Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year! I hope everyone is surrounded around by loving friends and family during this holiday season. 

Source

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Getting Ready

Today I finally got my paperwork for NCLEX sent out!! I have been extremely busy with moving and I have been extra careful in filling out everything, because I do not need the board of nursing sending me back the paperwork for me to correct.


So now that I am settling in our new place and I am managing my time, I am starting back up on my NCLEX review. It is all about ATI for at least 3 hours a day.
So here is the plan:

1. Pharmacology
2. Maternity
3. Pediatrics
4. Psychology
5. Medical Surgical
6. Fundamentals

This is a great plan when preparing for NCLEX, study what your weak in first, then briefly review the information you are confident in. I am going to move onto the next subject when I feel comfortable or when I want a new topic because I feel burned out. I am going to stick to this plan and go on to ATI everyday so I maintain the information and be prepared for when I get my testing date.


Good luck to those who are studying!


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Montagne Jeunesse

In the middle of moving to a different state and trying to do some NCLEX questions here and there since school has finished, I have been trying to relax. "Trying" being the operative word.


So recently I received the Holiday Voxbox from Influenster and I received a Montagne Jeunesse face mask in Dead Sea Mud with Seaweed and Kelp. I used the mask yesterday, and I loved it! I applied the mask, relaxed and my skin felt soft and my complexion was much brighter after I rinsed the mud off. I received a 0.18oz sample and I was able to cover my entire face shockingly. The full size products are 0.7oz, so that only means I should be able to use a full sized product at least twice, I think that is awesome. I always love a good face mask and this one will be added to my collection.


I was walking around CVS the other day and I saw that they sell them for about 1.99 each, which is great! It is also sold in other stores such as ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, Claires, Kroger and other retailers. They also come in a variety of fragrances with delicious and natural ingredients; cucumber peel off, passion peel off, strawberry souffle, chocolate mud and much more. One thing I really appreciate about this product line is that they do not experiment on animals, I think it is wrong to torture helpless animals that don't have any autonomy.You can check out their array of products at www.montagnejeunesse.com.
So take a break, relax and enjoy these amazing face masks!

(Source)

(This product is sent complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox program)

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

NYC New York Color

Recently I received my holiday Voxbox from Influenster and I was so excited to discover this product inside, NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine in Nude YorkCity. 

(Source)

So as you guys know, I had my pinning recently and I can say this lip gloss came just in time. Two things I love about this product are the pure pigments (little glitters) that gave more shine and the neutral color was perfect.

I was really nervous throughout the ceremony and I tend to lick my lips a lot when I get very nervous. I was shocked the gloss stayed on my lips the entire time (which was about an hour). the gloss isn't sticky and lips didn't feel dried out while wearing the product, I think the vitamin E gave the moisture. I will be buying more of these lipshines in the near future, it is only $2.49!!! I never bought anything from this brand but now I will be checking out their other products, it seems like i discovered a hidden gem.


So if any of you are interested in purchasing these lipshines, they come in a variety of colors from nudes to fuchsias, the other products range from $.99-$4.99. You can find these products at any drug stores such as CVS, Target (my two favorite stores), Walmart, etc, and at www.newyorkcolor.com.


(This product is sent complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox program)


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

It is FINALLY here: I AM PINNED!

Wow, I am done with nursing school! I had only two finals to take this past week, I got an A in leadership and a B in ethics, and I am just so proud of myself. I have had so much support from my fiance, family and friends during this stressful 18 months. 

I was pinned last night at 7pm and I am just bursting with excitement! I received the Pillars of Nursing award, I was so shocked that the teachers chose me for that award. I took tons of pictures, my camera had a mind of its own last night so most of the pictures came out blurry, but I got the important moments.

And for all of you that cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel and are having a difficult time, listen to this. I was close to failing TWICE! This has been a long time coming and I truly believe this was MY time. I have had so many ups and downs through out the years, that I was so close to giving up, but I knew in my heart nursing was for me. I made it through with dedication and faith in God.
I also have a mantra that I used from the day I got accepted to nursing school.  

"I will release my fear and resurrect my audacity".

