This summer I spent 5 weeks on the Medical/Surgical floor of University Hospital.
This floor included mostly orthopedic surgical patients as well as several bariatric and other misc. patients.
We started Wednesday afternoon with preplan. This was time when we went to the hospital, were assigned a patient, and got all their basic info--labs, condition, treatments, procedures etc.
Then I would head home....plop down in front of So You Think You Can Dance (FAVE SHOW!) to do my care plan. This involved very little thought...mostly a lot of flipping through the book and copying it down...making it ideal commercial/boring parts of the show work. After the 2 hour show I was almost always done....so I got myself ready for bed...packed a lunch and went to sleep. BY 10PM...BECAUSE
Thursday bright and early I got up...dressed like this
PICTURE PENDING!!!!
....grabbed some breakfast and my sack lunch...and ran to the hospital.
From roughly 6:45 to 7:15 we had conference...basically hearing about our patient from our instructor. And then we ran out onto the floor to get vital signs...and the day began!
Seeing as we literally just started school, we are not exactly the most trained nurses ever, but we did have several responsibilities.
1. Bed baths....Have you ever given a bed bath to a 300+ pound immobile person? NOT FUN!!!!
But usually these were not too bad. It gives you lots of time to talk with your patient..learn about them and their condition. It also gives you an up close and personal look at them, so that if there are any physical issues you can consider and treat them.
Although another downside to bed baths was the fact that you often had to change their sheets while they were still in there. Possible...but takes practice!
2. Physical assessments......Head to toe we had to check them out. It is both a good and a bad thing to have a student nurse assigned to you from a patient's perspective. Good cause you get lots of individualized attention. But not so good because they do much of what the nurse has already done again...just for practice.
3. Vital signs and I/Os...every 4 hours we did blood pressure, respiration rates, pulses, temperature and pain. We also had to keep track of everything that went in (I) and everything that came out (O) LOVELY RIGHT?? haha
4. Simple procedures...these usually included wound care and dressings. But sometimes if you were lucky you got a feeding tube or catheter you got to take care of!
5. Some people got to ambulate their patient.....this basically just meant help them walk around the floor to maintain good circulation. I never got this job, since I only had 2 of my 5 patients that were mobile, and they were specially walked by Physical Therapy. So sad!
6. If you had a nice nurse you also got to give shots, administer medications and draw blood. This was always very fun!
7. GOPHER!!! Lets be honest...this was our main job. The patient or nurse needed anything...our job!
We actually got to do quite a bit if you think about it. Not much else was done that we couldn't do. We were nurses...we just always had to be supervised!
Because Life is Not Meant To Be Wasted
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Weeks 6 and 7...Oh the happenings!
So it has been 2 weeks since I last updated. So lets see what I can do to get you guys all caught up.
Its been a roller coaster and A LOT has happened...so hold on tight!
Week 6
Monday--pretty normal day I think (its hard to remember that far back haha) Went to my first FHE with the ward and had such a good time. It was at the Bishop's house. This couple for reals is like the sweetest old couple ever!!! And SUPER funny too. I am bummed that I came out when their time in our ward is pretty much done (they release them after 3 years) But there is talk of still getting together with them...which I hope happens cause they are GREAT!
Tuesday--This was an interesting day.... Some of you might know I had been dating someone long distance while I was out in MO. Very short version of the story....we started dating right before I left...kept in contact...I went out to visit him..had a REALLY great weekend...we talked every night for HOURS..he was planning on coming out and seeing me 4th of July weekend. So that catches you up pretty fast.
Anyways..he decided that Tuesday that he wanted to see other people and that we would break up and he would not come visit me that weekend. It was really hard and there was a lot of drama involved....that you don't need to hear about. But anyways. That is what happened...and kind of shaded the next several days in an unexpected light.
Wednesday--I had gotten to talk to several friends and family members the night before and talked with some friends in my program during the day....so I was holding up pretty well. I stayed busy and went to Preplan that afternoon. Preplan is when we go to the hospital the night before clinicals to get all our patient information so we can write a care plan for the next day.
Thursday--FIRST OFFICAL NINJA SCRUBS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (our scrubs are black and the patients sometimes joke that we look like ninjas wandering aroudn the hospital) Our patient was the sweetest old lady who was actually several days post-op so she wasn't too difficult. I think I am going to put up a whole post about clinicals cause it would take too long to do it now...so stay tuned ;)
I was SUPER tired by the end of the day even though she wasn't a hard patient....because I had to get up at...wait for it.....5:30!!!!!!!!!! ICKY!!!!!!!! and anyone who knows me knows that the phrase "not a morning person" doesn't even come close to being strong enough to describe me. haha
Friday-- This was a CRAZY day for our program. We were sooooooo antsy and ready to get out of there! It had been a long week and we were ready for the long weekend to start. We were crazy...it seriously looked like a classroom full of 5 year olds not a classroom full of adults getting their 2nd BS degree ;) But once class was doen we bolted! And I got to drive home with my old high school friend who is also in my program...Allison. LOVE HER!!!
So we got home and I grabbed some dinner and left again to go to a bridal shower. My sweet little Katy....who I have know since she was 7 and I was 9/10ish....is getting married!!!! CRAZINESS!!! Years of Rising Generation and Girls Camp/Young Women's trips and activities and then we took D&C together last year. SUCH AN AMAZING FRIEND!!! And I am soooooo happy for her :)
After the bridal shower I was able to talk to my ex-boyfriend on the phone to get some closure that I felt I really needed. Dramatic phone call...followed by keeping my mom up talking till 2 AM....sorry Mama!!!!!! But it was important for me to do.
Saturday--quiet day at home. I caught up on sleep and got to talk to the family and a good friend from Provo. I also started on a book by my favorite author my sister had made sure would be there for the long weekend I would be home.
Sunday--normal day at church. Several people were missing from the Primary leadership so my mom...the music leader was doing the whole sha-bang. Usually she takes a moment to go over to nursery to sing with them...but since she couldn't...I did ;) I had a blast with the little cuties!
After church I enlisted my little sister to tailor my ninja scrubs to look a little less like...well a tent. When she finished my first words were..."Look I have a shape!" She did a GREAT job! I have gotten many comlpliments and several people who would like to enlist her services as well :)
At some point during the day I discovered how to post videos on people's facebook walls....which provided quite a bit of entertainment for me...and a great deal of annoyance from all my friends ;)
I also drafted my baby sister to help me study for my HUGE patho test that was Tuesday morning. She did an awesome job flipping flashcards for me.
The evening ended with several games of Uno and Old Maid....TONS OF FUN!
Week 7
Monday--4th of JULY!!!!! Our family celebrated by going on a mini-road trip to take me back to Columbia. We stopped at an outlet mall on the way to get some shirts for G's mission. And then we stopped at...wait for it....OZARKLAND!!!!!!!!!! BEST RANDOM STORE EVER!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of pics are up on FB if you would like to look :) We also stopped at Nostaligaville....but it was kind a let down after the awesomeness that was the 2 floor gloriousness of Ozarkland :) The car ride was full of dancing and singing. We made a special playlist for the trip. Thankfully my family was understanding and accepting of the several breakup songs that were mixed in with the party mix.
It was really hard to have my family leave because they had been such a strength to me all weekend. But they left and I got back to the studying.
Tuesday--Not a fun day..I wanted to be back on vacation and had 2 tests. Seriously who plans 2 tests on the 5th of July. LAME!!! Did better on the first test than any others in that class...thanks to my study buddy! Didn't do super hot on the 2nd but thats ok The day did get a little better though because I got to talk to like 6 super good friends from Provo. Everyone has been so sweet to me lately!
Wednesday--pretty normal day. Our schedule was changed with the day off...so I had some time off since it was a lab day. Pretty sure I got a nap in there that afternoon Great times! Preplan was also good.
Thursday--CRAZY DAY!!!! Got up early and got to the hospital to find out my instructor had changed my patient that I had done my care plan on. So I spent the morning feeling like I was constantly playing catch up. She also had a lot that she needed and we literally were on our feet all day caring for her and taking care of all that was involved in that. But she was a dear sweet lady and this is what i signed up for. But I got home and crashed for a couple hours!
