A lot has happened since the last we spoke!
I went to Italy. Oh, it was incredible. I’m planning a few separate blog posts to really dig into all that happened while I was there. It was definitely a life-changing trip, and I am so grateful I was able to go. The flight was looooong and exhausting, but it was worth it to see such beautiful, historically significant sites.
I graduated nursing school! Finally, finally, my long arduous journey has come to an end. My final semester was an interesting one. I wasn’t on campus as much as previous semesters. There was a lot more focus on “real world” experience, i.e. my capstone. Capstone was 120 clinical hours of one-on-one with a nurse. Mine was on a Med Surg unit, which isn’t where I’m interested in working, but I learned a lot. My preceptor was amazing. She really helped me look at each patient and anticipate what they would need. She also helped me to anticipate what I would need to complete each task, that way I wouldn’t waste time running back and forth from the patient’s room to the supply room. Those skills have really translated into the area where I do want to work– the emergency room.
I had to take a few classes that were more theoretical as well. “Synthesis” focused on research and synthesizing new ideas with old ones. “Leadership” was what it sounds like, a class all about building leadership skills and learning about different styles of leaders. Finally, I took the class that was the one responsible for the Italy trip. That class focused on learning about Italy in 3 main historical periods: Ancient Rome, Renaissance, and the WWII Era.
All in all, it was a great semester to end my college career on. I finished strong with a 4.0 GPA. I ended up graduating in the top 5 students of my nursing cohort. I also graduated with honor’s, which basically just means that I took extra classes and met certain criteria. It felt good to be recognized for all of the hard work I put into my academics. I got quite a few cords and even a medal to wear at graduation.
I took and passed my NCLEX! The NCLEX is the national licensure exam for becoming an RN (Registered Nurse.) Even with a Bachelor’s in the Science of Nursing, you’re not officially a nurse until you take and pass the NCLEX. A little less than one week after graduation, I took my NCLEX. I found out a couple of days later that I passed. I’m officially an RN!
I started my first job as an RN! Within the past couple of weeks, I began working as a Registered Nurse in an emergency department. I am on orientation, which means that I’m paired with another nurse and learning a lot of on the job skills. This period will last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks, depending on how comfortable and competent I am in my practice. It has been so exciting to finally be able to do all of the things that were inaccessible to me as just a tech. I’m really grateful for my experience as a tech, though, because I’ve been able to work alongside some of the nurses that are now training me, and I don’t feel like I’m starting from square one, because I’m already really familiar with the environment, the charting systems, and the types of things that we do for certain disease processes.
For example, any time there is someone who comes in with a suspected stroke, there is almost an algorithm that we follow. First, we get the doctor to determine whether or not the patient is actually having a stroke. If the answer is yes, we find out when the last time the patient was completely normal was. If it was within the last 4 hours, there’s a drug that we can give the patient to “bust” the clot that is causing the stroke. However, before we administer that medication, we have to get the patient to CT to make sure that there isn’t any bleeding in the brain. If there is, then the patient is ineligible for the drug as it increases the risk of bleeding, and that would cause significant harm.
It all feels scary and fast-paced at first, but once you realize that most instances are the same, and that there are actionable steps that we as nurses are able to take, it feels way less overwhelming. Beyond that, I’m having a lot of fun placing IVs, learning new skills and processes, and in general, just being a nurse. This is what I’ve been working so hard towards for the past 4 years of my life. It’s been amazing to finally get to this point.
Finally, and most recently, I got married! I’ve been with Joshua for 7 years now, and we finally were able to make it official. We had a small, intimate ceremony with just a few friends and family members. I was extremely nervous, because we decided to write and read our own vows to one another. I was worried about the awkwardness of doing so in front of others. However, once I walked out to him and was standing before him, everything else melted away. All I could focus on at that point was the love I have for this man. I read my vows first, and I tried my best to not stare at the piece of paper, but to also make eye contact with Josh and ensure he knew the depths of the words I was speaking.
When the time came for Josh to read his vows to me, I was doing everything I could to not cry. The whole moment was truly so beautiful and perfect, more-so than I could have even planned for. After vows, we placed our rings on each other’s fingers and sealed the deal with a kiss. I was able to hire a local photographer, and she captured some incredible pictures of these unforgettable moments. (Which I am really struggling to upload here, so I guess stay tuned for those, too!)
After the very short ceremony, we gathered and ate some of the wedding cake and food that Josh’s mom got for us. We just hung out with our friends, even playing catch with a football with our friends’ son. I recently bought myself a nice used camera (Nikon D3300) as a graduation present, so I walked around and practiced taking some pictures of my own. The friends’ in question have a beautiful property in the middle of nowhere. It’s so peaceful out there, with the only sounds being those of the wildlife that live alongside them. I find those places to be the most inspiring, both for photographs as well as writing/poetry.
My wedding day was perfect. Looking back, there is nothing that sticks out as having gone astray or wrong. In fact, it all went so much better than I had even anticipated. I left the wedding on cloud nine, ecstatic to finally have married my best friend. Even now, as I write this, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who helped make it happen. Firstly, I have a friend from Cote d’Ivore who now lives here and owns a flower shop. She crafted the most beautiful bouquet for me, as well as a matching boutonniere for Joshua, completely free of charge. If not for her, we were just going to go without those things. Then, Josh’s friends who allowed us the use of their home for our ceremony. Not only that, but his best friend was the one who officiated the ceremony. It means so much to me that they were willing to do all of that just for our sake. And of course, Josh’s mom bringing the wedding cake and food. Another aspect of the wedding that we likely would have skipped altogether if not for her. My heart is so full knowing that we have people in our corner that are willing to go to such lengths just to make our day more special.
I say that a lot has happened since the last we spoke, but truthfully most of this occurred in just this past month of my life. It has been busy, but so rewarding. That being said, my life is about to calm down significantly. I’m going to be working full time hours, but I don’t have school to worry about in addition to work, so it actually results in me having a LOT more free time. I’m excited to get a part of myself back, to explore hobbies and interests that I’ve had to put on hold in order to prioritize school. I’ve gotten back to the gym, trying to keep better track of my food as well. I bought that camera, so I’m excited to get better at taking pictures and hopefully learn how to edit them! And of course, I’m excited to get back here, to you all, where you have been patient with me for my inconsistent life updates and ramblings. I hope to be able to post these little articles with a bit more regularity and frequency now that my schedule is becoming more predictable.
I truly feel that I am entering a completely new era of my life. One as a graduate, nurse, photographer, writer, and a wife. I have no idea what the future has in store for me, but I have an optimism and excitement that I haven’t had in quite some time. I’m thrilled to see what new experiences and knowledge I can gain, but most of all, I’m excited to share it all here. My blog’s 4 year anniversary was just a week ago! New chapters all around.
Thanks for sticking around and reading. Thanks for cheering me on, whether it’s near or from afar. I’m genuinely so grateful for each and everyone of you. Stay posted for my Italy blogs coming soon!!
~Until next time
