1/8 done! :)

Oh my goodness, the semester is over!! I never expected it to fly by the way it did. Hopefully that trend continues since my program is 4 years long - well three and a half now WOOOHOOO!!

Sorry that this blog is so overdue - they really mean it when they say your life becomes school...

This semester has been good... not overly exciting but good. I had one prof I wouldn't recommend to anyone unless they think they'd like to skip class a whole lot - I'm positive I learned nothing in her class as we had to do "learning modules" at home and she'd just cover a smidgen of the material in class by reading out her slides. YAWN!

I finished up with pretty good marks overall. I do have room for improvement but I'm happy enough with where I stand. Most of all I'm PUMPED that I did okay in A&P 1 - the class I was so worried about failing. A few of my friends were on the edge of having to redo the course but they all pulled through on the final!! Yay ladies!! We had our scary skills test at the end of the semester. The profs ended up being so lovely during our test(something none of us expected), they help everyone out a ton if they forgot anything important and almost everyone past. Sigh... it felt SOOOO good to have that out of the way.

I'm on Christmas break at the moment which is feeling amazing :) Although Im going to TRY to buckle down and hit my A&P 2 material a bit before the winter semester begins. I worried the second part of the course will be more challenging.

The most exciting/terrifying thing coming up is CLINICAL! We begin the second week of the semester. I'm so excited to interact with patients but so worried I'll be ultra awkward around them - tends to be common for me when I start doing almost anything new.

Well Im going to go to bed and snuggle up with a NOVEL! Boy have I missed reading fiction! :)

Thanks for stopping by. I'll make sure to let you know how my first day of clinical goes.

Ahum " I'm a Nursing Student!" :)

Sorry, I only have time for a quick post. So much reading to do!

The semester started last week with an orientation and a couple of classes. I started my nursing classes this week. So far we've pretty much just covered course outlines ect. in all my classes except my bio (anatomy & physiology) class - we dove right into that fun stuff. :P I'm feeling a little overwhelmed but hopefully I can stay on top of things and therefore stay kind of sane. :) We start our nursing labs next week - I'm really excited about that!

I've made a few friends in my classes and even formed a study group for A&P already. Haven't really met anyone who I have a "we're going be friends forever!" vibe with yet. hee hee. Hopefully soon. I think great nursing school friends will make this journey that much easier.

Well that's all for now, I'll fill you in on more details in the next week or so.

Bye for now!

So close!

School is just around the corner! I have an orientation and one class next week. Eeek! I keep having to remind myself how much my life is about to change so that I'm slightly prepared for it.

As I worked my last few shifts as a receptionist I have to keep myself from thinking "good riddance" because I know from experience that the grass is NOT always greener. I left this job once before to go to college and I remember missing being here like crazy because, as boring as it can be, it's practically stress free... unlike school. I leave here at 5pm and don't usually think about it again until the next morning at the earliest. School/homework is always on my mind, every waking minute (and then some). Don't get me wrong though, there are definitely pros to going to school also (other then just working towards my dream career). The thing I love most about school is that I get recognized for working hard (if I choose too:)) which motivates me to work that much harder. This is something my workplace fails miserably at - which reflects in my lack of enthusiasim/drive. Tests suck but getting back a great mark rocks! :)

I picked up, & received from chapters, the rest of my books. I looked through them a little and I'm pretty excited to start going over the material in class. Most of it looks really interesting... hopefully I'm right as there are MANY pages to cover :).

I already have some stuff to do for my A&P class that our teacher put up on blackboard. Nothing too scary, just a bit of reading and a small intro assignment that I think she's using to get to know us. I did the assignment already but I haven't sent it too her yet - don't want to look like TOO much of a keener (although I'm sure I wont be able to hide that for long LOL). Bio has me so worked up that I'm praying I can keep up with it.