Friday--VERY ready for the weekend again. The plan had been to get a bunch done that night....but then I turned on the TV while making dinner and got sucked into a Harry Potter marathon. So on a lamo Friday night I snuggled up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, some popcorn and yarn...I made a beret to match the scarf I made last winter :) It is very cute and I am quite impressed with myself!
Saturday--slept late which was MAGICAL. Then I got all my study materials together, packed up my laundry, and headed to the pool. The other people prolly thought I was crazy cause I would leave every 45 minutes to check on my laundry! But a little while after I got there a friend from the ward who also lives in my complex came and we chatted for a while, till I really had to go in and study some more. After a day of studying I turned on the Harry Potter marathon again.....very nice :)
Sunday--Church of course. Pretty average. Went to a dinner with some new friends from the ward and had a blast just hanging out and chatting. Plus we made Cafe Rio style tacos which I have been craving like since I left Utah!!!!! Soo yummy!!!!! After that I got to talk to my sweet Kennababe before she leaves for her mission (this week!!!!!). I miss her so much already but I am soooooo excited and proud of her! She is going to be the BEST missionary EVER!!!!!! Also got to "go on a walk" with Iggy. Super fun and good to talk to so many good friends!
So that has been my weeks..... Ups and Downs and lots of LOVE. My sweet friend Holly sometimes says that people are too nice to her and she doesn't understand it. (If you knew Holly you would know that this statement is RIDICULOUS) But though I feel it is ridiculous I am beginning to understand. Everyone has been so kind and loving to me. Even people who are not my best friends are calling or texting or facebooking checking in with me and letting me know that they care.
Thank you everyone for making these weeks much easier :)
Hugs and kisses till next week!!!!!
Its been a roller coaster and A LOT has happened...so hold on tight!
Week 6
Monday--pretty normal day I think (its hard to remember that far back haha) Went to my first FHE with the ward and had such a good time. It was at the Bishop's house. This couple for reals is like the sweetest old couple ever!!! And SUPER funny too. I am bummed that I came out when their time in our ward is pretty much done (they release them after 3 years) But there is talk of still getting together with them...which I hope happens cause they are GREAT!
Tuesday--This was an interesting day.... Some of you might know I had been dating someone long distance while I was out in MO. Very short version of the story....we started dating right before I left...kept in contact...I went out to visit him..had a REALLY great weekend...we talked every night for HOURS..he was planning on coming out and seeing me 4th of July weekend. So that catches you up pretty fast.
Anyways..he decided that Tuesday that he wanted to see other people and that we would break up and he would not come visit me that weekend. It was really hard and there was a lot of drama involved....that you don't need to hear about. But anyways. That is what happened...and kind of shaded the next several days in an unexpected light.
Wednesday--I had gotten to talk to several friends and family members the night before and talked with some friends in my program during the day....so I was holding up pretty well. I stayed busy and went to Preplan that afternoon. Preplan is when we go to the hospital the night before clinicals to get all our patient information so we can write a care plan for the next day.
Thursday--FIRST OFFICAL NINJA SCRUBS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (our scrubs are black and the patients sometimes joke that we look like ninjas wandering aroudn the hospital) Our patient was the sweetest old lady who was actually several days post-op so she wasn't too difficult. I think I am going to put up a whole post about clinicals cause it would take too long to do it now...so stay tuned ;)
I was SUPER tired by the end of the day even though she wasn't a hard patient....because I had to get up at...wait for it.....5:30!!!!!!!!!! ICKY!!!!!!!! and anyone who knows me knows that the phrase "not a morning person" doesn't even come close to being strong enough to describe me. haha
Friday-- This was a CRAZY day for our program. We were sooooooo antsy and ready to get out of there! It had been a long week and we were ready for the long weekend to start. We were crazy...it seriously looked like a classroom full of 5 year olds not a classroom full of adults getting their 2nd BS degree ;) But once class was doen we bolted! And I got to drive home with my old high school friend who is also in my program...Allison. LOVE HER!!!
So we got home and I grabbed some dinner and left again to go to a bridal shower. My sweet little Katy....who I have know since she was 7 and I was 9/10ish....is getting married!!!! CRAZINESS!!! Years of Rising Generation and Girls Camp/Young Women's trips and activities and then we took D&C together last year. SUCH AN AMAZING FRIEND!!! And I am soooooo happy for her :)
After the bridal shower I was able to talk to my ex-boyfriend on the phone to get some closure that I felt I really needed. Dramatic phone call...followed by keeping my mom up talking till 2 AM....sorry Mama!!!!!! But it was important for me to do.
Saturday--quiet day at home. I caught up on sleep and got to talk to the family and a good friend from Provo. I also started on a book by my favorite author my sister had made sure would be there for the long weekend I would be home.
Sunday--normal day at church. Several people were missing from the Primary leadership so my mom...the music leader was doing the whole sha-bang. Usually she takes a moment to go over to nursery to sing with them...but since she couldn't...I did ;) I had a blast with the little cuties!
After church I enlisted my little sister to tailor my ninja scrubs to look a little less like...well a tent. When she finished my first words were..."Look I have a shape!" She did a GREAT job! I have gotten many comlpliments and several people who would like to enlist her services as well :)
At some point during the day I discovered how to post videos on people's facebook walls....which provided quite a bit of entertainment for me...and a great deal of annoyance from all my friends ;)
I also drafted my baby sister to help me study for my HUGE patho test that was Tuesday morning. She did an awesome job flipping flashcards for me.
The evening ended with several games of Uno and Old Maid....TONS OF FUN!
Week 7
Monday--4th of JULY!!!!! Our family celebrated by going on a mini-road trip to take me back to Columbia. We stopped at an outlet mall on the way to get some shirts for G's mission. And then we stopped at...wait for it....OZARKLAND!!!!!!!!!! BEST RANDOM STORE EVER!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of pics are up on FB if you would like to look :) We also stopped at Nostaligaville....but it was kind a let down after the awesomeness that was the 2 floor gloriousness of Ozarkland :) The car ride was full of dancing and singing. We made a special playlist for the trip. Thankfully my family was understanding and accepting of the several breakup songs that were mixed in with the party mix.
It was really hard to have my family leave because they had been such a strength to me all weekend. But they left and I got back to the studying.
Tuesday--Not a fun day..I wanted to be back on vacation and had 2 tests. Seriously who plans 2 tests on the 5th of July. LAME!!! Did better on the first test than any others in that class...thanks to my study buddy! Didn't do super hot on the 2nd but thats ok The day did get a little better though because I got to talk to like 6 super good friends from Provo. Everyone has been so sweet to me lately!
Wednesday--pretty normal day. Our schedule was changed with the day off...so I had some time off since it was a lab day. Pretty sure I got a nap in there that afternoon Great times! Preplan was also good.
Thursday--CRAZY DAY!!!! Got up early and got to the hospital to find out my instructor had changed my patient that I had done my care plan on. So I spent the morning feeling like I was constantly playing catch up. She also had a lot that she needed and we literally were on our feet all day caring for her and taking care of all that was involved in that. But she was a dear sweet lady and this is what i signed up for. But I got home and crashed for a couple hours!
Friday--VERY ready for the weekend again. The plan had been to get a bunch done that night....but then I turned on the TV while making dinner and got sucked into a Harry Potter marathon. So on a lamo Friday night I snuggled up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, some popcorn and yarn...I made a beret to match the scarf I made last winter :) It is very cute and I am quite impressed with myself!
Saturday--slept late which was MAGICAL. Then I got all my study materials together, packed up my laundry, and headed to the pool. The other people prolly thought I was crazy cause I would leave every 45 minutes to check on my laundry! But a little while after I got there a friend from the ward who also lives in my complex came and we chatted for a while, till I really had to go in and study some more. After a day of studying I turned on the Harry Potter marathon again.....very nice :)
Sunday--Church of course. Pretty average. Went to a dinner with some new friends from the ward and had a blast just hanging out and chatting. Plus we made Cafe Rio style tacos which I have been craving like since I left Utah!!!!! Soo yummy!!!!! After that I got to talk to my sweet Kennababe before she leaves for her mission (this week!!!!!). I miss her so much already but I am soooooo excited and proud of her! She is going to be the BEST missionary EVER!!!!!! Also got to "go on a walk" with Iggy. Super fun and good to talk to so many good friends!
