pretty noisy and I need to figure out how to clean it up so you can hear me. Until then, here is my graduation speech. I love Happy Endings!

Celebrating the End

Up until my Junior year in high school, I had wanted to be a veterinarian. I took a lifeguard course and often times would go in early to practice the rescue techniques we had learned the day before. One such morning, a young man who was swimming laps had a heart attack in the pool. Along with my coach and other classmates, we performed CPR and followed the protocol until the ambulance took him to the hospital. Despite all of our best efforts, the young man passed away. That incident changed my course in life. While I still maintain a love for animals, I knew that I needed to first help my fellowmen. Nursing was the career choice that would allow me to serve others and affect lives.

Some of you may have had a similar experience. I think the realization that we have all come to is that when you are a nurse, everyday you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours. That is the honor and privilege of being a nurse. We have all taken different paths to get here, and here we are, the end of a journey, ready to sign "RN" at the end of our name.

Thank you for allowing me to share some thoughts with you tonight. Some of you know me quite well, and to others, I may just be a face. So, for a little something about me- I. Am addicted to Twilight. And as I started thinking about things I could possibly say tonight, a passage from those books came to me. The main character is graduating and she has this to say:

"I was glad things could end on a good note. Because it was an ending, no matter what the valedictorian had to say about commencement meaning "beginning" and all the rest of the trite nonsense...we were all leaving something behind us today."

As we complete this portion of our lives, it has really struck me that this is an ending to our formal Nursing education; an end to something that has so wholly engrossed our lives. I almost felt like running around in a panic with a little cardboard sign proclaiming, "The end is near!!!"

And I thought well, that doesn't necessarily mean that an end has to be a bad thing. After all, who is going to miss the 4 a.m. panic attack of, "Oh crap. That was due. YESTERDAY." Or logging onto WSU online countless times a day? Forking over your piggy bank to tuition? Stress about deadlines, tests, and ridiculous discussions? I, for one, will NOT miss any of those.

But there will be things that we will miss. Things like, using our brain and increasing our knowledge. Some may even miss having something to complain about. I think for most, we will miss the sense of community. Even though school is an individual task, we have rallied together to make sure no one was left behind. We will miss the friends that we have made. but thankfully, email, cell phones, and Facebook can help us stay better connected.

As we close this chapter of our lives, we get to take some things with us. One thing is the starched stiff uniforms we get to keep, but mostly, we will keep the numerous memories we have made. From the early days of LPN school, to the Capstone experiences in our RN program, each day spent in class, on the road, in the testing center, was a memory and one day closer to our goals.

We are a week away from achieving a major goal in our lives. Graduation. Think of everything that waits for us! There is so much that we are going to be able to do with our time! And freedom is so close. We might finally get around to the home projects that have been waiting for awhile. We might plant a garden, take a MUCH needed vacation, or simply spend more time with our families.

Think of what each of you are going to do as a nurse! Some of you are going to help patients through surgery, others might help patients recover on a med/surg floor. Some will help cancer patients through the most difficult days of their life. There are so many options for each of us, who knows where we will end up? There is one thing that I do know. I know that each day, every one of you are going to give your best to your patients. You are going to touch lives, you are going to change them, You, are going to make the difference.

This is the end of a very significant phase in life. After jumping through so many hoops, maybe we almost felt like we might end up as circus performers instead of nurses. But, we're here. We are at the end. We have achieved a phenomenal goal in life. I know I wouldn't have made it here without the support of my family and without all of you. Music often speaks to my heart, and I feel that these lyrics from the Broadway musical Wicked, are for all of you.

"It well may be, that we may never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you; you'll be with me, like a hand print on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine by being my friend. Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Friends, let us look forward to the future, live vibrantly in the present and celebrate the end! Congratulations Weber State University 2011 Nursing class!!! We did it!!

First one down

I did it!

First workout DONE.

And it wasn't pretty...in fact, it was rather pathetic.

But, it was still a start.

I just realized that I'm training to train.

Make sense?

Anyways, I started. It's the whole "keep on doin it" thing that can get me.

Wish me luck!

Motivation

It's time for reinforcements.

CALL IN THE TROOPS!!

NO. MORE. EXCUSES.

Day 1

I should retitle that to "Day 1- Attempt" because Day 1:

FAIL

To sum up: Too much homework+sleep deprivation= no chance in H-E- double toothpicks I'm going to drag my butt up from the chair and go running.

The worst part? I felt guilty ALL DAY.

So. I will let you know when the attempted first run has occured. But with the way this homework is looking, don't hold your breath folks.

My newest challenge

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

-John "The Penguin" Bingham

So I guess it's pretty obvious what my next challenge is. But let me explain how this came about. First, I'm really out of shape (I would argue that round is a shape, but...that is just an ego defense mechanism cropping up) thanks to Nursing school, complete lack of motivation, and overall laziness. Most people are fortunate to have a love/hate relationship with running. I love to hate it. Its something I've NEVER been good at. Two things combined to "inspire" this change.
First, I promised my lovely sister that I would run a 10K with her in September. And, being me, if I'm going to do something, I want to do a decent job and not have to have someone roll me across the finish line.
Next, for one of my nursing classes, one of the projects is to read a self-improvement book. Fortunately, this one fit the criteria. A "kill two birds with one stone" type of deal. So I read it. And loved the book. The author makes running realistic. I don't feel like I have to have 1% body fat, amazing endurance, and devote ALL my time to be a runner. It is going to take some of my time, but not all of it. He makes running realistic, because he's been the overweight, forty-something, smoker/drinker when he started running. The odds were stacked against him. And now, he's done at least 40 marathons. I really can't say enough good about this book. If you want to start running, start with this book. PHENOMENAL!! It has some programs at the end of the book, and I'm going to take my first step.....

TOMORROW.
And I think I'm more scared than anything.
Because I want this to be a lifestyle change.
It. Terrifies. Me.

But it must be done, because a lifestyle change is in order right now. So friends, I will keep you posted on my running journey. Things might drop off a bit in March, because I will be spending five days (twelve-hours each) each week at the hospital for my preceptorship. We'll see how she plays out in March. But for now, I'm starting. And I think I'll do better if I can hold myself accountable. Hence, the blogging about my running career. Wish me luck!