One of my nursing classes is up on blackboard also. I had a look though the outline etc. When I read the part about skills tests during the lab section I started getting really nervous. Written tests are bad enough but tests where I have to actually speak and perform tasks with my very own trembling hands? TERRIFYING!

CPR - CHECK!

I was a little worried about my CPR course (I haven't done any kind of CPR type training for years) but it ended up going great. The instructor was friendly and entertaining and of course the material was interesting. Sadly though I think my attention didn't waver mostly because I worry that I might actually have to perform CPR on a family member or friend one day. I hope I'm wrong though! At the beginning of the class we had to introduce ourselves and say why we were there, taking the course. and only two people, out of about 20, WEREN'T going into a nursing program! :)

A few people were starting at the same school I am. One girl was fresh out of high school so she's in a different section then I am. I knew there were two sections, one with students who have already done some post secondary classes and one with students with no prior post secondary experience but what I didn't realize, until today, is that the other section doesn't get to take any nursing classes until the winter semester. :( A lady who was probably 40ish was also going to my college - Yay I really wont be the oldest one in the program, it's not a myth! :)

Boy am I glad Im in the section I am - Not only because I'll get to take nursing classes but also because I think I might be able to relate a little easier to students a bit older. Don't get me wrong, I've definitely made some great friends at school who were A LOT younger then me but school wise they were somewhat on a different level. I remember a few of them thinking I was a total keener just because I'd actually study for tests and get assignments done by the due date. Haha! Not surprisingly, many weren't interested forming study groups etc.

The gal I met at CPR training wasn't at all excited to start the program which kind of blew me away. Although, I remember feeling pretty burnt out after HS and perhaps that's where she is right now. I think once you take a break or at least feel really strongly about the program you're entering it helps with your attitude & commitment. Perhaps students in a nursing program will be more studious no matter what but I think I might have a better chance of some good study buddies in the mature student section.

This girl from CPR also commented about how she dreads doing her senior clinicals because body fluids etc. gross her out. I'm hoping being in the other section will help me avoid students like that - That kind of attitude totally irritates me! I mean, I know everyone has issues with that kind of stuff (I'm sure I will be no exception at all) but hearing such an.. whats the word... immature? unprofessional? uncaring? opinion about it upset me. I wonder if these students end up making it all the way through nursing school. I hope if they do that at least their attitiudes change...

Bye, Bye Bio (for a couple of months) HELLO SUMMER! :D

I'm finally finished my grade 12 Bio class that I needed to be officially accepted into the Nursing program! My transcripts were sent to the college at the beginning of the week, so I should be good to go. Getting it finished up in time was a bit stressful and now that I'm done I feel great. :) I've been cuising around allnurses.com, getting pointers on preparing for sept. I want to start trying to study things we'll cover in my anatomy & physiology class as I'm not the best at memorizing normally and I figure they'll be a ton of that in this course.



Allnurses.com is an awesome site! I highly recommend checking it out if your a soon to be student, a student nurse or even an RN. You can find answers on there to anything nursing/ nursing school related and if you happen to think of something that hasn't already been discussed on there, you can start your own post. I've done this a couple of times and I've receieved responses in less then an hour each time- so impressive!! This site opened my eyes to the fact that the nursing community seems to be such an encouraging, warm one. Nurses & students on this site seem to love to help one another out - I guess this goes with the territory of the profession :)

4 Months Away!!

A few weeks ago I registered for classes for fall! I'm taking 4 courses (3 nursing and one biology). Getting my schedule all sorted out etc. reminded me that school is coming up darn fast! Only 4 months and I'll officially be a nursing student - crazy!

My schedule is a little all over the place because I really wanted to get this specific teacher for A&P. People RAVED about her on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ (a pretty neat website). Normally I take peoples opinions about profs with a large grain of salt but I couldn't ignore the fact that people seemed to LOVE this women. They said things like, "She was the best professor I had in college" "she's so passionate about her job and it shows!" "She's always available for extra help". How could I really go with anyone else? :) I figure this will be my most difficult class and I'll need all the help I can get, so I'd better go with the best (or at least the Prof people say is the best:). Hopefully she's worth having a pretty mixed up schedule for. We'll soon find out!

