Update

So my IP "Interim Permit" was posted on the State Board of Nursing website which means I can start orientation as a RN now. I have payed for my test and just waiting to hear from the testing center as to when I can pick the date and time. So excited! Found out that a couple people in the class already have their test dates set. It is almost done. Party plans are going good. Still don't know how many people will be coming but that is ok. I made all the plans knowing I wanted to have a blast no matter who was able to make it with all the holidays and stuff. Anyways. Off to another long day at work.

RSVP

It is amazing. I have been planning this party for at least 6 months or so. Sent out save the date cards and then invitations. Yet I haven't really heard from anyone. I am starting to think that no one will show. I have a coolest decorations and fun food. Working this whole week to set everything up and cook. Please.... please if you are out there and got an invite... please let me know if you are coming or not. I plan on having fun no matter what. But don't know if I can eat all the food myself. Call me, email me, or message me.
It really is gonna be a mad party!!!

Pinning

Yesterday was unbelievable. I am officially done and pinned. The ceremony was beautiful.
Waking in with the "lamp of learning"

Getting pinned

RCC December 2007 RN class...

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

I finally did it...

I PASSED!!! I officially passed the RN program at RCC. The final was this morning and I PASSED. Did I say that I PASSED!? I am so incredibly excited that I am done. Pinning ceremony is wednesday. Next step is awaiting letter from the State Board of Nursing to sign up to take the "boards". Still waiting to hear from Loma Linda Children's. Had 2 interviews so far and have another scheduled next month. I can't believe I PASSED! Now gonna have to get all the party plans finalized. Get ready to party in the New Year...

Rain & Christmas Lights

I love the rain. The way it sounds hitting everything. Especially the front patio cover and the skylight in our bathroom. I makes me want to curl up with a blanket in front of a fire. Even more exciting is that tomorrow is the 1st of December. Only 17 more days until I am done with nursing school. And 25 days of Christmas music and movies. That always puts a smile on my face. Just can't wait until we get our X-Mas tree, then the whole house will smile like Christmas.

I never knew...

Interviews are rough. Oh my goodness! I have never experienced anything like that before. Had my 2nd interview today. I think it went good. But I won't really know for a week or two because all I got from the 5 other people staring at me from across the table was a bunch of questions for me to answer and no response from any of them. At least 30 minutes of grilling questions. Jack tried to reassure me that it is normal for a panel interview and they must really be considering me to go through all of that. I hope so. Don't know if I want to do it again. But it will be all worth it getting the job.

Another

I got called today for a 2nd interview. No time to really think because it is tomorrow at 2:30. Going to have to leave clinical early to make it and interview in my RCC nursing uniform. Hoping it is a great thing and that it means I get the job. So excited! With school so close to an end this is icing on the cake.... Will let you know how it went afterwards.

More Good News!!!

I passed my test today! One more test then the final. Only one month to go. Can't wait to be done. Party plans are picking up. Hope to see you New Years Eve celebrating a crazy year done and a new adventure to start this next year....

Interview

So interview went good. I think. Spent almost an hour talking with one of the charge nurses and the unit manager. Now I wait to hear back...

WOW!

The last two days...
Yesterday I had a special tour of Loma Linda Children's Hospital. They have a wonderful Pediatric RN Residency Program. The nurse recruiter gave me and a friend a tour of the units we are interested in. It was so cool! She even was able to introduce us to a couple of the managers. Score! Anyways. I walked on to the hematology/oncology unit at just thought - wow, this is why I went to nursing school. It was just exactly where I had imagined myself working someday. Now, I was only on the unit for a short time but I liked the feel of it. The staff was very welcoming and loved their jobs. The kids were so cute even though they were sick. I just loved it.
Today I had clinical. Spent 8 hours in the ER at Riverside County Regional Medical Center. Not a bad day, just was ok. But... on my way home I was checking my messages and to my surprise the Administrative Secretary for the 4800 unit (peds hem/onco unit) called to set me up for an interview. SO EXCITED! So now I have an interview next week and we will see where I go from there.

Project!

I love projects. Crafts. I have a presentation coming up soon. That I don't like. Speaking in front of people is not my idea of fun. So I try to do all the prep work to get out of some of the talking. The presentation is for the well-elderly community. We have to teach them something. We are focusing on diet (fiber), fluids, and exercise. All are important for all ages. Anyways. I made this poster board as a visual aid describing the all important food pyramid with a focus on fiber.

Hopefully the type is large enough. I will probably have a complaint from my instructor. But at least it is bigger than the normal 8X11 page paper I obtained it from. It was a good use of time since I got sent home from work after only 8 hours. Not good for the paycheck but at least productive.

Happy Halloween!!!

Last few weeks...

Only a few more weeks of having to wear this beautiful ALL WHITE uniform with a student bulls eye patch. Can't wait to give them all away to some new poor student who doesn't know what they are getting themselves into... The pain and torture is almost finished!

Kym is...

Ok. I got this from Heather (whittakerwoman). I googled "Kym is" and this is what I got...
-Kym is a bridesmaid!!!
-Kym is dressed ... As a student.
-Kym is undertaking a double degree. (don't think so)
-Kym is a awsome dancer! (my husband thinks so)
-Kym is looking "blah"
-Kym is in your extended network. (you just don't know it yet!)
-Kym is smoking hot. (thanks!)
-Kym is a most gracious, warm person and I met her AFTER I fell in love with her. (everyone does)
-Kym is a great discovery. (If you only knew...)
-KYM is now a leading institute of Yoga and Yoga Studies based in Chennai, India.
-Kym is also nominated for the 'Most Popular Newcomer' award at the National Television Awards to be screened on ITV1 on the 31st of October 2007. ...
-kym: is freezing her buns off. 22 degrees F here in New Mexico tonight!
-***This one made me laugh*** - has been offered a Playboy centerfold, and rumors that Kym is pregnant. My goodness! ...