So that has been my weeks..... Ups and Downs and lots of LOVE. My sweet friend Holly sometimes says that people are too nice to her and she doesn't understand it. (If you knew Holly you would know that this statement is RIDICULOUS) But though I feel it is ridiculous I am beginning to understand. Everyone has been so kind and loving to me. Even people who are not my best friends are calling or texting or facebooking checking in with me and letting me know that they care.
Thank you everyone for making these weeks much easier :)
Hugs and kisses till next week!!!!!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Week 5---We are HALF WAY THERE!!!!!
Yep ladies and gentleman we are half way through the summer semester from....well you know where ;)
Honestly it has not been that bad. Just lots of ups and downs. I decided today that its kinda been like a mission in some respects. You're high, you're low, you're high, you're low....and you only woke up 30 minutes ago! (hehe I just rhymed!) This experience has truly been a Charles Dickins one......best of times and worst of times.
so here was the break down!
Monday---kinda a hard day because I had just gotten back the night before from home...and wasn't too thrilled to be back. But other than that it was a pretty ordinary day. Classes and homework pretty much took up most of my mental capacity. Except the part that was full of thoughts about my future. For some reason Monday I was really concerned about it. But I went to sleep and it went away too ;)
Tuesday---this was a REALLY long day. My family has kinda had a disaster month in that EVERYTHING seems to be breaking...like constantly. And Tuesday it was my turn. The bike I brought up here broke. BUMMERS!!! Thought thankfully a few days later prayers were miraculously answered and I was able to fix it. Then I had 2 papers due the next day that seemed to be taking twice as much time as I had planned. And I had a test the next day as well. I only had class from 10:30 to 12:00 which seemed great until we got started 30 minutes late and got out 30 minutes late too. I had signed up to get certified in CPR that afternoon and had a very short time to transition into that. And that took FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! So I got home late...hot tired and cranky. But I managed to get everything done and fell asleep as my head hit the pillow!
Wednesday---The crazy day of things being due wasn't too hard since all the work was done! My test went well and our professor in our afternoon class had spent the morning in the dentist chair, and felt that teaching on narcotics wouldn't be the best thing ever and let us out EARLY!!! MAGICAL!!!!
Thursday---Now this is the day you all want to hear about!!!! Thursday was the most exciting day of the week. Why?? CLINICAL ORIENTATION!!!!!! SOOOOOO fun!!!!! I mean it wasn't super exciting in that we didn't do anything but wander around and figure out where things are. But it got me really excited. Super nervous...cause what if I kill someone!!!! But excited none the less :) Also this day started for me at 9 and was done around 1 (it will usually be 6:45 to 3 though so...no rest for the weary!) So I came home and took a nap. It was quite lovely!
Friday---Pretty easy day. Nothing extravagant or particularly exciting. Got out a little early which was nice. Then I got myself all dressed up (meaning not scrubs and an old t-shirt) for a night out on the town! I hung out with some great guys from the ward here in Columbia and went to a fun outdoor concert in downtown Columbia. It was a really good time. Columbia is just beginning to grow on me...we'll see where we are in the future!
Saturday--seriously boring day! Spent the day writing a talk for church and studying for my pathophysiology test on Monday. But I got stuff done and got some groceries so I am in good shape I guess. Not every day can be full of excitement!
Sunday---still happening I guess. I went to church early today to meet with a member of the bishopric...I guessed for a calling. Amazingly I was right...how did that happen??? haha Anyway they called me to be the ward music chair. Which is exciting. Its something I have done before and I feel comfortable with it. Also it is not too demanding of my time...but is still a really calling. I wouldn't have been too happy if they gave me the 2nd assistant to the hymn number putter upper man (if you have not seen the DC sketch about it..you have to watch it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzEsANb-Crs) Anyway. I gave a talk on tithing and fast offerings...which is over so that is good. This afternoon's plans involve a "family dinner" with some people from the ward and studying a little more for my test tomorrow. Should be a decent one :)
Till next week ......hugs and kisses!!!!!!
Honestly it has not been that bad. Just lots of ups and downs. I decided today that its kinda been like a mission in some respects. You're high, you're low, you're high, you're low....and you only woke up 30 minutes ago! (hehe I just rhymed!) This experience has truly been a Charles Dickins one......best of times and worst of times.
so here was the break down!
Monday---kinda a hard day because I had just gotten back the night before from home...and wasn't too thrilled to be back. But other than that it was a pretty ordinary day. Classes and homework pretty much took up most of my mental capacity. Except the part that was full of thoughts about my future. For some reason Monday I was really concerned about it. But I went to sleep and it went away too ;)
Tuesday---this was a REALLY long day. My family has kinda had a disaster month in that EVERYTHING seems to be breaking...like constantly. And Tuesday it was my turn. The bike I brought up here broke. BUMMERS!!! Thought thankfully a few days later prayers were miraculously answered and I was able to fix it. Then I had 2 papers due the next day that seemed to be taking twice as much time as I had planned. And I had a test the next day as well. I only had class from 10:30 to 12:00 which seemed great until we got started 30 minutes late and got out 30 minutes late too. I had signed up to get certified in CPR that afternoon and had a very short time to transition into that. And that took FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! So I got home late...hot tired and cranky. But I managed to get everything done and fell asleep as my head hit the pillow!
Wednesday---The crazy day of things being due wasn't too hard since all the work was done! My test went well and our professor in our afternoon class had spent the morning in the dentist chair, and felt that teaching on narcotics wouldn't be the best thing ever and let us out EARLY!!! MAGICAL!!!!
Thursday---Now this is the day you all want to hear about!!!! Thursday was the most exciting day of the week. Why?? CLINICAL ORIENTATION!!!!!! SOOOOOO fun!!!!! I mean it wasn't super exciting in that we didn't do anything but wander around and figure out where things are. But it got me really excited. Super nervous...cause what if I kill someone!!!! But excited none the less :) Also this day started for me at 9 and was done around 1 (it will usually be 6:45 to 3 though so...no rest for the weary!) So I came home and took a nap. It was quite lovely!
Friday---Pretty easy day. Nothing extravagant or particularly exciting. Got out a little early which was nice. Then I got myself all dressed up (meaning not scrubs and an old t-shirt) for a night out on the town! I hung out with some great guys from the ward here in Columbia and went to a fun outdoor concert in downtown Columbia. It was a really good time. Columbia is just beginning to grow on me...we'll see where we are in the future!
Saturday--seriously boring day! Spent the day writing a talk for church and studying for my pathophysiology test on Monday. But I got stuff done and got some groceries so I am in good shape I guess. Not every day can be full of excitement!
Sunday---still happening I guess. I went to church early today to meet with a member of the bishopric...I guessed for a calling. Amazingly I was right...how did that happen??? haha Anyway they called me to be the ward music chair. Which is exciting. Its something I have done before and I feel comfortable with it. Also it is not too demanding of my time...but is still a really calling. I wouldn't have been too happy if they gave me the 2nd assistant to the hymn number putter upper man (if you have not seen the DC sketch about it..you have to watch it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzEsANb-Crs) Anyway. I gave a talk on tithing and fast offerings...which is over so that is good. This afternoon's plans involve a "family dinner" with some people from the ward and studying a little more for my test tomorrow. Should be a decent one :)
Till next week ......hugs and kisses!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Week 4---Good Moments Come to Help You Get Through
So week 4 is over.....this week had lots of moments that made life quite great!
Day 1--regular ordinary day. Took a pathophysiology test. I did better on it then the last one, but I still hope to improve for the next test. I have the technique (hundreds of flashcards) down, I just have to give myself just a little more time to be extra thorough. Also we got out of class early :)
Day 2--Normal day had a short break in the middle of the day till it was my turn to be in lab. And then got out early :) Spent a long time studying on campus and then headed up to the institute building. Great lesson that really made me think and kinda reevaluate some patterns and habits I have formed. On my way home I got to have another awesome therapy session with my great "therapist" Andrea ;) Love Tuesdays just cause I get to talk to her :)
Day 3--very ordinary day (wow if my life continues like this....this blog is gonna get SUPER boring!) Got out a little early and went home...and took a nap! Then homework...always homework!
