Its all about change!

"Nursing is constantly changing".  This is what I keep hearing everyday in nursing school.  I understand that the medical field changes all the time.  There is new technology.  New medicines.  New ways to chart.  However, I am still frustrated when an assignment is given, such as care plans, but the guidelines to this homework changes each time we turn it in.  "No this isn't right.  We decided we want it this way instead."  Wouldn't that get on your nerves.

Or how about this?  When going to clinical you are stuck with a new instructor who does everything the opposite way from what you were taught. 

When I bring this up in class or to my instructor the first thing they will say is, "Its all about change.  Nursing is constantly changing.  You have to be able to go with the flow."

I am all about going with the flow.  But I would like to know which way it is flowing.  Or maybe have signs that say "sharp curve ahead".  I know I am asking too much.

I do have to say I am learning quite a bit.  I enjoy nursing school and my classmates. My fellow "what the hell is going on" friends are fantastic and they keep me smiling.  I am lucky to go through this process with them. 

I gave a flu shot for the first time just last week.  I felt sorry for my client.  But my client was a trooper and said I should get an A. 

As far as family goes we are doing fine.  Football is over with for my son and we only have one more weekend of soccer for my daughter.  That will give us a nice break.  We are very busy with Girl Scouts.  Luckily I am blessed with great moms who are willing to help out and take over entire meetings.  Everyone understands that I am overwhelmed with school and everything else so I am thankful for all their help and support.

Work is going fine.  That is all I can really say about it online. It is exhausting and nights is a pain to work and raise a family during the day.  But once I am finished with nursing school it will be different, right?

Well that is all for today.  Just a little update on what is going on.  Not much new... just some dishes to wash, a diaper to change and a degree to earn........ OH MY~~~~~

One day at a time!

That is how I am surviving life right now... One day at a time.  If I think too much about what I have going on I am sure I would have a panic attack.  Its funny to hear other people tell me that they are amazed with all I have going on.  I guess I do have a lot going on but I don't focus on it.  It would be too overwhelming if I did. 

Things have been getting a bit more hectic.  Just the other day I was awake for 34 hours straight.  I had all day of classes on Wednesday, couldn't nap before work, then I worked 10p-6a, and then another full day of classes on Thursday.  I was entertainment for my fellow nursing students.  I had to keep myself awake and I did that by acting insane.  I dance in the car on the way back to class from lunch blaring Usher's "Ya".  It was fantabulous I am fo sho!!!!

Fellow aides have been dropping like flies at work.  Last night another one quit.  I think I may have to ask for a raise soon.  I've been working there two months and I pretty much have seniority on my shift already.  Gotta love that.  Not that it would benefit me much but oh well.

There really isn't much else to post right now.  We are keeping busy trying to stay afloat with all that I have going on plus my family's activities.  What I really want to do is go see a couple of movies, one right after another and pig out on popcorn, soda and chocolate.  Doesn't that sound like fun.

Well I better be off.  Don't know when I will post again.  Hopefully soon since my nursing class schedule will be a bit tamer for this next quarter.  I hope all of you out there are enjoying your fall season.  Thank you so much for keeping up with my blog.  I really appreciate it!

Yawn

Yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn.....

See where I am going with this?  I am wiped out after a 10-6am shift.  We have a busy day today with soccer and football games.  My wonderful husband will be doing the running while I catch up on sleep.  Then tonight I get to study.  I hope that I will get to have a lazy Sunday.  I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. Hopefully soon I will have a new post for you.

The Kardashians couldn't keep up with me

Whew!  Its been awhile since I've been on.   As you know I was accepted into the local LPN program right before classes began about 3 months ago.  So far so good.  I am enjoying the class discussions and am beginning to get to know my fellow classmates.  We have had two tests and I scored an A on both of them.  I am really excited by my grades.  But I have been studying hard and praying a lot. 

Since I got into the nursing program I also started working part time at a local nursing home. I am working nights but only a few a week.  Yes, this is annoying.  But I have to be able to pay the sitter so I can go to school, therefore I must work.  Nasty cycle isn't it.  Of course, our bills are happy that I have a job.  Things won't be so tight at least.    The downside to working is that it messes up my sleep schedule and I am pretty grouchy the day after I work.  This makes me feel guilty which kind of adds to my stress.  Also, our nursing program faculty doesn't seem to be very supportive of students working.  My instructor just had to mention that a student who worked nights while in the program last year didn't make it.  Boo!  Well I'm going to make it.

Added to school and work are my volunteer projects. I am a girl scout leader for two troops.  Both my girls are in scouts.  I know I could take time off of this while in school and that my daughters would understand but this is a time I need to be with them.  I cannot get these two years back once they are gone.  Plus I want to be a role model for my children.  If you want it bad enough you can do it.  We started the GS year off with a potluck picnic at our local state park.  It was a wonderful night watching the girls and their families play.  It was also an easy night.  I am blessed to have wonderful parents to help me out too.  I have cut back on the extra activities so I can concentrate on more important things.  I am going to have to stand in front of a mirror and practice saying no.  My kids already believe that I am an expert on the word no.

On top of all this I still have to do housework and care for my family.  I will never and have never had a spotless home.  But it is clean.... for the most part.  Crock pot dinners will be the norm.  I am trying to make dinners my family will enjoy but also won't take a ton of time to create. 

I am not doing all this on my own.  I know some people have to.  I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is by my side and wants to see me succeed.  Yes, we go a couple of days without really talking.  We just aren't in the same place at the same time or awake at the same time.  Just the other day Jason asked how everything was.  I said fine and then about three seconds later started bawling.  I was so overwhelmed with how I was going to accomplish everything.  After a good hearty cry I felt much better. 