Oh, I also went to my orientation a little while ago. It was mostly just to go over computer access stuff and tell us which classes to register for and how to do that etc. It wasn't the most thrilling 2.5 hours of my life but being at the college talking about nursing classes and practicums with other people in my program definitely gave me that "this is REAL" vibe.

So now all I have left remaining on my check list is : to finish my bio class (by the end of June), get a blood test done, have my TB test done, do my first aid course AND get my police clearance. Haha, I better get a move on, four months is starting to sound a lot shorter :)

It's (feeling) Offical!

I received the package from the college yesterday! One step closer to my dream, Eeeee! The doubt I was experiencing a little while ago has been replaced with EXCITEMENT :) Thank god! I love that all the letters congratulated me on being accepted into the nursing program. That’s such a nice touch. :)

The paperwork included a pretty decent check list of things I have to accomplish before August. Vaccinations are definitely the most intense item on the list and I can’t start clinicals without those up-to-date, so I better read over the info so I get it all right. I also have to have a police clearance done, do first aid training and attend an information session.

I started the process today by having my mom dig out my vaccination records from when I was a child. Thank goodness she found them as I was born in England (and lived there until I was 7) so finding out the details otherwise might have been a bit challenging. Go mama! I also called the health region to have them send me my vaccination records from here in Canada. I should have them next week sometime. It looks like I may have a few to update but I did get the important ones (like Polio) as a little one. Yay!

Today I also called and book my info session – Which I’m pretty excited about. I’m doing that near the end of March. I'll let you know how that goes.

Speaking of calling all these places - It’s soooo awkward not having an actual office (I’m a front desk receptionist). I have absolutely NO privacy which sucks when you’re trying to make appointments that you don’t want everyone in the surrounding offices to know about. I had to call from my car at lunch time (I was pretty stoked all the places were open actually). It’s not that I’m keeping the fact that I’m an aspiring nurse a secret. I’ve told many people at work my plans, because I do my upgrading homework there at lunch time most days (which of course brings questions), but I’ve never specified my time line. I sort of infer that school is way off in the future for me, that I have tons more classes to upgrade… which isn’t really true, although 1.25 classes left to do feels like a ton to me sometimes :). So it’s not as if I’m totally hiding things but I just don’t want anyone to know too soon that I’m heading back. Especially when it really is still up in the air a bit (with me having to finish Math and Bio)….

Anyway, it drove me nuts to wait until lunch time to get a few of these necessary calls done, I was so pumped to get the ball rolling. Now that I have a few things taken care of, its starting to feel so real. I honestly, truly might be heading to school in six months guys! That’s sooooo exciting!!

"Any dream worth having must first survive doubt"... right?

I logged into the colleges website for the third time Wednesday afternoon, sulkingly thinking to myself “I honestly don’t believe this thing will EVER change…” when there they were, those four little words I’d be willing to appear each time I logged in: “Decision Made - Condition Acceptance” !!!

The doubt I mentioned in my title didn’t appear right away. At first I began texting/pm-ing/emailing all my closest friends and family to share the awesome news, while jumping for joy in my head (I was at work:). A few hours later the doubt began to creep in…

“Do I honestly think I’m smart enough to be a nurse? To take peoples lives in my hands?!?!?!”
“Wait, do I honestly think I’ll even be able to get though the schooling required to hold those peoples lives in my hands in the first place?”
“Do I really, truly care about other people enough to do really well in a career like this?”
“Do I really want to give up a job that’s almost never stressful (although not the least bit rewarding either) to enter a field that’s notorious for being hectic and crazy in the hopes that I’ll find it rewarding also?”
“Wait, wait, wait, I still have to pass these courses I’m taking right now!”

The list went on and on and I hate to admit that it’s still being added to daily.

