Journey through Nursing School: First Day - Then and Now

As I begin my LAST semester in nursing school in pursuit of my BSN, here is a look back of a pic of the girls from my first day of my first semester to now, my first day of my last semester!  WOW has time gone by quickly!

And just in case you need a refresher on how my very first day of nursing school went... here is a copy of my post from that day:

The first day down the road of my formal education in Nursing was filled with potholes and free parking. 

Monday evening I was reviewing my carefully laid out plan to be executed in the morning.  I had my books, notebooks and all the school supplies I would need loaded in the car.  I studied and restudied exactly what class I had when and WHERE each class would meet.  I must have looked at my schedule a hundred times, and printed at least three copies, and yet was still nervous I would end up completely lost and confused.  All three of my daughters’ clothes were laid out for the morning.  Becca’s lunch was made and her backpack hung ready to go.  Shoes and coats were accounted for and in their proper place. 

Tuesday morning begins with a flurry of activity.  Baby Molly is up early to eat.  Becca is up and raring to go long before her middle sister, Piper, even considers opening her eyes.  In the rush of the morning I seem to be right on schedule.  We get out the door and halfway to daycare to drop the younger two off when the alarm goes off on my phone.  Agh!  How could I have left the house and forgotten the weekly ritual that is held in such high regard to every Pre-kindergarten scholar… show-n-tell!  Panic starts to set in, but I quickly remind myself that surely I can find something, anything, that would suffice for today’s presentation.  Becca informs me that the letter of the week is “I”.  Perfect, what could I possibly come up with that begins with “I”?? 

The drop off of my two younger girls is complete at daycare.  Now, time to scour the car for this prized show-n-tell item.  Let’s , I have a blanket, a horseshoe shaped neck pillow, bank deposit slips, a couple writing pens…it is looking grim.  Oh, a little pink monkey (probably the ever so wonderful ‘prize’ from a Happy Meal), but Becca quickly points out to me that monkey does not start with the designated letter of the week.  I quickly tried to come up with any variation of the wording of the toy to bring an “I” to the start, but was at a loss.  I then tried to convince Becca that it wasn’t necessary for the object to begin with the letter of the week, that was only a suggestion.  She did NOT take kindly to the suggestion of straying from the designated letter.   One last desperate look around and I spied just a small piece of blue under the seat.  Closer examination revealed a very poor knock off of a Barbie doll that had already been ‘well loved’ to say the least.  This wild haired, one armed, dressed in a pathetic blue rag of a dress was perfect!  I proclaimed her to be the Ice Princess!  Immediately Becca latched on to her newly discovered Ice Princess and was thrilled to have such a treasure to share with her class.

Whew, the show-n-tell disaster has been averted and Becca has been dropped off at school.  As I drive to my new school, a million doubts run through my head.  Will I get lost just trying to get there?  Will I find a parking space?  Will I find my classrooms?  Will I be on time?  Will I have the correct books and materials?  Will I somehow just look like a complete moron compared to everyone else?!?

I arrive on campus well ahead of my scheduled class time.  With only one wrong turn, I easily find a parking space.  I find my first classroom and even have plenty of time to find the restroom before class starts.  My first class begins and I am starting to relax a bit.  I am in the right room, have the right books, and have already read the right syllabus.  Twenty seven minutes into my hour and fifteen minute class my cell phone rings.  Yes, it is on silent, so it does not disturb the class, but my heart sinks when the caller ID flashes on the screen – my daughter’s school.  I cannot easily excuse myself from class and decide that if they leave a message, or if I receive another call, then I will just have to get up and go.  About four minutes later I receive a text message from my Mom: “Becca is sick, I am going to pick her up.”  I am relieved to know what is going on, and extremely thankful that my Mom can pick her up.  I just cannot believe that my very first day of class is the day Becca gets sick at school.  Not to mention the fact that I had done such a phenomenal job creating an amazing show-n-tell that would now never be used! 

