Become a registered nurse

It has laready been another six months since I last made an entry? Time really goes by fast when you have no time. I have two kids, a wife, school (the BSN program) and work full time (night shift). Wow…What’s next? I’ve already been looking at graduate school programs and what I need to do and have done before I even graduate with my BSN. Busy as ever. But things are still going well. I’m just bored with the medical-surgical unit I’ve been working on for two years now (one year as an aide and the other as an RN). I have big plans. Let’s just hope I can make them go through. I need to take a lot of science classes and get a lot of other things done in order to get to where I really want to be.

I have been working on a Medical-Surgical unit for about seven months now. I have the routine down pretty well, but have become less-than-content with it. Not because of anyone I work with, or the facility itself. I just feel that I need to change things up a bit. I knew in the beginning that I would not be staying on my current unit. I had been told by many people that you should spend at least SOME time on a med-surg floor before you go into another specialty area. I have had my eye on the ER since the beginning of nursing school. My brother has worked in the ER for about 8 years and is now one of the supervisors. The director of his ED had asked him why I didn’t apply when I graduated. We (my brother and I) didn’t think we would be able to work in the same department with him being a supervisor, which policy doesn’t allow. The director said that we could just work opposite shifts. Anyway, last night my brother let the director know that I was interested, and had a meeting with him this morning. I haven’t heard from my brother yet, he’s asleep now. We’ll see how things go with that. My brother also said that they work with school schedules. I’m working on my Bachelor’s degree at the moment.

I’m still on orientation, of course. It’s going really well. I have learned a lot about nursing and what to do in certain situations. I’ve learned a lot of different medications as well, being as I give them constantly. I’ll keep everyone posted.

I have started my orientation on the floor where I have worked for a year as a Nursing Assistant. There is so much to do as an RN. I thought being an NA had a lot to go with it. I knew the RNs had a lot of paperword to do, but it’s rediculous. I still like it so far though. I have some really good nurses working with me. So far so good.

I took the NCLEX-RN yesterday(27 May 2008) in Columbus, Ohio and got on the Ohio Board of Nursing Website…I pased the exam. I am now officially a Regisered Nurse! All that studying finally paid off.

I have graduated! Last Saturday (May 3rd, 2008) I just have to get through today, which is the third day of a three day, mandatory, NCLEX-RN review provided by the college. I just want to take the boards, pass, and get it over with already. I have studied, crammed my brain full of facts and ideas. I just want to get to the learning curve of working as an RN already. I will not fully celebrate my graduation until I pass the boards. If you graduate and have a degree in nursing, but don’t pass the state boards…then you aren’t a Registered Nurse. You’re just another “Joe” with a degree that you can’t use. So, I’m waiting until after I pass boards to get excited about anything.

I took my final exam earlier and now all I have to do is go to the pinning ceremony on Friday and graduate on Saturday! There are a few reviews for the NCLEX that I have to do, but no more school.

This coming week is my last week of classes and my last clinical in the ER. The following week…I graduate! And of course, I must take the state boards and wiz through it. I have taken a simulation test that my school requires everyone pass. I passed it the first time, but it is pretty good practice to get used to the style of testing. I have answered the minimun number of questions each time. I think I’m ready to take the state boards. We’ll see!

I took my finals last week and passed them with ease. Things are going great. I will graduate on May 3rd, 2008. Not very far off. I have been talking to some of the RNs that I work with about nursing and they all tell me that they didn’t feel ready to start working when they graduated and joined the work force. I have been talking to one, in particular, that just graduated last May and this is her first job as an RN. I have been watching how she has grown and become more competent in her new role. I’m sure it will be fine. Pretty much like on-the-job training. One more semester to go and then it’ll be NCLEX time.

This semester is almost over now. December 13th is my last final in Psych. Less than a month left. Then I get a brake for a few weeks over Christmas. It’s interesting, the people you meet and study with. You make good firneds in school.