There are moments everyday when I wonder how I will survive all of this.  I want to do well in school.  I want to be able to help my family financially.  I want to be an active participant in my children's lives.  Everyday someone tells me that they don't know how I do it all.  Sometimes I wonder if there is a pool somewhere with people taking bets on when I will give up.  Just kidding everyone for the most part has been really supportive.   

So are you exhausted in reading this?  See the Kardashians have nothing on me.  I'm sure a life of luxury is oh so hard.  I would like to see them keep up with me.  Just for a day!

Wordless Wednesday

My daughter's cute little sandwiches and her sandwich size snackTAXI.  She was so excited to take her lunch to school.

Sitter found but still looking for my sanity

Since I am going back to school full time this year I am going to need child care for my 20 month old son.  We had a great sitter lined up but since I ended up getting into the nursing program she was unable to take him for the hours I need.  So I made a few calls.  One to a daycare.  Thursday I stopped by the day care but it seemed that there were too many children for such a small space.  They had they required amount of caregivers and were planning to expand but something about it just wasn't right with me. It is a very dull environment.  The walls are a stark white and there aren't many colors at all anywhere.  The caregivers were polite and seemed nice to the children.  I, however, was not won over.  Plus they couldn't guarantee that they would be able to take my son when I needed to change my school schedule.  So I kept looking.

The sitter we have chosen has known my husband since he was little.  I went to meet with her and decided that we would send our son to her.  She is a licensed day care provider which means she is has to follow strict guidelines set by the state of Illinois.  The best part is that she will use Tim's cloth diapers.  I won't have to go out and buy disposable diapers just for the sitter.  Yeah.  Instead I may go buy some more cloth diapers so I am sure I have plenty for the sitter and at home. 

Tim will have to go to the sitter full time while I am in school.  I may also start working nights this next week at a nursing home nearby.   So when I get home I can take him to the sitters and then go home to sleep before nursing class.

I know everything is crazy.  My head has been spinning since this past Monday.  But I just have to tell myself that it will work out.  We will make it through the next two years.  I am just glad that I have found a sitter and that I may soon be working.  Wish me luck.

The Journey Begins

Yesterday morning I called my adviser and told her that I was accepting the spot in the nursing program.  I then made an appointment to meet with her so that I can get my schedule and all the necessary paperwork started. 

Wow! There is a ton of paperwork.  Health physicals, drug screenings, immunizations (if you don't have them), background checks, and of course accepting the new class schedule.  I have so much to do.

This was how I felt after meeting with my nursing adviser!

Yesterday, after meeting with my adviser, I bought my books from the bookstore.  I have been blessed to receive the Pell grant and the IMAP this year.  Thank God, otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford all this.  My books (14 of them some in packages of two or more) cost about $1000... maybe a little over.  I am not lying when I say that I felt like I was going to pass out.  The girl working behind the counter asked which books I wanted.  I didn't have a clue. I gave her my bookstore voucher I received from the financial services desks showing what I had available from my grants and said "What can I get with this?"  Kind of like the little kid at the candy store dropping all his pennies on the counter.  Luckily I was able to get all the books listed.  Unluckily I wouldn't doubt that I have over 60 pounds of books.  I had to have help carrying them to my van.  

  Today I am off to my doctor's office.  Its a good thing I just found a new doctor for me. I've never really had a general family doctor, just my lady doctor.  I had a general physical last week.  So today I am just going back to have the form filled out and to receive a few vaccines, like HepB and the varicella vaccine.  Yeah, shots!

Then later today I will work on getting my background check started.  I am glad that I have other requirements out of the way.  Like my TB test (although I think I have to have another one step so I don't have get one in the middle of the program), CPR certified and my CNA out of the way. 

Since I was accepted so late to the program I was unable to participate in some of the programs for the other students held during the summer.  One of them is called Strategies for Success.   Every nursing student at our college is required to take it.  You get credit for it. It is suppose to help teach study skills and all that good stuff.  I, will have to take it as an independent study.  I am not sure when or where.  I am still waiting for information on all that.  

Even though I have my books I still need to purchase a few things. Stethoscope, lab coat,  school program patches, uniform, pen light... I have white shoes.  There isn't a whole lot that I need. I am sure they will tell us more at our first class tomorrow afternoon. 

Now here is a downside to all of this.  Since my schedule has changed my sitter is unable to keep my son for the times that I need her.  She has to stay within a certain number of children at certain ages to stay licensed. No problem  She will let me know if she has any openings thought.  I hope.  So I had to make calls.  It would suck to have to drop out of nursing because I don't have child care.  I found a day care in the area.  Since I only go to class half a day they are able to take him.  And better yet they will not require me to bring in sposie diapers.  They will use Timothy's cloth diapers. (My other sitter was willing to do cloth as well). I think I surprised the lady at the day care when I asked about cloth diapers.  I must have been the first.  Not surprising.  She wasn't sure at first.  I told her that they are much easier to use.  They velcro and there are no safety pins.  That sold her and she said yes.  Yeah. I check it out tomorrow to make sure its a nice, safe environment. So that crisis maybe averted.

So my journey through nursing has begun.  I am excited and scared all at the same time.  I have a great support system.  I really wish, however, that my husband was as excited as I am.   I really need to hear from him that all this will work out and that I will be fine. I understand his worries but I could use the assurance.  I will just have to be like Dory from "Finding Nemo"..."Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming.. swimming..swimming.. swimming.