Day 4--another ordinary day...but this day I had LOTS to do! Cause I had to get all my stuff packed for a weekend home!!!!! Also I had to study for a pass/fail medication calculations test and get to bed early because......
Day 5--7 AM class....and I had to look nice! Skirt....plus makeup!!!! I woke up when my clock still said 5...that should be ILLEGAL!!!!!!! But I took the test and passed...we had a little bit of class and then headed over to a restaurant for a lunch put on for us by the alumni association. It was very inspiring actually. I t helped me realize not only how happy I am I chose nursing but also that I chose Mizzou. It has been hard and will still be hard, but I am glad I made the choice I did.
At the end of the lunch, my roommate Jessika and I headed home to St Louis. We passed 5 accidents on the way but made it safe and sound. I was greeted by laughs and dancing to strange "Boom Ba Boombo" at top volume followed soon after by "Turn it down Turn it down!!! Dad is HOME!" haha gotta love the family!
Regular ordinary family life followed. Watched Tron with the kids after dinner...and was confused the whole time. Dear action movies---maybe if you had a little more dialogue I would not have had to make my brother stop the movie every 5 seconds to explain things to me.
Day 6--another ordinary day with the family. Sleeping late and napping. Chatting with my baby girls about everything! LOVE BEING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 7--church at the home ward. Always great! Got a ton of "I thought you were gone" and "What are you doing here" But it was Father's Day and I wanted to see my Daddy! I think it is simply because our home ward is not used to close by college students. The majority go far away and come home for vacations and summer break. But when you only live 1.5 hours away....a weekend home is a definite option :) Drove back up late Sunday night and got ready to start the whole thing over again!
hugs and kisses!
Day 1--regular ordinary day. Took a pathophysiology test. I did better on it then the last one, but I still hope to improve for the next test. I have the technique (hundreds of flashcards) down, I just have to give myself just a little more time to be extra thorough. Also we got out of class early :)
Day 2--Normal day had a short break in the middle of the day till it was my turn to be in lab. And then got out early :) Spent a long time studying on campus and then headed up to the institute building. Great lesson that really made me think and kinda reevaluate some patterns and habits I have formed. On my way home I got to have another awesome therapy session with my great "therapist" Andrea ;) Love Tuesdays just cause I get to talk to her :)
Day 3--very ordinary day (wow if my life continues like this....this blog is gonna get SUPER boring!) Got out a little early and went home...and took a nap! Then homework...always homework!
Day 4--another ordinary day...but this day I had LOTS to do! Cause I had to get all my stuff packed for a weekend home!!!!! Also I had to study for a pass/fail medication calculations test and get to bed early because......
Day 5--7 AM class....and I had to look nice! Skirt....plus makeup!!!! I woke up when my clock still said 5...that should be ILLEGAL!!!!!!! But I took the test and passed...we had a little bit of class and then headed over to a restaurant for a lunch put on for us by the alumni association. It was very inspiring actually. I t helped me realize not only how happy I am I chose nursing but also that I chose Mizzou. It has been hard and will still be hard, but I am glad I made the choice I did.
At the end of the lunch, my roommate Jessika and I headed home to St Louis. We passed 5 accidents on the way but made it safe and sound. I was greeted by laughs and dancing to strange "Boom Ba Boombo" at top volume followed soon after by "Turn it down Turn it down!!! Dad is HOME!" haha gotta love the family!
Regular ordinary family life followed. Watched Tron with the kids after dinner...and was confused the whole time. Dear action movies---maybe if you had a little more dialogue I would not have had to make my brother stop the movie every 5 seconds to explain things to me.
Day 6--another ordinary day with the family. Sleeping late and napping. Chatting with my baby girls about everything! LOVE BEING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 7--church at the home ward. Always great! Got a ton of "I thought you were gone" and "What are you doing here" But it was Father's Day and I wanted to see my Daddy! I think it is simply because our home ward is not used to close by college students. The majority go far away and come home for vacations and summer break. But when you only live 1.5 hours away....a weekend home is a definite option :) Drove back up late Sunday night and got ready to start the whole thing over again!
hugs and kisses!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Week 3--Settling In
Well another week done. At the beginning of the week...it never seems like it is going to end. But time passes....even if it is slow.
I am kind of getting just a little more settled in. I have pretty much got a routine down----mainly consisting of wake up ...go to class....come home...do homework...go to sleep. Boring I know...and prolly doesn't sound much different than my routine from the two previous weeks. But deviations are not as frequent this week as they were in the past.
So lets do the breakdown!
Monday----pretty calm day. Had skills the whole day and a 2.5 hour break in the middle to do homework. Which was VERY nice. We practiced putting on sterile gloves and created a new nursing catch phrase....."Sterile High Five" haha! We also got to insert catheters into the dummies. Its nice to be doing "real" stuff. Part of me wishes I could practice on a real human just because I know it will be harder and more important on a human.....but practicing on dummies is much safer!
Tuesday----took a test which wasn't too bad. Spent more time in the lab and got more time in the middle of the day to study. I also stayed on campus until late to get some studying done and then attended FMRDASE. (Forced Mating Ritual Disguised as Spiritual Enlightenment AKA Institute). It was nice to have a little spiritual boost in the middle of the week and the teacher we have is REALLY great! The class is really small and mostly made up of people far more zealous than I am! I don't really feel super at home...but I know it is important to go, so I will keep going. Cause its the right thing to do. But I am going to try to create a system of refreshments. I mean REALLY...what kind of mating ritual doesn't have a facilitatative mingle moment at the end?
Wednesday---just an ordinary day....nothing to special about it. Had lots of check-offs (doing a procedure for the professor). I think I may have done like 5.....?????
Thursday----took my first nursing research and theory test. It was open book and open note so it wasn't too bad. But we had had check offs all morning too so....it was a LONG day!!!!! We finished the test and thought we might be able to go home...but our professor kept us for another 30ish minutes to lecture for a bit. We were DEAD and it was prolly the most ineffective lecture EVER. That was the latest we had stayed in class for...hmmmm I think all three weeks. We usually get out between 2 and 4 each day....but we were there till almost 5 and it was TERRIBLE!!!
Friday----Love it every week...still a long tiring day that we just were done with by the end. We did a class check off----cause I think our professors didn't want to watch us all do it! We were seriously cheering and doing dances when we finished cause we were soooo done! Also we got a pretty decent storm that night
Saturday----Studied most of the day for my patho test that will be Monday. It was a BEAUTIFUL afternoon! The morning was cloudy and cool. But the afternoon the sun came out and their was an AWESOME breeze. It was prolly only 70ish degrees. I studied by the pool for a bit, but soon lost the sunlight...and therefore the warmth.
Sunday---TODAY! ;) Church of course. We sang my favorite hymn as a closing song Abide With Me, which was very nice. I am getting to meet several super sweet people which is great. We also had a dinner afterward which was lovely and a great chance to get to know people better.
So that has been my week. Eventfully uneventful :)
Hugs and Kisses till next week!
I am kind of getting just a little more settled in. I have pretty much got a routine down----mainly consisting of wake up ...go to class....come home...do homework...go to sleep. Boring I know...and prolly doesn't sound much different than my routine from the two previous weeks. But deviations are not as frequent this week as they were in the past.
So lets do the breakdown!
Monday----pretty calm day. Had skills the whole day and a 2.5 hour break in the middle to do homework. Which was VERY nice. We practiced putting on sterile gloves and created a new nursing catch phrase....."Sterile High Five" haha! We also got to insert catheters into the dummies. Its nice to be doing "real" stuff. Part of me wishes I could practice on a real human just because I know it will be harder and more important on a human.....but practicing on dummies is much safer!
