i’ve truly learned the meaning of “one day at a time” now that i’m 28 and in nursing school. every day is a struggle…if it’s not the 80 women packed like sardines in a tiny, hot classroom, it’s studying for one of the 4 tests we have weekly.
my key is to set mini-goals for the day, a list of things i want to get done. i usually do this during our nursing 100 lecture on monday…i set my daily goals for the week ahead…it only takes about 5 minutes. i look at all the syllabuses and pull them together on a monthly calendar and delegate daily tasks accordingly.
daily goals are difficult for me because i work on linear time, i just do as my body tells me to do…i don’t go by the clock. so tonight my list was to finish my drug cards, my case study/plan of care and do a few pages in my a&p workbook. what usually falls short is preparing the next days meals, grocery shopping etc. this is bad because then i’ve got nothing in the fridge and opt for fast food :/ club soda in all of it’s sodium glory, has become my favorite crutch…along with raw green beans, baby carrots and clementines.
i started out being anal about my grades. our school is on a modified grade scale: 94-100 is an “A” etc. i “failed” my very first nursing test with a 74% and bawled my eyes out. i’ve learned that it’s the bigger picture that matters. a failed test here, a 100% there doesn’t matter in the long run. 3 weeks from the end of term 1 and i have a solid 92% gpa. i’m going to be a damn good nurse.
what i am having a hard time with is clinicals. they’re lllooonnggg 9 hour days in an upscale nursing home in peg leg white scrubs that i swear are made of out fabric 1/8 of an inch thick and chafe your skin. our patients are assisted living, there’s no skilled care there. it’s only our first term and i really don’t feel solid in my assessments, i’d rather buddy up with another student. i’ll get better, i know, i just don’t like having to look back and forth at my assessment sheet to make sure i have everything covered…not being sure if i heard a heart or lung sound or if the $10 scope they gave us in our kits is muffeling things, or if my ears are just that naive.
i’ve finally gotten sick. almost seriously so, need to go the the ER sick…i rarely get sick. (i swear by multivitamins.) but i’ll be damned if i let that stop me. they’ll have to drag me out of that classroom unconscious before i get in trouble for having too many absences. this is my future, my only hope, my very last chance. if i don’t get this…
working out has gone by the wayside. it’s sad how workouts get the short end of the stick when we are pressed for time…they’re usually the first thing we cut out of our schedule. a shame because they do nothing, nothing but improve yourself. after a quick cardio…just something quick, nothing intense or strenuous, you feel better, sharper, more able to focus. yet what do i do instead?-i’d rather lay down and sleep.