NurseMimiii

Jell'o Everyone!!! The time for clinicals have started. Puttin' it to work. It's awesome to be able to get to work with patients, to be able to put the information I'm learning to work and learning from a classroom perspective but also a hands on perspective. It's awesome to say the least. I'm LOVING it. (SIDE NOTE: If you are considering becoming a nurse try and shadow someone first. Volunteer at a hospital, talk to a nurse and really truly try your hardest to shadow someone for a month or so, if possible. There's a ton you can do as a nurse but I would suggest shadowing if possible.) My first clinical has been in a nursing home. I'm not sure if you all are aware but I haven't had any experience in a hospital or the medical field period. I haven't had any patients in the past. I was extremely nervous but excited. Our first clinical was going to be a huge learning curve for me. The good thing was that we would start off doing smaller things...

Jell'o Everyone!! Cornball title. Sorry couldn't help myself any how ..... I must figure out how to make more time for my blog!!! Ok ladies and gents I have to do better with time management. One thing I've noticed is that balancing life is tough when you're a nursing student. I am working on doing better so that my blogs are more effective. To help those that are interested in nursing, are in nursing or just want to know what it's like .... it won't work if there's no info to read right?! So, I'm working on it loves. Let's start with Health Assessment & Fundamentals. These two can be very overwhelming BUT they are soooo important. These courses are the back bone/ foundation of your nursing career. Soak it all up and learn as much as you can. Get ready for the sleepless nights, caffeine love, laptop chargers & tons of material! Health Assessment is exactly that. You learn to assess your patients from head to toe.When you are walking...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! Ok, so I left you hanging on a few things last post. The lab partner situation, some classmates not advancing and the exam situation. Let me fill in the blanks! So, I don't know if you are aware BUT there are no exams quite like nursing exams. Prerequisite exams went a little like this ... Study material : electrons have a negative charge. Exam question : Electrons have what kind of charge? a. positive b. neutral c. negative d. all of the above (Answer please? .... I think you have that figured out. You're a genius!) And due to the fact that you studied and read the study material you just Aced that exam. Now let me give you a sneak peak of nursing school exams. Study material : the entire chapterS (yes with the capital S to clarify that it's plural and it seems like the entire chapter, EVERY SINGLE WORD is highlighter worthy. So sorry for not being able to narrow it down for you (and no appologizes aren't given and no there are NO st...

Jell'o Everyone!!!!!!!!! Seriously?! I have been M.I.A. but I'm back. Listen it has been a whirlwind!!! The further I go the crazier it gets & I LOVE IT!! .... Let me go back in time and tell you what's been going on with me. So I left off telling you all about that one time I was a guest speaker :) and at that point I was taking Health Assessment I & Lab and Fundamentals I & Lab. It was a really tough session but I managed to get through it and so did some of my friends (I'll get back to that). Fundamentals is exactly that, the fundamentals of nursing. The basics of nursing, and let me tell you, there is A LOT to learn in this class. This is the foundation of the rest of your nursing career. I would say that partnering up Health Assessment with this class has been a great idea! In Health Assessment, we started learning how to assess a patient. How to walk into a room and start assessing your patient the moment you lay eyes on them. Ask the correct que...

Jell'o Everyone! Yes little ole me was a guest speaker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! So, here's the 411 on how it went down. Wednesday's I'm off. I don't have class but I normally am in open lab practicing on skills, or doing some kind of school work (story of my life ... and every nursing student on the planet). That day I woke up, straightened my hair and dressed up a bit. Yes I did straighten my hair, I had to be professional guys, lol. I didn't want to dress for an interview but didn't want to show up in scrubs either. I wore a black & white blouse, hot pink blazer (not pierce-your-eyes hot pink, maybe more magenta, like blues-clues magenta, lol), jeans and black heels. That was definitely my fake-it-til-you-make-it look. Got to play the part til you really have the part! Get in the car and I hit major traffic.  ---------- I am sweating at this point ----------- You can NOT and I repeat can NOT start off being late. How hypocritical would t...