Tuesday----took a test which wasn't too bad. Spent more time in the lab and got more time in the middle of the day to study. I also stayed on campus until late to get some studying done and then attended FMRDASE. (Forced Mating Ritual Disguised as Spiritual Enlightenment AKA Institute). It was nice to have a little spiritual boost in the middle of the week and the teacher we have is REALLY great! The class is really small and mostly made up of people far more zealous than I am! I don't really feel super at home...but I know it is important to go, so I will keep going. Cause its the right thing to do. But I am going to try to create a system of refreshments. I mean REALLY...what kind of mating ritual doesn't have a facilitatative mingle moment at the end?
Wednesday---just an ordinary day....nothing to special about it. Had lots of check-offs (doing a procedure for the professor). I think I may have done like 5.....?????
Thursday----took my first nursing research and theory test. It was open book and open note so it wasn't too bad. But we had had check offs all morning too so....it was a LONG day!!!!! We finished the test and thought we might be able to go home...but our professor kept us for another 30ish minutes to lecture for a bit. We were DEAD and it was prolly the most ineffective lecture EVER. That was the latest we had stayed in class for...hmmmm I think all three weeks. We usually get out between 2 and 4 each day....but we were there till almost 5 and it was TERRIBLE!!!
Friday----Love it every week...still a long tiring day that we just were done with by the end. We did a class check off----cause I think our professors didn't want to watch us all do it! We were seriously cheering and doing dances when we finished cause we were soooo done! Also we got a pretty decent storm that night
Saturday----Studied most of the day for my patho test that will be Monday. It was a BEAUTIFUL afternoon! The morning was cloudy and cool. But the afternoon the sun came out and their was an AWESOME breeze. It was prolly only 70ish degrees. I studied by the pool for a bit, but soon lost the sunlight...and therefore the warmth.
Sunday---TODAY! ;) Church of course. We sang my favorite hymn as a closing song Abide With Me, which was very nice. I am getting to meet several super sweet people which is great. We also had a dinner afterward which was lovely and a great chance to get to know people better.
So that has been my week. Eventfully uneventful :)
Hugs and Kisses till next week!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Things I Never Saw at BYU
So I am at Mizzou.....University of Missouri...MU.......
But whatever you call it...it is.....NOT IN THE BUBBLE!!!!!!
So today during my lunch break...I made a list of all the things I see here at Mizzou that I NEVER saw at BYU.
1. Girl's upper thighs and shoulders
2. Men with beards and/or long hair
3. Piercings and tattoos
4. Swear words on T-shirts
5. Dark socked in clouds
6. Caffeinated sodas in the vending machines
7. Diversity----I mean there is some....but the whole white, white, super white..not totally untrue
8. Cicadas....EWWWWWWWW
But whatever you call it...it is.....NOT IN THE BUBBLE!!!!!!
So today during my lunch break...I made a list of all the things I see here at Mizzou that I NEVER saw at BYU.
1. Girl's upper thighs and shoulders
2. Men with beards and/or long hair
3. Piercings and tattoos
4. Swear words on T-shirts
5. Dark socked in clouds
6. Caffeinated sodas in the vending machines
7. Diversity----I mean there is some....but the whole white, white, super white..not totally untrue
8. Cicadas....EWWWWWWWW
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Week 2...and a little of Week 1 too
So my nursing school adventure has begun. I'm going to try and be good and keep everyone updated.
So the first week. HARD and BUSY and CRAZY.
Day 1: OH MY HECK! The amount of information they bombarded us with was insane. 8 AM to 4 PM full of talking...and lots of scare tactics. We get below a 72% on an exam...we get a letter warning us we are on thin ice. Cause if we get an end grade in a class below 72% we are out! And I came home totally overwhelmed and totally discouraged. But I called my mom and a good friend and that perked me up a little.
Day 2: Hard still but a little less overwhelming. Still trying to get all the bureaucracy out of the way...
immunizations, books, background checks, supplies. It was all crazy and insane.
Day 3: Class ALL DAY LONG! Seriously an all day lecture session is NO FUN! But it got broken up a little by this little tornado that touched down about 5ish miles south of campus. Luckily the nursing school has a basement :)
Day 4: Pretty much the same as the day before!
Day 5: FRIDAY!!!! so happy it was! And we spent the last half of the day in lab! NO LECTURE! This was the day I no longer HATED nursing school. Not gonna say I liked it yet...but I didn't hate it!
Plus I got to go home for the weekend. I know I was only gone for 5 days....but I missed my family like crazy and it was sooooooo good to be back!
Great weekend...then Monday came.....it was a hard day. Dad, Garrett, and I drove up and got me all moved in and settled. It was an emotional day, but my dad gave me a blessing at the end that REALLY helped.
WEEK 2
Getting into the groove a little bit. Still unsure in a lot of ways but getting there. And I am starting to like it...starting...not there yet...but starting ;)
Day 1: first test! YIKES!!!! I was terrified I would get the dreaded LETTER. But it was ok....I got a solid B+. And considering the fact that it was the first test and I didn't study like I should have...I was quite pleased.
Day 2: Lots of class again...but we got to go to the lab again and practice which was lots of fun.
Day 3: Pretty much just like day 2....I have discovered the middle of the week gets pretty much...well boring haha This night I spent HOURS studying and I am pretty sure it is possible to die from studying too much....cause I almost did!
Day 4: FRIDAY!!!!!! I have discovered how awesome Fridays are! I have always liked them but I have newfound appreciation for them! Patho test this day and a quiz in Assessment....both went pretty well, especially considering the studying I did. It was not as effective as it could have been. But now I know how to study best...so it will be better next time!
WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOO
For reals needed it! I did NOTHING on Friday evening even remotely related to school. And Saturday I hit the books pretty hard, but still took time to spend a couple hours at the pool :) It was lovely!
I also got to go to church today in my new ward. They all seem really kind and were very welcoming. Its not the 92nd ward....but then again...no ward in the church is that good ;) But I think I will like it and be happy with it.
Adjusting has been hard. But I am hoping that someday soon it will happen.
Till next week
So the first week. HARD and BUSY and CRAZY.
Day 1: OH MY HECK! The amount of information they bombarded us with was insane. 8 AM to 4 PM full of talking...and lots of scare tactics. We get below a 72% on an exam...we get a letter warning us we are on thin ice. Cause if we get an end grade in a class below 72% we are out! And I came home totally overwhelmed and totally discouraged. But I called my mom and a good friend and that perked me up a little.
Day 2: Hard still but a little less overwhelming. Still trying to get all the bureaucracy out of the way...
immunizations, books, background checks, supplies. It was all crazy and insane.
Day 3: Class ALL DAY LONG! Seriously an all day lecture session is NO FUN! But it got broken up a little by this little tornado that touched down about 5ish miles south of campus. Luckily the nursing school has a basement :)
Day 4: Pretty much the same as the day before!
Day 5: FRIDAY!!!! so happy it was! And we spent the last half of the day in lab! NO LECTURE! This was the day I no longer HATED nursing school. Not gonna say I liked it yet...but I didn't hate it!
Plus I got to go home for the weekend. I know I was only gone for 5 days....but I missed my family like crazy and it was sooooooo good to be back!
Great weekend...then Monday came.....it was a hard day. Dad, Garrett, and I drove up and got me all moved in and settled. It was an emotional day, but my dad gave me a blessing at the end that REALLY helped.
WEEK 2
Getting into the groove a little bit. Still unsure in a lot of ways but getting there. And I am starting to like it...starting...not there yet...but starting ;)
Day 1: first test! YIKES!!!! I was terrified I would get the dreaded LETTER. But it was ok....I got a solid B+. And considering the fact that it was the first test and I didn't study like I should have...I was quite pleased.
Day 2: Lots of class again...but we got to go to the lab again and practice which was lots of fun.
Day 3: Pretty much just like day 2....I have discovered the middle of the week gets pretty much...well boring haha This night I spent HOURS studying and I am pretty sure it is possible to die from studying too much....cause I almost did!
Day 4: FRIDAY!!!!!! I have discovered how awesome Fridays are! I have always liked them but I have newfound appreciation for them! Patho test this day and a quiz in Assessment....both went pretty well, especially considering the studying I did. It was not as effective as it could have been. But now I know how to study best...so it will be better next time!
WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOO
For reals needed it! I did NOTHING on Friday evening even remotely related to school. And Saturday I hit the books pretty hard, but still took time to spend a couple hours at the pool :) It was lovely!
I also got to go to church today in my new ward. They all seem really kind and were very welcoming. Its not the 92nd ward....but then again...no ward in the church is that good ;) But I think I will like it and be happy with it.
Adjusting has been hard. But I am hoping that someday soon it will happen.
Till next week
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Updates and UGGGHH the Complications
I'm going to try and update this blog a little more often. I update my musical blog daily...it takes my time but doesn't really update anyone.
The music blog is more for me...this one is for you guys.
So what I have I done lately? First I graduated...as evidenced by my previous posts. I left BYU and Provo for St Louis. I will be leaving for Columbia and Mizzou this weekend.
Leaving Provo was really hard. I have so many friends there. People who have changed my life and made me the person I am today.
Due to tornadoes that occurred the day before we flew out that hit the airport--closing it completely, we ended up flying into Chicago and renting a car to drive down to St Louis. We were crushed in the back of a small SUV with far too many bags. It was a long late ride and but I suppose we made the best of it.
That first day I really didn't think about much else then sleeping.
The next day all I wanted was to go back to Provo! I loved being home with my family don't get me wrong. I got to go to orchestra concerts and service projects. I got to get my sister ready for her first prom and talk to my mom everyday for hours. It has been awesome to hang out with my brother who will be leaving on his mission at the end of the summer. My family is the greatest and they have been making me laugh the past several weeks.
But still I wanted a vacation and a moment to be back with my favorite Provo people. So I booked a flight--crazy but did it.
Awesome weekend let me tell you!
I got to see so many people I wanted to see...though not nearly as many as I wanted to. Dan, Andrea, Traci, Maddie, Lauren, Pappy, Tyson, Beth, and all the 92nd (now 99th) warders. I got to go up in the canyon, visit my dear Harold, see my second family, go to my cousins baby shower, shopping at the mall with my big sister, go to church with the 99th again, watch a frisbee game, walks, choir practice, Rock Canyon park and Stephandrea time. It was an amazing weekend.
It was wonderful. Hard to leave at the end though. I went back to get the piece of my heart that I left. I was unsuccessful. I ended up just leaving the rest of it there. Guess we will just have to wait till August for me to get it back again.
Then there are all the complications. First financial aid, then housing, then books, then transcripts. It seems that I have very bad luck.
A bit of advice. If you can don't have your foot in the doors of 3 different universities all at once. It can get very complicated!
The music blog is more for me...this one is for you guys.
So what I have I done lately? First I graduated...as evidenced by my previous posts. I left BYU and Provo for St Louis. I will be leaving for Columbia and Mizzou this weekend.
Leaving Provo was really hard. I have so many friends there. People who have changed my life and made me the person I am today.
Due to tornadoes that occurred the day before we flew out that hit the airport--closing it completely, we ended up flying into Chicago and renting a car to drive down to St Louis. We were crushed in the back of a small SUV with far too many bags. It was a long late ride and but I suppose we made the best of it.
That first day I really didn't think about much else then sleeping.
The next day all I wanted was to go back to Provo! I loved being home with my family don't get me wrong. I got to go to orchestra concerts and service projects. I got to get my sister ready for her first prom and talk to my mom everyday for hours. It has been awesome to hang out with my brother who will be leaving on his mission at the end of the summer. My family is the greatest and they have been making me laugh the past several weeks.
But still I wanted a vacation and a moment to be back with my favorite Provo people. So I booked a flight--crazy but did it.
Awesome weekend let me tell you!
I got to see so many people I wanted to see...though not nearly as many as I wanted to. Dan, Andrea, Traci, Maddie, Lauren, Pappy, Tyson, Beth, and all the 92nd (now 99th) warders. I got to go up in the canyon, visit my dear Harold, see my second family, go to my cousins baby shower, shopping at the mall with my big sister, go to church with the 99th again, watch a frisbee game, walks, choir practice, Rock Canyon park and Stephandrea time. It was an amazing weekend.
It was wonderful. Hard to leave at the end though. I went back to get the piece of my heart that I left. I was unsuccessful. I ended up just leaving the rest of it there. Guess we will just have to wait till August for me to get it back again.
Then there are all the complications. First financial aid, then housing, then books, then transcripts. It seems that I have very bad luck.
A bit of advice. If you can don't have your foot in the doors of 3 different universities all at once. It can get very complicated!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Things I Have Learned at BYU
1. Sometimes homework is not as important as other things
2. Sometimes homework is more important than other things
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth.
4. You can’t judge people, because you never know what they have been through
5. It ALWAYS depends!
6. Procrastination is something that can be done…but it never turns out well
7. Never take anything at face value. Get all the information from all possible sources before you choose or judge.
Things I Will Miss in Provo
1. The 92nd Ward---yes ALL OF YOU!!!!
2. Andrea—my person
3. Sunday night chats with Tyson
4. Long walks with Iggy
5. random library parties
6. Impromptu dance parties with Jose
7. Gonna miss the girls who own Jose quite a bit too ;)
8. Long late night chats with good friends
9. Midnight trips to Smiths, Denny’s and IHOP
10. Stargazing
11. Jerome the turtle…and his owners in Marin 10 ;)
12. the mountains
13. Being able to walk to pretty much everywhere important
14. Bonfires in the canyon
15. Cheering for the ward intramural teams
16. Weekend get aways to Vegas or Springville
17. Being super close to my second family
18. Body Body, Signs, Werewolf, 8-square
19. Being so close to the temple
20. Riding the bus with..the most interesting of the Provo/Orem population
Things I will Miss about BYU
1. Prayers at the beginning of class
2. Professors bearing their testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel
3. Connecting anything and everything to some Gospel principle
4. Amazing forums with really interesting world leaders
5. The fact that campus TOTALLY shuts down on Tuesdays at 11
6. The beautiful grounds…even in a desert they keep things so green and gorgeous
7. Going to church in the same room as I have my school classes
8. SPORTING EVENTS!!!!!!
9. Running into your favorite people in front of the JFSB or in the quad
10. The music they play at 12:00 to kick you out of the library
11. Working in the HBLL with amazing co-workers!
12. The view from the top of the JFSB
13. The honor code and the chastity line ;)
14. Amazing performances..plays, concerts etc.
15. Religion classes
16. The stream south of campus, and the terrace garden
Monday, March 28, 2011
My Journey to Mizzou--Part 3 The Decision
So it has been a while since I wrote parts one and two...so I am finally getting around to writing part three!
The decision process began in January. I got back from winter break to find a letter from BJC Goldfarb School of Nursing. THEY WANTED ME!!!!!! Though they were probably at the bottom of my list, I was grateful to just have one option. At that point I knew my dream had an opportunity to come true.
A few weeks later I heard from MGH Institute of Health Professions. They wanted me TOO!!!!!!! It was crazy! Then I heard from UM Sinclair School of Nursing...who also had accepted me! It WAS INSANE! I truly did not think that I would be three for three. I still had one more though.
After the ups of hearing from the 3 other schools...a few downs got thrown in. Middle of January I got an email from Johns Hopkins informing me that several parts of my application were missing. Cue freak out moment! Lots of phone calls and emails were sent. And though it took a while to get a new letter of recommendation and make BYU resend my transcript...finally everything was set.
But obviously Johsn Hopkins was not close to making a decision. But MGH had to know....and they had to know now! I had been doing a lot of pro con lists and investigating. I had been talking with institute directors, people who lived there, academic advisers, friends, and family trying to get all the information and advice that I could.
I took MGH off the list first. I was stressed beyond belief about having to decide about Boston before I knew about Baltimore. Though there were lots of pros to living and going to school in Boston, it didn't feel right. In fact it felt terrible. Once I chose to not go there I felt so much peace and calm.
Finally I heard from Johns Hopkins. I was sitting in the testing center...taking a test of course. When I felt my phone vibrating at my feet. I of course couldn't pick up....but when I got out of the test I immediately checked my messages. And on my phone was one of the BEST messages I have ever gotten. It was an adviser from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing calling to congratulate me on my application which was..her words not mine....a pleasure to read. And despite the high level of competition....I HAD BEEN ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously this was my DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But now I had to make a decision! Which school was I going to go to???