Orange Rice Krispies

This evening I got the bug to make something. So I bought a box of Rice Krispies, bags of marshmallows, butter and found food coloring in the pantry. So I made a batch for home and round pumpkin shaped ones for my group at school this Wednesday.

Planning a Party

So excited this semester is half done. Only like 8 more weeks to go. Party plans are in the works. It is going to be a MAD time...

Sad News

Just saw my wonderful Aunt Sandy's new mountain cabin in Running Springs burning on the channel 4 news. She had just bought it a few months ago. No one was in the house but a lot of valuable things were lost...

PJs & School

Now how many people get to go through an associate degree nursing program from home on a comfy couch? Like only those who go to RCC. This morning I am up, basically in my PJs and watching lecture from last Thursday. Didn't watch it earlier because who wants to hear about information that is not on the upcoming test but next the test. So since I had the option to wait to watch the video, I waited. It is the best except when the batteries go out and the instructor doesn't realize that we can't hear them anymore. No worries because when that happens the instructor visits us at clinical and gives us the information missed. This next test is focused on the Endocrine System and the Cardiovascular System. Always interesting and something new...

So Excited!!!

I got an 85% on the test! Applied for Loma Linda Children's Hospital. Now I just need to finish. Half way there...

So Nervous

Test starts in less than 3 hours. Career fair follows. Resume is updated and printed. Praying that I make it to school safely with the wind being so strong all night. That I remain calm during the test and take my time with each question. Would be nice to score a good grade. Pray that my coughing and runny nose can take a break during the test and career fair.

Well... off I go. Will let you know how I did when I get back home.

Home Early

I was just at work but one thing in nursing is that if there are no patients then no need for nurses. So I started my shift with 4 patients. All of us only had four. It was nice but too bad I just couldn't stop coughing. Anyways. I was lucky enough to send someone home at 9 am. This then meant that we had not enough patients for the amount of nurses on today. We are supposed to have 5 patients per nurse. We had 16 patients at the beginning of the shift, I sent one home, someone else was getting to go home, and ER had no patients waiting for a bed on our unit.
I then got a call from the house supervisor stating that I could either go home or go up to the 4th floor and let a nurse on that floor go home who had a headache. Well... I just couldn't turn down the option to go home. I feel like butt and 2 of my patients stated that I seemed sicker than them. So after only 5 hours of work I am at home now looking forward to a nap. I really regret telling the doctor on thursday that I didn't need a note for a few days off. Next time I will take the note even if I don't end up using it.

Smart today

Didn't sleep much again last night but I did get some really good reviewing for my test. Studied with Julie again for a couple hours this morning. Then we were smart. Our nursing class in broken up into traditional students (60 going straight through RN program with no experience), FLEX (which is my group of 10 who are LVNs completing the last half of the RN program online), and MEC (20 students who are LVNs who most have with a contract through the county hospital). Well the instructor who did the majority of the lectures for the next test for my group and the traditional is not the one who made up the lecture notes or test questions. She teaches the MEC instructor content. So today there was a study session that everyone knew about with the MEC instructor. We went. What better way to know what is going to be on the test then have a study session with a teacher who picks the test questions. You would think that more would have shown up. But only a total of 9 people came - Julie, Sue, and I were there. And she gave "example" test questions.

Only 2 more days until test day and one more study group on sunday.

Just so thankful that Jack is so supportive with all the time I have been putting into studying with others in my class this semester. It has been hard on him not having much of my attention. Almost everything out of my mouth lately has been school.

Visited a Doctor

This morning I woke up to Jack calling Kaiser to get an appt. for me today. I probably would not have gone to see a doctor until my throat closed up or I coughed out a lung. But thanks to my husband I was seen by a doctor this morning. Had to miss a study group but it was a good thing. So a throat culture and new prescription for nose/cough medicine later I still don't feel any better. But I know I will soon. Was able to meet with my study group girls at a coffee shop. We get so much done and the time fly's by. Really hoping this test goes a lot better. Just pray that my head wont be full of snot, I wont be coughing distracting everyone else, and I pass the test...

feeling yuck!

So I woke up this morning feeling even worse. It doesn't help that I had clinical from 3-11 last night. This morning I am up and ready for another long day. Studying at Julie's before we leave at 1:30 for another 3-11 evening of free labor (clinical). Kinda bummed because these are the last few days with a really good clinical instructor. She makes things so relaxed but demands a lot out of us. It has made the experience so much more tolerable. Just hoping that I don't get any of my classmates sick.

Only one week to study. Test is right around the corner. Now I just need to get rid of this soar throat that I woke up with. Really don't have time to be sick. But at least I have some really productive people in my group to study with.

Home

Since Jack and I moved into my parents house in San Jacinto it has been hard being farther away from are church family. We thought we would check out the church's near where we are living. Visited a couple but none of them felt like home. We both made Sandals Church our home before we met. I drove 45 minutes at least twice a week for about 5 years before we got married and couldn't see stopping now. This morning we enjoyed the feeling of being at home. The place we met. Sandals Church.

Nothings changed here

Just taking a break from studying for my next test. Can't wait until I don't have anymore tests. Only 10 weeks to go and I'm done! Old site is no longer and this one is free for now it will do. So keep checking back...