Graduation (& Tips for Nursing Students)

Life update: This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! I am graduating from nursing school at BYU-Idaho in T-minus 3 weeks!! I remember when it was a year and a half (the equivalent of a million years) away and the time just could not pass quickly enough. In some ways it was like trying to run a marathon through a slab of thick honey, like I was moving in slow motion despite my best efforts. However, there were some times where the honey melted away. There were some times I forgot I was in a marathon, and it was like I was out for a joy run. The time didn't feel so still in those moments.

I look back and I am kind of shocked that nursing school has come to an end. This journey, this part of my life I always looked forward to as the great and ominous Someday is now almost behind me. I kind of can't believe it. It's like getting to the top of Everest and finding yourself whispering, "now what?"

Although I'd be a fool if I thought nursing school was my Everest. It's only the beginning, and I know that.

The job hunt continues. I have chased a couple leads which took me nowhere (sad face), so I am just hoping to find some luck down the road. My plan is to move home to Texas and to work as a nurse there. I am a little anxious about leaving my Idaho life behind. So many people have asked me if I am sure about going back to Texas. Like I should reconsider it. Like it's not the smartest option. And I would be lying if I said I knew for sure without any doubts that moving to Texas was the right thing. I am paranoid about accidentally ruining my life with one wrong decision. I don't want to leave all my friends behind. I have connections here. 

So there's that. Graduating college is fun and all, but it's stressful! It comes along with important decisions that give me headaches and leaves me wishing someone else could tell me what to do. I am just ready to get the show on the road and go home to be with my family. 

Okay. Life update done. Here are some more tips for nursing students/future nurses now that I have almost completed schooling...

So ya wanna be a nurse?!

Tips for Nursing Students

1.) Something new I learned is that nurses do indeed "eat their young." This means that the nurse precepting/training you just might feel inconvenienced by your presence and may not treat you very well. DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! Many times it's their problem, but you are there to learn, so learn. Do what you can to help. Do the grunt work: take vitals, offer bed baths, empty and measure foley catheters and other drains, that kind of thing. This will more than likely get the nurse to warm up to you and appreciate your efforts.

2.) When studying for exams: it is mostly comprehension and critical thinking that you will be tested on. You will be asked about patient scenarios, like, 'You walk into a room and your patient has fallen. What do you chart?' Whereas before nursing school, you were asked questions like, 'Name the two bones in the forearm.' Don't get me wrong, there is still quite a bit of memorization. Especially in that first semester. However, critical thinking was a greater aspect than I expected.

3.) You can learn SO MUCH from your CNA's! Oh my goodness! There were times I learned more from a CNA in a shift than I did from the nurse. Take the time to get to know the CNA's/aides on a unit. Ask about their hacks, their tricks. They can hold goldmines of information.

4.) Oh, sweet little nursing students ... Be careful about which chair you choose to sit on. There are nurse computers and there are doctor computers. Even if a doctor is not in sight and you spot a free seat, do NOT sit at a doctor computer! Let's just say not every doctor is the nicest at asking you to move. (I got yelled at in 2nd semester by a mean old pharmacist and wanted to cry. Then again I'm kind of a wuss. But still.)

5.) I guarantee there will be someone (a nurse/preceptor, a clinical instructor, a teacher, a classmate) who will rub you the wrong way when you first meet. You will decide you don't like them. But I'm pleading with you, please. Give them a chance. Because every time I thought I knew someone's character, I was proven so very wrong. The people I'd deemed unlikable turned out to be the very best people of all. 

6.) So, I hate constructive criticism. I'm a writer. I write novels. I hate it when people read my work and then throw the harshest feedback my way. Well, you know what? No one's life is on the line, so I can be like that. But in nursing school, you get constructive criticism whether you want it or not. It's mandatory. And the best part??? It's nothing personal! And everyone - I repeat - everyone, has something to work on! No one is perfect. I think the teachers even go out of their way to make sure no one gets perfect marks in first semester. It's nice because it gives us things to work on. It helps us track our progress.

7.) Take nursing school seriously. I could have avoided a lot of stress during finals weeks had I been better prepared. READ THE CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER. GO TO THE SKILLS LAB AND PRACTICE! Slowly and steadily stay prepared.

8.) Buy the Red HESI book on Amazon.com. It's $50.00 worth of 100% worth-it-ness. 

9.) The Saunders NCLEX prep has been helpful so far.

10.) Go to your teachers' office hours! Make friends with them. Communicate with them your life situation. If you're in a crunch, GO TO THEM! They want to help you, not watch you sink!

11.) Rule #1 in nursing school (or in any school really, I mean come on): Do. Not. Cheat. Cheating can result in an automatic dismissal from your program, and it's simply not worth it. Besides, that feeling of acing a difficult exam is too sweet to give up for a stolen A+. 

12.) Make friends! Make friends! Make friends! Nursing programs are usually full of cliques, unfortunately, so hurry up and find your homies. They will get you through it all, I promise. Also, if you have any nurse friends, reach out to them! See if they can offer you any insight or assistance.

13.) Stay open-minded. When I first took the mental health course, I thought I would hate it. Sorry, wrong number, not my thing. I knew I was never going to be a psych nurse so what was the point? However, I ended up loving it! I loved the clinicals, I loved my patients. It was the most fun I'd had in nursing school up until that point. You might think you know what specialty you'll choose, but stay open-minded. I walked into nursing school with my heart set on pediatrics and came out with a newfound interest in women's health. Now, my motto is "never say never." 

14.) Nursing school is a really selfish time. I'm sorry, but it is. You will become a homebody (or a library-body, you choose). You won't have as much time for friends or family. You'll find yourself saying, "I'm sorry, I can't" more than you want. Your life inevitably becomes about school and forming your career. And IT'S NOT A BAD THING TO BE SELFISH DURING THIS TIME! Your priorities are in the right place.

15.) Don't be afraid to take risks. For instance, I was really afraid of skills like IV starts and inserting foley catheters. I had somehow never performed those skills on real-life humans (the alternative being mannequins in a lab) until 3rd semester. But in 3rd semester, I ended up starting several IV's and inserting a catheter, and those scary things suddenly became so doable! I had conquered my fear and it felt so good. 

16.) (BONUS) Nursing school really does come to an end, contrary to popular belief, so savor every second. You don't get to have "SN" behind your name for very long, so you might as well enjoy it, right?

Thanks for reading!