Sanity Progress Report: Surviving

Hi, everyone! Thanks for checking back in with me on this crazy, amazing journey! It definitely was a sigh of relief this week to have the campus be a bit back to normal. By no means does that mean that everyone is okay. Even just pulling into campus this morning I see students dressed up in suits and ties, preparing to go pay their respects to Darner, one of the 2 students we lost in the past 2 weeks. I feel so incredibly heartbroken for the undergraduate community who have had to deal with so much tragedy, right at the beginning of the school year none the less.

Amidst the chaos, classes and clinicals go on. I am absolutely in LOVE with my 3 clinical placements. I have been learning so much. Before starting this year I use to wonder how someone could possibly learn how to be a patient's primary care provider in a short 9 months. Now that I am living this life every day, I kind of get it. Every single day, every single MOMENT at clinical, you learn something new. I imagine a bunch of folders in my brain, and each patient case I am putting knowledge into the respective folder for later. It's unbelievable what you learn! 

Our midterm exam is this Thursday (already!!!!). I can't believe how fast time is going, but that is what always happens! The exam is worth one third of our final grade I believe, so needless to say I am a bit nervous. The exam covers a LOT of material: the well child, the well adult, the well woman, community acquired pneumonia, COPD, asthma and normal pregnancy. This includes all normal and abnormal findings, guidelines, medications, education, etc. It's a lot.

I just got off the phone with my grandma who always dreamed of being a nurse and she said something that stuck with me. She said, "Honey, I am so proud of you. You are so focused on your goal and work so hard. You never complain, you just do what you need to do." Sometimes in the midst of your work you forget the focus, determination, discipline and sacrifice it has taken to get you where you are. Never forget it. Nursing is truly a way of life that requires these very things. And it is no different when you get to the third year. I don't really have weekends. I can't go out with friends or my boyfriend as much as I'd like. Nor can I exercise, eat as well or do laundry as much as I'd like. But you simply duck your head and carry on. Even when it feels like you can't do work another day, or you can't study another minute, simply stay focused on go on. Before you know it, that test is over and you did just fine.

Well folks, the post is a bit boring this week, I'll admit. With class today from 9-4, studying all day tomorrow and a midterm on Thursday my brain is simply fried. Stay tuned next week for another post, but until then, remember you can submit any/all nursing related questions to Rfran430@regiscollege.edu and I will answer them on my blog!! 

Rach

                                                           Bella and I on warmer days :)