I know, the “Am I smart enough?” thought is soooo over done but honestly that’s the one that replays over and over in my head and makes me feel slightly sick to my stomach for a split second each time.

I’ve struggled with this concept most of my life it seems. Whenever I pull some blonde maneuver it seems, even though I try to fight it, to sort of reaffirm my horrible (subconscious) mantra. I’ve never done extremely well in school, except in subjects that came easily to me. And I do experience blonde moments more often then I’d like to admit (even anonymously). While upgrading these courses though, I’ve really proved to myself that when I want something I really will devote myself to it and sacrifice for it but there are times when it truly does just come down to plain ol’ IQ doesn’t it?

Wow… I meant this post to be a joyous one and it’s take quite an opposite turn. I’m so sorry for being such a downer when I should be giddy and happy. Don’t get me wrong I AM happy… SOOOO ecstatically happy in fact, I just thought I’d share with you the thoughts that seem to hit me when I’m trying to fall asleep at night. Thoughts I’m trying to over come. I guess I thought that perhaps ranting about them would help me with that....

I will get over this self-doubt slump I’m in, I PROMISE! I feel it happening already! :)

I think I'm becoming obsessed!

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that I check the college's website at least 4 times a day to see if I've been conditionally accepted. I swear I hold my breath every time I log in. Haha I feel like a nutter! I should know by the middle of February (hopefully).

I know that I probably will be conditionally accepted only because I applied two years ago with the same 3.77 GPA and got in. But it doesn't stop me worrying...

What happened, how did I end up here again, you ask? Because of math! When I tried to update my grade 12 math 2 years ago, I took it at a local college and I was completely and utterly LOST 2 classes in. At that point I had a melt down, decided if I couldn't even follow high school math I would be sooo far out of my element in Nursing school that I dropped my class and gave up my dream of becoming a nurse.

Of course after the dust settled I remember how much I needed to have a job where I felt I made a difference (a few months of working as an admin assitant has that effect sometimes:) so I decided I'd just apply to schools that didn't require grade 12 math, no matter how far I had to go or what other classes I needed to upgrade. So at that point I started taking grade 11 chemistry which surprisingly I found interesting and even though it was challenging, I did quite well in it. This (along with encouragement from my boyfriend) gave me the confidence to attempt math again.

Which brings us here.

Online school is SO the way to go if you struggle with a certain subject. I highly recommend it! I can go as slowly as I like when the material gets a bit confusing (not too slowly mind you because I'd like to go to school fall 2009) and whizz through the stuff that's simpler. The school I'm doing it through is Virtual High School Ontario (http://www.virtualhighschool.com/) and I'm very impressed with how well the material is laid out and how helpful my teacher is. If you think you'll never pass a prerequisite and its holding you back from the schooling you need to do the job of your dreams, look into this upgrading route!

Well I guess I should get back to work (thats right, I blog while at work - how terrible is that?!)

High Hopes

Okay so I may have been a little ahead of myself calling my blog Canadian Nursing Student since I am still on the road to becoming a student... Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself! :)

I've found reading other Nursing Students blogs so interesting and helpful that I thought I'd have a go at it. I hope to help others decide, right along with me, whether this career path is right for them. I know this road will most likely be a very rocky one and I think I'll need motivation and inspiration to stay focused. I'm hoping this will help!

Currently I am (27 years old) working as a receptionist and upgrading a few high school courses I need to be accepted into my local College's Nursing Degree program for Fall 2009. I will hear in a few weeks if I am conditionally accepted (fingers crossed!) and then everything depends on me passing Math 30 pure (oh the horror) and Biology 30. I'm over halfway finished my math course and its going alright, I'm worried about the final though. Math is not, and has never been, my strong point. My lack of having this class has actually held me back from applying for nursing numerous times. My boyfriend encouraged me to change my mind set, believe I could do it and go for it, if nursing appealed to me so much. So here I am, trying to stay positive :)