I continue through my classes with relative ease.  On a break in the afternoon I talk to my Mom and Becca doesn’t seem to be deathly ill.  She is complaining of a stomachache, but we think she will pull through.  My break has almost come to an end when my phone rings again.  How can this be, daycare is calling me now?  Yes, it is daycare calling to tell me that baby Molly has spiked a fever of 103.  You have to be kidding me!  So through a quick series of phone calls I have arranged for Jeremy, my wonderful husband, to take off early from work to go pick up miss Molly and my Mom will pick up Piper a little later (after nap time) on her way bringing Becca home. 

Although slightly flustered, I feel like things are in control at home, so I am off to my next class.  Who in the world numbered these classrooms?!?  Where in the world is the room I am looking for?!? Almost more importantly, where is a restroom?!?  Luckily, there are very friendly faculty, staff and other students.  I am able to find my assigned classroom, and even feel comfortable because I was able to find the restroom before class started. 

I have one more class before my journey back home this evening.  Jeremy and Molly are home.  My Mom is en route daycare to retrieve Piper with Becca in tow and is also picking up carry out for dinner on the way for Jeremy and the girls.

I hope every day of school isn’t like this one or I am never going to get through!

Summer Projects!

This was the summer of completing various projects around the house!


Started out small.  Added a 'frosted' look to the sidelight windows of the front door:

Next tackled the dryer vent.  Now, having our laundry room upstairs is super convenient.  BUT, this means that the vent goes outside via the second story roof!  Cleaning that bad boy out is quite a chore as the roof has a super steep pitch to it.  There has to be a better way to keep it clean rather than having to venture onto the roof, but I haven't figured that out yet.  Also installed 'slim-fit' dryer vent hookup so that the dryer can sit closer to the wall!  Pretty cool.

Then it was on to the dining room light.  Molly was my 'big helper' completing this task!

Sometimes you have to get creative when your 'big helper'
is too short to hold up the light while you wire it in!

The shelves in the linen closet drove me crazy!
They were wire shelves that things would fall through or fall over on ALL THE TIME!
Solution: Cut foam board to fit and cover with contact paper.  Voila, problem solved!!

New shelves in the linen closet!

It has been just over 5 years since we moved into this house...  I FINALLY hung up curtains in the playroom/extra bedroom.  Yes, there have been mini-blinds up since just after we moved it, but I finally have real curtains up!  We also spent time re-organizing the room as well.

Finally have curtains in this room!

By far the biggest project we tackled this summer was the basement.  Unfortunately, in the beginning of July our basement flooded.  The good news, it gave me the kickstart I needed to actually get it organized and cleaned up.  It is not a finished basement, but it is now useable space for us.  Besides just cleaning out junk we didn't need and organizing what I wanted to keep, I also put down some floor coverings.  We already owned the multi-colored foam squares (those are AWESOME but expensive).  I was tired of the cold and ugly concrete floor, so I put down indoor/outdoor carpet in one area and then large laminate click-lock tiles in the 'craft/science' area.  I bought the tiles use, so it was an incredible deal.  If I ever find that good of a deal again, I would definitely buy more to do the rest of the room.  There is still some work to be done, but the basement has come a LONG way.  I don't have any 'before' pictures, but just envision piles and stacks and random junk everywhere! :)

 The girls did enjoy having a 'dance floor' before I put the tables in place!!

I think those are all the home projects from this summer that I have completed!  I have one last project on my list, replacing the exterior lights by the front door and over the garage.  Maybe it will get done this weekend?!?  

Summer Haircuts!

Time for summer haircuts!
Molly is almost 4 years old and has yet to have a real haircut (I have trimmed her bangs along the way).  She never wanted it cut and that was a battle that I chose not to fight!

Piper wanted her haircut 'not dangle-y' (aka short!), so after Piper chopped hers off, Molly wanted her hair cut too!  
Becca just wanted a few inches taken off.  

They all ended up with super cute haircuts!

Dream Big!

We were talking about what the girls wanted to be when they grew up....
Molly enthusiastically exclaimed, 
"I wanna be a UNICORN!"

Journey through Nursing School: EWHC Award

I was honored to be this year's recipient of the Lynne O'Day Scholarship from the Executive Women in Healthcare organization!

