4.15.19

19 days!

     Throughout the month of April, we have had many big projects as well as our last exam before our final, started our precepting, and prepared and presented our biggest project throughout the program. This semester surely has flown by but by no means was easy. We are still going but won't stop until we're done. 

     It has been such a great opportunity being on the ICU during my precepting. My preceptor is definitely one of the best on the unit and takes every opportunity and chance she gets to how me new things and get involved and be more hands-on in learning and doing things so that I am able to become a better nurse. 

     From seeing patients recover and get to go home to seeing patients pass has been both rewarding but sad. It truly takes a special person to work in a critical care setting. Not only are you there for the patient but you are also there for the family and this is an extremely difficult time in which they need someone there for them the most. Working in the hospital itself is like what a family friend said to me; "a mission field in which you show love to others everyday". That is my ultimate goal; to show love to others and help them through those difficult times and be there for them, whether it be those times of grief but also those times of joy. 

     Becoming a new nurse/finishing up our last bit of schooling is nerve-racking as we are about to be released from being students to being registered nurses. I still remember my first day of nursing school; not knowing anyone, driving an hour and a half to school and back everyday, losing friends, and not getting to see friends and family as often (sometimes would even go days without seeing family I lived in the same house with). There were a lot of things that were either put on hold or cut out when I dedicated my life to nursing school but there were also a lot of great things that came from it. The first day of school, I met one of the greatest friends there is to have. A friend who was there for me since day one of school. Her family took me in as there own and let me stay with them often then let me move in during my final months of school. They have been such a blessing and an amazing support system. Brit and I have been attached at the hip since day one and I couldn't imaging life without her. I lost friends when I started school, but I gained some of the most important friends and will cherish them forever. Our clinical group has also become such a tight-knit group that is continuously pushing each other and encouraging everyone to do there best. We have seen each other at our worst during school but have also seen each other on the happiest days during this strenuous program. 

     BIG NEWS! Throughout my life I have always had an interest in working in some sort of neuro specialty to get to know more about the brain and hope to get to see the procedure that I had when I was a baby or even one similar to my procedure. Not only have I had interest in the brain and neuro but have also had an interest in working in trauma. I worked on a trauma step-down unit in Melbourne as a nurse tech and love it but when I moved to be closer to school, I left that unit and have wanted to get back into the trauma setting. I am beyond grateful and excited to announce that I have accepted a job as a nurse on the Neuroscience/Trauma step-down unit at a hospital here in Daytona. I get to combine both neuro and trauma and it is SO exciting! I definitely could not have made it this far without the support and encouragement from all of my friends and family and am beyond thankful for you all. Here's to our final 19 days of school and getting to do what we love most!