I had sent in deposits to both Missouri schools just to make sure I had a spot somewhere!
But I had to pick which I would go to. I pushed the St Louis school off the list....because I wanted more of an adventure then the bedroom I have lived in for 14 years! Although it was tempting as it was VERY safe!
So it was down to Missouri and Johns Hopkins. They were very alike. The pro/con lists were very even which made it super hard. Their price tags were QUITE different. TONS of prayers were said. TONS of tearful phone calls were made to my mom. Every time I went to the temple...this was the question in my mind.
Johns Hopkins was my dream. But it would come with a hefty price. Missouri was the LAST on my list. But it was still a very good school.
My sweet roommate Andrea summed it up best-----"Which is your dream...to go to Johns Hopkins or to be a nurse?"
I want to save lives...not just physically but emotionally. I want to be that nurse who holds mom's hand as her child goes into surgery. I want to be the nurse who comforts the child when mom has to leave for work. I want to be the nurse who everyone wants cause it doesn't hurt as much when she gives you a shot. I want to be the nurse who makes every cancer and NICU patient she has, has a little hat to keep them warm. That is the dream....that is the real dream.
And so I decided...Mizzou here I come!
The decision process began in January. I got back from winter break to find a letter from BJC Goldfarb School of Nursing. THEY WANTED ME!!!!!! Though they were probably at the bottom of my list, I was grateful to just have one option. At that point I knew my dream had an opportunity to come true.
A few weeks later I heard from MGH Institute of Health Professions. They wanted me TOO!!!!!!! It was crazy! Then I heard from UM Sinclair School of Nursing...who also had accepted me! It WAS INSANE! I truly did not think that I would be three for three. I still had one more though.
After the ups of hearing from the 3 other schools...a few downs got thrown in. Middle of January I got an email from Johns Hopkins informing me that several parts of my application were missing. Cue freak out moment! Lots of phone calls and emails were sent. And though it took a while to get a new letter of recommendation and make BYU resend my transcript...finally everything was set.
But obviously Johsn Hopkins was not close to making a decision. But MGH had to know....and they had to know now! I had been doing a lot of pro con lists and investigating. I had been talking with institute directors, people who lived there, academic advisers, friends, and family trying to get all the information and advice that I could.
I took MGH off the list first. I was stressed beyond belief about having to decide about Boston before I knew about Baltimore. Though there were lots of pros to living and going to school in Boston, it didn't feel right. In fact it felt terrible. Once I chose to not go there I felt so much peace and calm.
Finally I heard from Johns Hopkins. I was sitting in the testing center...taking a test of course. When I felt my phone vibrating at my feet. I of course couldn't pick up....but when I got out of the test I immediately checked my messages. And on my phone was one of the BEST messages I have ever gotten. It was an adviser from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing calling to congratulate me on my application which was..her words not mine....a pleasure to read. And despite the high level of competition....I HAD BEEN ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously this was my DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But now I had to make a decision! Which school was I going to go to???
I had sent in deposits to both Missouri schools just to make sure I had a spot somewhere!
But I had to pick which I would go to. I pushed the St Louis school off the list....because I wanted more of an adventure then the bedroom I have lived in for 14 years! Although it was tempting as it was VERY safe!
So it was down to Missouri and Johns Hopkins. They were very alike. The pro/con lists were very even which made it super hard. Their price tags were QUITE different. TONS of prayers were said. TONS of tearful phone calls were made to my mom. Every time I went to the temple...this was the question in my mind.
Johns Hopkins was my dream. But it would come with a hefty price. Missouri was the LAST on my list. But it was still a very good school.
My sweet roommate Andrea summed it up best-----"Which is your dream...to go to Johns Hopkins or to be a nurse?"
I want to save lives...not just physically but emotionally. I want to be that nurse who holds mom's hand as her child goes into surgery. I want to be the nurse who comforts the child when mom has to leave for work. I want to be the nurse who everyone wants cause it doesn't hurt as much when she gives you a shot. I want to be the nurse who makes every cancer and NICU patient she has, has a little hat to keep them warm. That is the dream....that is the real dream.
And so I decided...Mizzou here I come!
My Journey to Mizzou---Part 2 Application Time
Let me just tell you..there are at least 100 ABSN programs in the country. And while that may not seem like a lot and when compared to the number of nursing programs in general there are....you are right...not very many. But when you have 100 choices of what to do with your future....it is pretty overwhelming.
But its me...so I made a list. I ended up with about 60 schools...mostly based on places I wanted to live. AKA..schools on the east coast....in Missouri, Utah, California or Alabama...in a big city...or some place warm. The southwest, most of the Midwest, Texas and anything north and west of Missouri were out of the running. From this list...I again whittled it down to about 14ish....this was done again pretty indiscriminately mostly focusing on location again. Closeness to home and/or family as well as proximity to a beach also played a pretty big role in this process.
From the list of about 14, I made a spreadsheet. There were columns for institute size, start times, lengths, prerequisites needed, costs, distance from home/family and then overall pros and cons. This was one INTENSE spreadsheet. I spent hours collecting information. At this point I became an octopus...on the other hand, on the other hand, on the other hand....till I had at least 10 hands (guess that makes me a squid??)
After a great deal of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (I actually had no idea it would only get worse!) I chose 5 schools. University of Missouri (Mizzou), University of Utah (the U), Johns Hopkins (JHSON), Massachusetts General Hospital Insititue of Health Professions (MGH) and Goldfarb School of Nursing (GF).
Each had pros and cons. JHSON was my DREAM! MGH would be awesome cause I would live in Boston. GF is in St Louis so I would get to be in the BEST place on earth with the BEST people on earth. The U would mean I got to stay in Utah with some pretty awesome people. Then there was Mizzou---I needed a 2.9 GPA to get in....basically and honestly it was on the list only in case everyone else said no.
So I applied. SERIOUSLY ANNOYING PROCESS!!!!!! None of the schools had the same requirements for essays or recommendations or even deadlines! Juggling it all was difficult. Recommendations are really hard to get let me just say. It means sucking up and awkwardly asking people to write nice things about you...not cool. And essays are hard to write and I had to write in a different way for each school. Again sucking up. Lets be honest...the application process is just a long series of sucking up!
Anyway so I got all the applications in. Except for the U. That one had the latest date. And for some reason I wasn't feeling it. In the end I decided to not apply because I just didn't think it was where I should be. Although I am slightly regretting that decision as my time to leave Provo is drawing near.....I'm not wanting to LEAVE! But anyway...Everything was in and I was just waiting for the letters......now comes the WORST part :)
But its me...so I made a list. I ended up with about 60 schools...mostly based on places I wanted to live. AKA..schools on the east coast....in Missouri, Utah, California or Alabama...in a big city...or some place warm. The southwest, most of the Midwest, Texas and anything north and west of Missouri were out of the running. From this list...I again whittled it down to about 14ish....this was done again pretty indiscriminately mostly focusing on location again. Closeness to home and/or family as well as proximity to a beach also played a pretty big role in this process.
From the list of about 14, I made a spreadsheet. There were columns for institute size, start times, lengths, prerequisites needed, costs, distance from home/family and then overall pros and cons. This was one INTENSE spreadsheet. I spent hours collecting information. At this point I became an octopus...on the other hand, on the other hand, on the other hand....till I had at least 10 hands (guess that makes me a squid??)
After a great deal of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (I actually had no idea it would only get worse!) I chose 5 schools. University of Missouri (Mizzou), University of Utah (the U), Johns Hopkins (JHSON), Massachusetts General Hospital Insititue of Health Professions (MGH) and Goldfarb School of Nursing (GF).
Each had pros and cons. JHSON was my DREAM! MGH would be awesome cause I would live in Boston. GF is in St Louis so I would get to be in the BEST place on earth with the BEST people on earth. The U would mean I got to stay in Utah with some pretty awesome people. Then there was Mizzou---I needed a 2.9 GPA to get in....basically and honestly it was on the list only in case everyone else said no.