I was asked to 'prepare a few words' to share... here is what I came up with:

Thank you.  It truly is an honor to receive this scholarship.

 

The decision to return to school to pursue a career in nursing was not one I took lightly.  I knew it would be a challenge to be able to balance school, family, and my current job.  I am seeking a nursing career not only for myself, but for my family.  I have been blessed with three beautiful daughters and I want to instill in them a strong work ethic and the belief that anything is possible through my example.

Over the years I have served roles in various medical fields.  These have included a volunteer EMT and firefighter in Brown County Indiana, a pharmacy technician, and in the health center at a residential summer camp.  All of these positions strengthened my interest in the medical world, but it was my personal experience caring for family members that ultimately led me back to school.

My grandmother played a large role in my upbringing.  I was lucky enough to have her live with us as I grew up.  When she became ill and required full time care, I was happy to be able to return and care for the grandmother who had taken such good care of me as I grew up.  My oldest daughter was only a few months old when we began our daily routine of care for my grandmother.  At times, I must have looked crazy balancing the care of an infant and insuring my grandmother’s comfort as I helped her with everything from hygiene, to eating, to cleaning and maintaining her new trach.  I am very thankful I was able to spend so much time with my grandmother in the last year of her life.  She passed away at the age of 89 surrounded by her family at home.  Unfortunately, immediately after she had passed, my uncle received a devastating medical prognosis.  I also had the privilege of helping with his care and comfort as he quietly passed away at home.  I returned to work at an office job and welcomed two more daughters into our family.

My youngest daughter, Molly, came into this world and was immediately adored by her big sisters, Becca age four and Piper age two.  We quickly learned that our little Molly was facing some major medical challenges.  Although a bit overwhelming and difficult at first, we established a routine of chaos navigating tube feedings, endless appointments with specialists, and multiple surgeries.  Even her big sisters wanted to help feed Molly through her “special straw” as they called her feeding tube.  Her continued challenges exposed me even further to the medical world, and specifically nursing.  I knew that I would continue to care for Molly’s medical needs as she grew up, but I also felt called to explore the option of a career in nursing to serve others as well.

Although easy is never a word I would use to describe nursing school, it has been an incredible opportunity.  There are points where there just doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks of being a student, mother, and working.  But I have found a balance that I never imagined possible before.  I take great pride in being able to maintain a very high grade point average and still spend time with and support my family.  Due to the increasing demands of school and insuring that I have enough time to dedicate to my studies, I have cut back on the hours that I work.  Decreasing work hours and increasing tuition and childcare costs have put me in a situation of facing difficult financial decisions.  I am dedicated to completing my degree in nursing at Marian University and receiving the aid of the Lynne O’Day Scholarship has helped to alleviate some of the financial strain.

   I don't think I can say thank you enough to the Executive Women in Healthcare organization for presenting me with this scholarship.  I have read and heard stories about what an incredible woman Lynne O’Day was.  I am honored to receive this scholarship named in her memory.  The goal of this scholarship is “to assist the development of young, female professionals who are pursuing a career in healthcare leadership” and I hope to be able to be able to live out these ideals.

     

It is true that individual students must be fully committed to dedicating themselves to their education to be successful.  But no matter how passionate I am about becoming a nurse and female leader in health care, the bottom line is that tuition is expensive and inevitable.  Being provided financial support to further my education is something that I will be forever grateful for.

Being named the Lynne O'Day Scholarship Recipient has strengthened my dedication to a career in health care and has created a personal desire to help others reach their personal potential as well.  I want to thank the corporate sponsors, each individual donor, and the Executive Women in Healthcare organization for making this opportunity possible for me.  I am very proud and honored to be recognized by this incredible organization.  Thank you. 

Conversation between kids

Overheard a conversation between my 5 year old Piper and 3 year old Molly.

Piper (in a VERY condescending tone of voice): 
     Do you even know what 'the other day' means Molly?
  
Molly: Um, I don't know.

Piper: It means three days after Friday.


Huh?!?

Christmas 2014