Jell'o Everyone!!!!! Listen, it just got real! This session is not even close to joking. I'm a little passed mid way and let me tell you ..... it has been A LOT of work. Pathophysiology was a lot of work for sure but this time around it's been tougher because not only am I in one tough class but two and not to mention the labs. Exams every week, lab check offs every week, quizzes here and there, case studies, med calculation homework, homework in general, papers etc. I'll explain to you all how my day was today. Yesterday was Sunday. I ate lunch with family and left them early because I knew the following day would start very early. I got home and ironed my uniforms ..... We (future nurses, or any medical professional for that matter) should not be lookin a hot mess! I wouldn't want a nurse or doctor caring for me that looks like they just rolled out of bed .... that's an entirely different blog post :). Back to what I was saying, I ironed my uniforms, got eve...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! I am hands on now baby!!! :) I absolutely LOVE lab's (fundamentals and health assessment). It's fun to be putting into practice what we're learning. Knowing the reasons behind certain exams and then actually practicing it with my classmates. So awesome! As you all may know this is my first lab class and this is my first encounter with these things I'm learning. At first I was really worried because I have no medical experience but it's actually been a good thing. It's the first time I'm learning these things, so I learn it the way school is teaching me and that helps for check offs and exams. People that have had prior training or exposure tend to think of these procedures the way that they do it at work or the way they've done it before. I've learned how to change a wound dressing & recently learned how to insert and remove a urinary catheter. Um, FUN!! I slacked a little last week with the little break I gave myself ...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! This post will probably be a short one. This past weekend was labor day weekend. Which really means nothing for a nursing student!! I still had class tuesday right after. Still had an assignment due Sunday night and still had 6 chapters to read. Keep in mind all of that was for one class because my Monday class was a holiday (like I said Labor day). Our close friends were going to Destin, Florida and we were staying home. I was just going to study and do what I normally do. Until Thursday they contacted us and said .... "we've got a spot for u both JUST COME" ...... Just like that we packed our bags and we were on our way the next day. Road trippin to the beach! We needed a break. Ladies and Gents here's some news for you ..... WE ALL NEED A MENTAL BREAK! It's okay to take a break, regroup & recoop. I managed to get majority of my reading in, submitted my assignment 4 minutes before it was due, and catch a sun burn!! Balance is key....

Jell'o Everyone!!!! I survived week 1 in scrubs!! There's something about putting on some scrubs and heading out the door that makes me feel a lil more official! I REALLY AM A NURSING STUDENT!!! Like I've said in the passed, it wasn't easy getting here and every new step forward is a milestone in my book. I'm learning more fun stuff and I'm loving every moment. These classes are definitely going to be a lot of work but I'm excited because I'm actually doing so on-hands stuff. I have Fundamentals lecture and then a lab and the same goes for Health assessment. We sit in lecture to learn about these classes and then put it in practice. Day 1 is mainly about going over the syllabus and setting the law of the land out clear for everyone's understanding. Once that is out of the way we dive into course material. As soon as material was done we have to make sure we study our little hearts out because the next class is exam 1. Yup just like that exams star...