What this is basically saying is that you should let go of all your fears and reach in deep inside your self and find your strength. All of you should have a mantra or something that gives you inspiration on your low days.(You can have mine if you want)
I want all of you to stay strong and remember: You can do this and you know something! 
As always thank you for reading. I will back soon with tips for NCLEX preparation, because that is what I will be doing until I get my test date.

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

 

Nurse Toons

I recently found this site and I am cracking up from the nursing humor. Check it out! www.nurstoon.com



Positivity Beckons Positivity,

19 down...2 to go!

Oh my gosh. It is reality. My pinning is really December 14th!!! I have my whole pinning outfit finished. The dress, white stockings, the slip, the shoes. I have ironed my dress to a crisp finish thanks to starch. ( I am a ironing fanatic) 
Anyways, I just have two more final exams left for nursing school guys!! I am so ready to get this over with! 
I just wanted to share my excitement with all of you!

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Lift your Spirits up

Once again my (wonderful) teacher sent us another great video. If you are having a hard time in school or in life, this should give you the faith to keep going. 
Enjoy!

                                                                                          (Source: Youtube)

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Precepting is over!!

I did a Youtube video yesterday when I came back home from my LAST DAY OF PRECEPTING!! I am soo happy that it is over for so many reasons lol. 

Enjoy the video!

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Senioritis

Seriously? Gosh, I am sooo lazy. I have two more precepting shifts left (Thank goodness!!), I have TWO major papers to write and I have two more weeks of actual class time. Instead of the excitement and joy that I should be feeling to be so close to finishing school, I am instead dreading all the hard work I have to do just to get there. 

But I know I have to suck it up and repeat to myself that I can do this, I can finish this out strong. I am actually beginning to think this is a bit of apprehensiveness for the future-it is odd really. Being a nurse is something I wanted for so long and now that it I can basically grab my dream and put it in my pocket....I am scared. I need some motivation...from somewhere.

Then again I bet that this normal, so yes, I have a bad case of senioritis.

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Pinning Dress

I found the most perfect pinning dress!! I ordered it from Advanced Healthcare Shop after one of my classmates showed me her dress. Women have such a hard time finding a perfect dress to fit our curvy bodies much less those horrid nursing dresses-it is insane. I tried on about 10 dresses in the uniform store and I either looked like an old lady or as one of my classmates said so sweetly to me..."a stuffed sausage"-thanks. Anyways, so I took the plunge and ordered the dress online. It is a mock wrap dress that has a belt so I can adjust the dress to my liking. When I finally got my dress in the mail I was so excited (and scared) to see if it would fit. Let's just say I danced around for about 5 minutes because it is perfect! And I got the dress for way cheaper than my classmate too..$19.99 before tax and shipping of course. I am so ready to wear that dress...all I need are some new Dansko's and stockings then I will be in business.
Are any of you graduating soon and have found the perfect pinning dress? Or maybe still looking for the perfect one? Share it with me below!

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Biases

Since I have started my preceptorship, I have seen a lot of wrong and good things. Sadly it has been more the wrong than the good. 


We all learned in school to be culturally sensitive and to be nonjudgmental towards our patients. I have always been this way in my whole life, I was brought up that way. So for me being unbiased won't be very hard. 


I am worried that as nurses get older and seasoned, they loose that fundamental behavior. Nurses should always know and recognize their own stance on issues but never try to impose those views on patients. I believe in treating patients as we would treat our own family, no matter what. 


I hope as a future registered nurse, I will be able to remind my co-workers in an effective way, that we cannot treat our patients in a bad way just because they may be a pregnant teenager or because they do drugs. We have to treat everyone with a unbiased attitude, respect and be professionals every day.  

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

ATI

My whole class was sent to Greenville, SC for three days to do a live ATI NCLEX review. It was a great overview and refresher of all the information you learn in nursing school. We learned funny dances and sayings to help us during NCLEX. I can see it now....everyone looking at me weird because I am dancing in my seat ha.


So today I had my ATI predictor test. This is basically a test that gives you a percentage on your likeliness of passing NCLEX on the first try. Guess what I got? A 98%!!! It was a 78 score but a 98% chance I will be kicking a** the first try on NCLEX. My whole class did really good too, so proud of all of us :)


This has given me the inspiration and push to finish up strong in school. More than anything I have more confidence about NCLEX.