So I applied. SERIOUSLY ANNOYING PROCESS!!!!!! None of the schools had the same requirements for essays or recommendations or even deadlines! Juggling it all was difficult. Recommendations are really hard to get let me just say. It means sucking up and awkwardly asking people to write nice things about you...not cool. And essays are hard to write and I had to write in a different way for each school. Again sucking up. Lets be honest...the application process is just a long series of sucking up!
Anyway so I got all the applications in. Except for the U. That one had the latest date. And for some reason I wasn't feeling it. In the end I decided to not apply because I just didn't think it was where I should be. Although I am slightly regretting that decision as my time to leave Provo is drawing near.....I'm not wanting to LEAVE! But anyway...Everything was in and I was just waiting for the letters......now comes the WORST part :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Journey to Mizzou...Part 1 The Beginnings
Well ladies and gentleman of the blogging world. It is official. I will be attending the Sinclair School of Nursing at University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri beginning this May and graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing the following summer. I am really excited to be moving into the next chapter of my life....but before I do, it has been requested that I tell the story...from the beginning. So here we go!
It all began on a chilly afternoon in November..the year 1988...the place...Falls Church, VA.......wait not that beginning??? ok well then lets fast-forward. But actually not too much. Just to middle childhood I guess (child dev speak for 4-7). This was when I came to the knowledge and understanding that my grandma was a nurse. I loved to play hospital with her whenever she visited and was a nurse for Halloween several times. Even back then I thought being a nurse would be really cool. But then again I also thought high side ponytails (think Deb from Napoleon Dynamite) were cool.
Fast forward some more to the year 2003....freshman honors English with Mrs Fischer (awesome teacher btw) Our research paper that year was supposed to be about the career we wanted to pursue. I of course chose nursing, specifically pediatric oncology nursing. Chose not because I was firm in my thoughts, but definitely interested. Through this paper I came to the decision that I really wanted to be a nurse.
Fast forward a bit to my decision of where to go to college after graduation. I chose Brigham Young University, not only for the environment it would provide and the low-cost of tuition, but also for the fact that the nursing program had a fairly high reputation.
So I came out to Provo. All through freshman year I prepared to apply to the nursing program. I was really really excited to be able to study nursing with a perspective of the Gospel. The classes were hard, but I was ok with working hard. I took a 100 level class called a Preview of Nursing. This class solidified my career choice. Every week in that class, I felt sooooo strongly that I needed to become a nurse, I was often brought to tears (not saying a whole bunch seeing as I am a serious cry-baby!). But I knew this was what I needed to do.
I spent the next couple of semesters preparing and applied in Fall 2008. The email informing me that I was denied acceptance was one of the worst I have ever received all my work was for nothing. My dream seemed over.
However in the preview class I talked about earlier, my teacher mentioned that the University of Utah had an Accelerated Bachelors Program. Basically, you get a Bachelors in ANY field, and the in 12-18 months you graduate with a second Bachelors degree in nursing. (for future reference...I will call this ABSN-accelerated bachelors of science in nursing) I began at this point to investigate with these types of programs.
I also chose a different major at this time. I selected Human Development. My second semester as a freshman I was taking Physiology and Bio-Organic Chemistry, both 4 credits. I also played A LOT...till very late/early times ;) However, I NEVER missed my 8 o'clock Child Development class and got a solid A. This was kinda a sign for me...and it was the best decision I EVER made!
It all began on a chilly afternoon in November..the year 1988...the place...Falls Church, VA.......wait not that beginning??? ok well then lets fast-forward. But actually not too much. Just to middle childhood I guess (child dev speak for 4-7). This was when I came to the knowledge and understanding that my grandma was a nurse. I loved to play hospital with her whenever she visited and was a nurse for Halloween several times. Even back then I thought being a nurse would be really cool. But then again I also thought high side ponytails (think Deb from Napoleon Dynamite) were cool.
Fast forward some more to the year 2003....freshman honors English with Mrs Fischer (awesome teacher btw) Our research paper that year was supposed to be about the career we wanted to pursue. I of course chose nursing, specifically pediatric oncology nursing. Chose not because I was firm in my thoughts, but definitely interested. Through this paper I came to the decision that I really wanted to be a nurse.
Fast forward a bit to my decision of where to go to college after graduation. I chose Brigham Young University, not only for the environment it would provide and the low-cost of tuition, but also for the fact that the nursing program had a fairly high reputation.
So I came out to Provo. All through freshman year I prepared to apply to the nursing program. I was really really excited to be able to study nursing with a perspective of the Gospel. The classes were hard, but I was ok with working hard. I took a 100 level class called a Preview of Nursing. This class solidified my career choice. Every week in that class, I felt sooooo strongly that I needed to become a nurse, I was often brought to tears (not saying a whole bunch seeing as I am a serious cry-baby!). But I knew this was what I needed to do.
I spent the next couple of semesters preparing and applied in Fall 2008. The email informing me that I was denied acceptance was one of the worst I have ever received all my work was for nothing. My dream seemed over.
However in the preview class I talked about earlier, my teacher mentioned that the University of Utah had an Accelerated Bachelors Program. Basically, you get a Bachelors in ANY field, and the in 12-18 months you graduate with a second Bachelors degree in nursing. (for future reference...I will call this ABSN-accelerated bachelors of science in nursing) I began at this point to investigate with these types of programs.
I also chose a different major at this time. I selected Human Development. My second semester as a freshman I was taking Physiology and Bio-Organic Chemistry, both 4 credits. I also played A LOT...till very late/early times ;) However, I NEVER missed my 8 o'clock Child Development class and got a solid A. This was kinda a sign for me...and it was the best decision I EVER made!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
We'll Never Fredette----Thanks for the Emerys
DREAM TEAM 2010-2011
FAVORITE MEMORIES OF THE BEST BASKETBALL SEASON EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Chanting YOU GOT JIMMERED!!!!!
-Spending hours in line...in the snow...and the cold.....and in a tent
-WHOOSH...CECIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Starting a new tradtion..2 thumbs up after successful free throws!
-FOREVER we will remember the DANCE
-WWJD----What Would Jimmer Do??
-Jimmer worship!! HAHA Michelle!!!!!
-Thumbs up from Jimmer at the gym meet
-Winning the MWC!!!!
-Teach Me How To Jimmer...Teach Me Teach Me How to Jimmer!
-Raps from TJ Fredette
-AIRBALL! YOU GOT SWATTED!!! LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT!!!!
-TAKE HIS WHISTLE!!!!!!
-I'm Blind, I'm Deaf.....I wanna be a REF!
-Cosmo crowd surfing all the way to the top!
-FACE PAINT
-Jimmer will you marry me...or me......or my sister!-
-Seniors LOGAN, JIMMER and JACKSON
-Supporting Davies through a rough time
-SAN DIEGO STATE..enough said
-Cosmo dancing with the Cougarettes
-Polka dot headbands
-SHIMMYING OLD LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Season long WHITE OUT!!!!
-Skipping LOTS of class
-Being THIRD in the nation!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Seeing a whole new side of Andrea ;)
-Getting Pappy to a game!
-Blue Gatorade
-Someday it will say Fredette on my ID card.....
-When I look into your eyes, they seem to shimmer..I love you Jimmer
-Someday it will say Fredette on my ID card.....
-When I look into your eyes, they seem to shimmer..I love you Jimmer
-Rally Towels and White Pom-poms
-Singing along with the Pep Band
-Jump on It... OH OH OH OH.....Ahah Eheh Ahah..I put my hands up in the air sometimes
-DUNKS!!!!!! Davies, Abouo, Emery, Collinsworth
-The loudest pink shoes i've ever seen
-Adam in all white....with neon green shoes
-Hartsock and Abouo on FIRE!!!!!!!!!!
-20, 30, 40 foot shots from Jimmer!
-Spending time with all my friends from the 92nd WARD
-Almost crying at least 10 times at the final home game of the season
What a great season!!! I am so grateful to have been able to be here for this season. What a great way to end my time at BYU!!!!!!! I will miss watching my boys rip up the court!!!!
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