End of the Semester

Hello, dear reader!

The end of the semester is fast approaching.  It seems like all I have left to do is show up for my last few classes, study, and wait for finals so that I can be done.  I say this every semester, but it flew by so fast!  I was so terrified my first week of clinical rotations because I was in the ICU and worried that I wouldn't be able to care for people properly.  Luckily, I had some great instructors who talked me through everything and helped me understand how to manage IV lines, NG tubes, and other topics regarding critical care.  My other rotations included working on a community project and managing multiple clients on a medical-surgical unit.

I'm worried, but excited, about the changes that next semester will bring.  In February, I will begin a preceptorship (somewhere) and practice as a nurse, with the guidance (read: supervision) and support of an RN.  I will be performing a research project that applies to my area of study, and I will be learning new skills, refining old ones, and integrating nursing concepts along the way.  I know that it will pass by too quickly, and graduation will come.  I know that I will be absolutely frightened out of my mind to take the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses).  But I will (hopefully) pass and, God willing, go on to have a fulfilling career.

Although I will probably work in the hospital setting for the first few years out of school, what I really want to do is work out in the community, doing health promotion and teaching people about disease prevention.  My dream job would be to work with Partners in Health (PIH).  They are a non-profit whose mission is to provide the best healthcare possible to the poorest of the poor.  They do amazing work all around the world, including here in the US.  To be a part of their mission would make me the happiest woman alive.  To find out more about PIH, go to their website at www.pih.org.

That's all for this week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Melanie E.