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Confidence=Arrogance?

So yesterday I had my fourth shift of precepting. I would LOVE to say that it has been going great. Sadly, there seems to be an issue. A generational issue. The fact she is more than twice my age and the way our generation speaks is not what she is used to. I am going to try to explain what happened to you guys. 


One mistake on my part lead my preceptor to call my professor, which is okay and understandable. My preceptor then told my professor that I am arrogant and that I talk too much. Arrogant? ARROGANT?! I am far from. As a student, a measly student to a nurse that has been practicing for 20 years, I will have the nerve to be arrogant? 


More than anything, I am CONFIDENT. I carry myself a certain way. I do not show fear and I refuse to let anyone break me. And even if I am feeling a certain way on the outside I refuse to show it. Especially in nursing where "nurses ear their young" I have to have a protective shell. 


{SIDE NOTE} My teacher is so wonderful and of course she will always take her students side, called and spoke to me for an hour last night. I explained to her what has been happening recently. She gave me a lot of reassurance and gave me tips on how to finish strong. 


So back to the arrogant comment. Obviously since my preceptor doesn't really know who I am as a person is just judging me after four shifts. I do not know if its that the unit we are on is very stressful and things said can be misconstrued while under pressure. But that comment hit me like a TON OF BRICKS.


And to say I talk a lot, um no. I talk a lot about the information I am trying to learn, I am constantly making sure I understand the information she tells me about the patient. Is that a crime? I feel that sometimes she doesn't have patience for a student and she fails to remember that I need constant guidance. 


She also said some other things about me that made me say wow. But I am not going to allow anyone to take away my determination and shine. She will fail terribly if she tries. I got this far, I am 1 out of 8 students that's left in my class, I am strong.


This Sunday I have another shift, but I am going to act like my professor didn't tell me anything. I will use my communication skills that I learned in my leadership class and take it one day at a time. 


SIGH. So to say the least, four shifts down SEVEN shifts to go.... :/ 


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Cover letters, Resumes, Job recruiters, OH MY!

The other day, my teacher set an entire day of class time for preparation to help my class apply for jobs. First on the list was the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, who also doubles as the career services person. She gave us hints and tips on how to write a cover letter and a resume. We then had two representatives from a local hospital come and speak to us. They told us how to apply for the graduate nurse positions on the website and they told us what NOT to do in an interview.


Can you believe that someone actually came to an interview in daisy dukes and light up flip flops!? lol And someone else said their reason for doing nursing was that they couldn't get into medical school!? These people really didn't want a job!


I am a certified nurses aide so I have been on numerous interviews with hospitals, so all the information I heard wasn't new to me at all, but it was great to get a refresher. I have been giving my resume and my cover letter a face lift so I am really excited to start applying to graduate nursing positions. Wish me luck!


Has anyone started applying to positions or started a job search yet? Share it with me below!


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

In my words

So yesterday was my first day on PCU (progressive care unit) for my preceptorship. I was so excited to experience feeling like a nurse and not having my professor marking my every step. It was even better not having to do any care plans at the end of the day :)


My day started at 6:45am, dark and early. My preceptor and I hit the ground running. Her case load included five patients and she gave me two of her patients to do assessments, chart and to give medication on. I was so nervous and I have no idea why. But I loved every second of it. 


My day included, giving medications, removing foleys and IV's, and doing discharge teaching on CHF on one of my patients. 


The only dislike I have is that nurses spend so much time charting on the computer that it hardly gives us any time to spend time with the patient. As a future nurse, I would like to find a way to give the patient more of my time and not the computer screen.


My day ended at 7:30pm, I gave report on my patient to the on-coming nurse, according to SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation), I was feeling like a nurse already. All in all it was a great day. 


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

What is a Student Nurse?

I found this poem today in the midst of some papers I had stacked away. I have had it for a few years and I thought I would share it with you all today.

WHAT IS A NURSING STUDENT?

Student nurses are one of the nicest things that can happen to

a hospital.

They come in all sizes, shapes, uniforms, and caps.