Jell'o Everyone!!! So I am finally ready for labs & clinicals! Yay me. Who would of thought that this too was a process? Well, apparently not me. In most nursing school you have to be compliant ready. There's a list of vaccinations and health requirements you have to meet that makes you compliant. It can be a process. It would be awesome if the entire US had one location for records. It would be easier to get immunization records. That's my complaining for the day, lol. Like I said, there's a list of things I had to get done: documents signed from my physician, vaccinations, physical etc. These things are to be able to sit in class period. Since there are people in the building that are exposed to sick people we all have to make sure we are safe to be around them. Kills two birds with one stone because that's also what's needed to be able to participate in clinicals. Not a coincidence :). I then had a list of items to purchase for labs (which are pretty mu...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! I am almost done with Patho! It has definitely been a ride for me. I knew that this would be a tough course and that I would have to really think like a nursing student and I couldn't have been more correct. Let me start off my saying .... I LOVED patho! It was a subject that I enjoyed .... Well it's a subject I enjoy (I still have a week left). To learn about what is happening in the body when someone has asthma, diabetes or COPD is AWESOME! I mean it's not awesome to see anyone with any of those but it's good to feel productive. To be able to know what is happening or has happened in the body is very friggin cool in my book. I enjoy these things. I find all of this very interesting. Our bodies are so complex. It's very cool to see how one thing can affect something else. To see how things tie in with others. There's so much to learn but I'm definitely on my way. I'M A NURSING STUDENT!!!! I have to keep reminding myself of that...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! It's been about 3 weeks. YIKES!! Busy, busy, busy. Studying of course. :) As you may already guessed, I started patho! I am learning so much and truly enjoying it. There's sooooo much material that all I have time for is patho. It's getting tougher but I saw a "meme" that made me laugh but it's true. It truly made me think. It said "Nursing isn't for sissies", and I agreed with it. This is still the beginning of my journey but it hasn't been easy getting here. I feel that it's a lot of work, commitment and sacrifice but nothing good comes easy right? In all, it's definitely getting tougher but I am truly enjoying it. Getting organized, color coding and time management makes it a lot more manageable! I'll let u all know how patho continues to go for me. Uniforms!!!! I ordered my nursing school uniforms and was seriously tracking that package. Arrival said it would arrive tuesday (end of day), which mean...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! I have survived my first two classes of nursing school!!! Yayyy me! I passed with flying colors. Praise God. Our last assignment was to write ourselves a letter. A letter that will be handed back to us on graduation day. How awesome is that? I wrote myself a little letter and I can't wait to look back on that in 2 years. So, whether your nursing school does that or not, feel free to do it yourself. Save it on your computer and name it "Graduation letter". It would be nice to see a glimpse of yourself in another time. It reminds you that you can do it. If you set your mind to it, you'll do it! If no one else has told you, I'll tell you myself. YOU CAN DO IT! Today started off quite troubling. As I've shared with you all, I have a sweet lil fur baby and I'm married. Well I was getting ready to head to class and was excited because it was the last day of my first set of classes. As I'm getting ready (in the bathroom), I decid...

Jell'o Everyone! Support is crucial. Nursing school is not a piece of cake. It requires a lot out of you. It can be very stressful. Professors and staff in most nursing schools don't recommend the students work. I keep hearing from nursing students further along, that they eventually had to stop working. The work load in school was too much. When I was taking my prenursing classes (prereq's), I started noticing that it would be a tough ride. It wasn't going to be easy. Stadium seating classes would start out packed and by the end .... let's just say that people would drop like flies. Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, etc. These courses convinced people that they weren't cut out to be nurses. They quickly realized that nursing is not what they thought. Some people may think that nurses just wipe sick butts. Oo how wrong. There's so much to nurses. Prenursing classes alone make tons of people quit. Imagine nursing school. YIKES. I...

Jell'o Everyone!!!!!! Hate: / hāt / feel intense or passionate dislike for (GROUP PROJECTS) Yes. It is completely safe to say that I (NurseMimiii) hate group projects! I've hated them before nursing school and I hate them now. Anyone feel the same way? I am not completely sure if it's the Latin blood in me but, man I just don't seem to care for these. I don't like anyone having any say in MY performance. I don't like for others' performance to be involved or considered in MY grade AT ALL! Here's how my first group project went: Wednesday we get assigned groups and topic. We are to go over a portion of our book and present it to the class. Sounds pretty easy, right? FALSE! We don't have class again until Monday (when the project is due & the presentation occurs). I'm automatically thinking the following: we all individually read the section of the book, we meet up one day during the weekend to put it all together, run through the pr...

Jell'o Everyone!!! Orientation was awesome! Very exciting but a bit overwhelming. So excited to finally be an official nursing student. I made it this far!!! Overwhelming because well, this is nursing school. No slacking allowed. Now to fast forward ... I've been a little behind trying to settle in to my new reality but I want to keep the blog as current and updated as possible. I just finished wk 3 of nursing school. I start wk 4 monday and that's already half way through my classes. It's going insanely fast. Every other week I have an exam. I have quizzes and assignments every week and countless hours of studying. This is just the beginning and I'm trying to stay organized. I purchased a notebook size calendar. I write in all the assignments. quizzes, exams etc. Once I complete them, I highlight them so I know they are done (these highlighters I found are AWESOME. They are gel and don't smear nor do they seep through the paper). Since my classes are 8 w...

Jell'o Everyone!!! SOOOOOO I GOT ACCEPTED TO NURSING SCHOOL!!! (by now you already know I got accepted into nursing school and its the entire reason why I started this blog but I must include this post. It still gets me soooooo excited!!!) Last post I told you a little of the ins and outs of the application process but now I'll tell you a little bit about my personal experience. So, here it goes. I applied to 4 different schools. I literally looked up ALL the schools that were about an hour from my house. I wanted to make sure I had as many plan "B's" as possible. I then looked at their requirements. Prereq's, exams, recommendation letters, etc. Some schools required that you get accepted to their school before applying to the BSN program. Some required that you complete a certain amount of hours in their institution prior to applying. Some of those were deal breakers for me and that started the elimination process for me. Once I got down...

Jell'o Everyone!!! Ok so I have been busy getting settled with nursing school (YAYY) but I am back and getting into my new schedule. Here's to the first steps towards nursing school! It all starts with YOU. What schools are you interested in? You should have a list of at least 4 or 5. Look into what they require for admission. What gpa do they require you have? What prerequisites? What exams do they require? HESI or TEAS? Do they require recommendation letters? Resumes? Look into any open house events those schools may have. Attend every open house possible. Make sure you get to meet the staff. Introduce yourself and make sure they get to place your name with a face. After the events, email them and reintroduce yourself. You want the staff to recognize your name. Applications!! Well I'll start off by saying CONGRATS!! Not everyone makes it to the application process. The application process can be stressful but you will get through it. It can also get expensive...

Jell'o Everyone!!! So ... Who in the world is NurseMimiii? I am your average down to earth girl! Wifey, mami, student, daughter to the most high God. I was born in The Bronx, NY and now live in Atlanta, Ga. I'm 29 years old & married to my backbone (Freddy). We have a lil fur baby named Nina. I am her mami :) Nina is our sweet little morkie. She holds our hearts and I think she knows it.  I have been working and going to school part-time. I finally completed all of my prerequisites (woooo whooo) and have been accepted to nursing school starting May 2, 2016 (following blog will back track to explain my application process etc). Yes my blog name is NurseMimiii and nope ... technically I'm not a nurse BUT I will be. So, NurseMimiii it is and when I graduate then it'll def fit the bill. :) I overthink things, can be indecisive, passionate, loving, sweet, annoying, funny, corny, determined blah blah blah. The list goes on. I am NOT a pro...

Jell'o Everyone!!!! Here's my very first blog post! Let's get started. So what exactly is this blog going to be about? Well .... I kept looking for blogs that would help me figure out what nursing school would be like and there wasn't much. I figured I should start my own blog and let everyone know my experience and maybe help others in search of what I was looking for. An informal blog about my journey through nursing school that hopefully brightens your day!! I hope that this blog helps nursing students from start to finish. I will be doing my best to update you all with what's going on with me. This will all be very new to me so please bear with me. For everyone reading ... welcome to my world! Here we go. -NurseMimiii