They show up everywhere- in wards, in utility rooms, at chart

desks and in classrooms.

Doctors yell at them; interns tolerate them; residents overlook

them; mothers worry about them.

A student nurse is courage under a cap, ambition in a crispy

starched uniform, energy in a person.

She’s a dedicated heart, a cheerful smile, a comforting voice.

A student nurse likes days off, mealtime, her significant others,

          pediatrics,certain doctors, pretty clothes, and yes her nursing

              school.       

She doesn’t care much for alarm clocks, getting up for roll

calls, making beds, or walking long halls.

 A student nurse is a wonderful person. No one else gets so much

 pleasure from adjusting a bed or fluffing a pillow.

No one else gets such satisfaction from changing a bandage or

 holding a cool drink to dry lips.

You can criticize her but you cannot dishearten her.

You can hurt her feelings but you cannot make her quit.

Her hours are long, her studies are difficult, but she is a hard

working woman, full of determination.

And she looks forward to that wonderful day when she can

proudly say – “I’m a nurse.”

-Author and source unknown

                        Source

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Don't stop, Don't give up!

My class is so overwhelmed this quarter even though it is the second week of school. But my teacher chose to show this video to give us some inspiration. Today was our first leadership exam and she played it right before we took the test. I can say it gave me the drive to "Don't stop, Don't give up!" What do you do for inspiration?



                                  (Source: Youtube)

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

T-shirts!!!

I just wanted to show you guys the fun shirts I got at the SNA convention! Different schools, including my school, brought shirts to the convention that they designed to sell to raise money for their respective SNA's. Of course, I spent money I didn't have, like I always do, lol. Enjoy!

This is my schools design

This shirt was free from Kaplan, I may just wear it for exams, lol

The front 

The back

I just HAD to get this shirt! So funny.

The front

The back 

(Photo Credits –Avalon)

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

SNA

Tomorrow I am attending my states National Student Nurse's Association Convention. I am so excited to attend because they are also offering a mini NCLEX review. I need all the NCLEX review I can get! They also will be having employers from hospitals, which is a great opportunity to start networking and putting my name out there.


It is always a great thing to be part of a nursing organization, not only just for being a student, but also for when you graduate. On your resume it looks really good to employers that you participated in extracurricular activities and it sets you aside from the rest. I am on the board of my SNA (Student Nursing Association), as Vice President II and I love it. 


Are any of you affiliated with your schools SNA? Or are you on the board? 


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

The First day of the Last quarter

*YAWN* I am exhausted!! The first day of the start of any quarter of nursing school is always so exhausting and overwhelming. I get these weird feelings of doubt and fear, that take over my very being, subsequently making me want to scream my head off in the middle of class. Was that too harsh, lol?


But either way, we had Transition into Professional Nursing, which is also called Leadership. The main theme of today's class was that to be a great LEADER you have to be a great FOLLOWER. Interesting, huh? And the second class was Caring for Diverse & Vulnerable Populations II. This is a community class, where we basically go into the community to learn and understand the role of the community health nurse. This quarter we are going to the Free Medical Clinic.


I am pretty sure like every quarter before, those feelings of impending doom will eventually subside lol. One day down, 11 weeks to go :).


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

What is in my Bag?

Check out this video! What I carry in my nursing clinical bag and also some helpful tips on how to be prepared for clinical the next day.

 

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

Preceptorship

"A period of practical experience and training for a student, especially of medicine or nursing, that is supervised by an expert or specialist in a particular field".
(Source http://www.thefreedictionary.com/preceptorship)


If you are currently a nursing student  or trying to get into a nursing program you should know what this word means. Most students, from the time they are accepted into a nursing program, already have an idea of where they would like to work as a future RN. We may speak about it to our classmates, our families, we may get excited when we learn about that particular topic in class, and we may even speak about it nonstop no matter the time or the place. 


When i was younger I was so sure I was going to work with babies or children. As I've gotten older and working as a CNA (certified nursing aide) I realized that I am much better working with adults. The first day I worked on an ICU (intensive care unit) floor, I realized that the ICU was the place for me. It is amazing to have this type revelation!


And then, there comes that point where clinical stop and preceptorship begins. That point was at the end of the 6th quarter, my teacher came into our Pediatric class and told us to write down our top three choices for placement. Half of my class wanted maternity or infants/toddlers. 5% of my class was interested in fields likes Psychiatry or Geriatrics. And 45%, including myself, was interested in critical care. Of course, I picked ICU, critical care, and ER as my top three choices. It is funny when I think back of the old Avalon, she wouldn't touch any of these choices with a ten foot pole! Sometimes what you think you want is not where you are meant to be.


So, I said all of that to say I found out this week that I will be placed in a type of critical care area that has always seemed very interesting to me. PCU- progressive care unit-telemetry. This is somewhat of a ICU step down unit, where the patients are not sick enough to be in the ICU and too sick to be on the medical-surgical floor.


I am super excited for this experience! We start our preceptorship in October. We have to "work" when our preceptor is working, no matter if it is 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am. It is going to be so much fun! 


Positivity Beckons Positivity,

UUUUGGGHHHH, already?!

Okay, so yesterday my leadership teacher wanted to "meet with us before class started". Mind you class starts on Monday, but she had "so many things to tell us". I just wanted to scream, "I am not ready to get bombarded yet!!".

So I dragged myself off the couch and drove up to my school. It was bittersweet, to the say the least, to see my classmates before the start of classes but that is nursing school for you. I define my class as a dysfunctional family.

So one of the biggest changes presented to us, was that one of the classes that was supposed to be given a grade, is now a "pass or fail" class. Okay, really? So instead of us having three chances to get a grade and getting it averaged into our GPA, we now only have two chances. NOT COOL.
Other changes included, not having multiple papers but having one major research project on educating patients who have hypertension (not so bad). Each one of my classmates have a different role in the research and my role is, *drumroll please* RESEARCH! I will be doing database searches on hypertension education. I am actually really excited about this project because we have a chance to make an impact and cause a change.

Also, most nursing schools utilize ATI. If you don't know what ATI is, it is basically a testing site, where you can do practice exams on areas of nursing such as med surg, peds and psych. There are also proctored exams we take under the supervision of a teacher. During my break I have been working on practice tests on areas where I am weaker in. We will be continuously working intensively on ATI during our last quarter, much more than previous quarters. NCLEX is right around the quarter for me, so the sooner I start brushing up on my weaker areas the more confident I will be by the time the state boards comes along.

So yea, there goes the last few days my vacation.

Positivity Beckons Positivity,
 

Adult Truths

As I mentioned before, I plan on posting things on this blog that may be off the topic of nursing school.
So, here is something to make you ponder and laugh and possibly cry from laughter.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stores.

11. You never know when when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we call just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a work they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can were them forever.

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble location their care keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

24. People who forward email without deleting the tons of previous recipients should be shot and then tarred and feathered.

25. The first testicular guard, the "Cup", was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. Ladies, quit laughing!

Heal the past, live the present, dream the future.

Enjoy life!!!
(Source Facebook, Author Unknown)

Positivity Beckons Positivity,

The Schematics

Let me tell you all about the nursing program I'm a part of. It's a 20 month, accelerated BSN, program with seven-11 week quarters. I have to say, it does go super fast, hence the term "accelerated". I started in April of 2010 and I will be finished in December of 2011! 


We started with about 32 students and we're now at 8 students. It has been an emotional ride (and still is) with the loss of 24 students and the constant fear of doing horrendously on exams. But, besides all of that, I've enjoyed all my clinical experiences from fundamentals to psychology.


I am so proud of myself and happy that God has blessed me to make it to this point. I am so excited to start my last quarter and to experience all that it has to offer. I hope you join me on this emotional and exhilarating journey of completing nursing school. 


Positivity Beckons Positivity, 

Welcome!

Hi and thank you for reading my blog! I would like to inform you all of what my blog will entail. I will be chronicling my last quarter in nursing school and speaking about past experiences....and of course, other random tid bits.


I have always wanted to write my own blog and now I've finally done it. Nursing school has become such a focal point in my life and I would like to share that with others. Stay tuned for new posts weekly.


Positivity beckons Positivity,