don't be an ass

all the organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was in charge.

the brain said, "i should be in charge, because i run all the body's systems, so without me nothing would happen."

"i should be in charge," said the heart, "because i pump the blood and circulate oxygen all over the body, so without me you'd all waste away."

"i should be in charge," said the stomach, "because i process food and give all of you energy."

"i should be in charge," said the rectum, "because i'm responsible for waste removal."

all the other body parts laughed at the rectum and insulted him, so in a huff, he shut down tight. within a few days, the brain had a terrible headache, the stomach was bloated, and the blood was toxic. eventually, the other organs gave in. they all agreed the rectum should be the boss.

the moral of the story?

you don't have to be smart or important to be in charge...just an asshole.

quarterly updates anyone?

apparently i'm going for the quarterly updates on this ol' thing haha.

block 2 ended, thankfully, with a successfully passing grade.

that's not to say there weren't some doubts looming the e.n.t.i.r.e. freaking semester that it wouldn't actually happen that way!

in all my years of schooling, both high school, GCU, and now nursing school, there has never been a rougher, tougher, more emotionally draining semester as this last one. any challenge that could have been thrown at us (computer issues, horrible instructors, poor follow up) was. and even though we were stressed that "flexibility" was the word of our lives now, there was anything BUT flexibility to be handed out to us.

oh well.

the beauty of it all?

it's over.
i passed.
block 3 is around the corner.
and the post before this? about being born for this? still rings as true now as it did then.
in fact. if it's possible?
even truer.


yup. 100% certainty. without hesitation or doubts.

i was born for this.

words o' wisdom

"i am not afraid...i was born to do this"

-st. joan of arc

i hear this quote and relate it to a lot of different areas in life. i think it's something we all can. everyone has their weaknesses, their troubles or challenges, their tribulations. but with the right attitude (and maybe a lil help) anything is possible.

the beauty of this quote is that the emotion attached, in this case fear, is interchangeable.

i am not afraid.

anxious.

nervous.

disheartened.

i am not deterred.

i was born for this.

i'm 1/4 nurse!

hard to believe block 1 has been over for an entire summer, and block 2 is 2 weeks away from beginning.

the journey that has been nursing school has been different than anything i could have thought of. i love it.

there's a level of inner strength i didn't think would need to be as actively present as pens and a stethoscope. the reading, the studying, the learning, the clinical-ing (yup, a real word), the growing, the cramming...all of it.

when i sat in orientation back in january the week before class started, we were told that we wouldn't be the same people we were sitting there that night. at first i didn't believe it. i was told the same thing about my journey at GCU, and while i can see some changes that transpired, i'd say i was relatively the same person upon that graduation.

but this time - this time it's true. only 1/4 of the way through nursing school and i can already tell i'm not the same person i was before i started. i can only imagine how i'll feel in december of 2011.

maybe i'll get better at updating this so it serves its purpose - to be a journal of the path that is nursing school ;)

back from the dead!! .... sort of

wow.

that was a major hiatus, i know.

well. let's come full circle, see if you can follow:

left off in october of 2008. was waiting to get into nursing school at chandler/gilbert.

got my interview, was encouraged to take it as i was a certain candidate, and unofficially offered a position in roadways, meaning offered a spot in nursing school that next semester.

i got scared.

turned down said interview, and thought maybe i should take my name out of the database.

temporarily took my name out.

worked at y, loved it. figured i was going to be there forever. (not there, but with the y forever)

began master's program in organizational leadership/non profit management.

see the ymca tie in?

start to hate y.

haphazardly end up on the nursing website.

choose to put myself back in pool.

wait.

wait.

wait.

quit y.

start at the hospital.

must stay in medicine. must.

decide nursing will take far too long; begin investigating surgical tech program in the mean time.

love it. decide that'll do.

watch tuesday after tuesday go by and not receive a "congrats, you're placed" email from nursing.

almost start to forget about it.

december 8, 2009 at miracle mile deli with mom and friend, receive email on phone.

"you've been placed" email in inbox.

woah.

january 19th, 2010 - block 1 of nursing school at mesa begins.

flash forward to right now, the present: 48 hours away form FIRST nursing school exam.

woah.

ah, the full circle

=)

what's your story?

so. i've explained it to a few people. but...i've never FULLY explained it to myself. i know, that doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but...it's true. so with that...let's see where this goes, shall we? 

"Why do you want to be a nurse?" 

it's been said time and time again. "i want to help people. i want to make a difference. it's a family thing"...while all those answers are pretty legit and answer the question...it's not enough. and they don't do it for me. for me: the answer is closer to something along the lines of "because i'm good at it". hear me out on this one. in med science, HCT, PCT...it just came to me. it came naturally to me like some people understand algebra. or the way some people can pick up a basketball and become a mini jordan. we're all given gifts, i believe. we're all blessed to have certain areas in our lives where we get to be on top, where we get to be #1. growing up, i didn't have a lot of those areas. i always did well in school, and didn't have to start "working" at it until college. but these classes were different than my language or reading or even chemistry classes. they were more intense. more focused. required more of me. and i produced. time after time, i found myself actually getting it. we would learn new material on monday. by friday we had already been quizzed on it. and were just beginning our weekly test. it was a fast-paced, gotta get it quick type of class. and i did. i never picked up my notes to study. week after week i was getting the highest grade in the class. i was intrigued by the material. so intrigued that i was just soaking it all up. i was good at it. and i was enjoying myself. 

that's not the end of my thought....but...i'm not sure exactly where i want to go with this post. 

i'll edit later.  

the path continues.

wow it's been quite a while since i've updated this ol' thing...let's recap.

i have since completed what i like to call the "first round" interviews for the roadways scholarship. i met just with jennifer and her new assistant, andrea. it went rather well, i'd say. jennifer has a lot of confidence in me, which in turn helps me feel positive about my abilities and my chances of getting further with this. she even went as far to say that if it was up to her and andrea to choose the recipients, that i would have a guaranteed spot. =) 

from here, i wait the rest of october and they hope to have the final interviews scheduled for mid-late november. but for sure before christmas. at that interview, i'll meet with a panel of representatives: cardiologists, neurologists, pediatricians, an HR rep from CHW are just a few that'll be there. we all sit around a table...and. well. talk. they ask me questions, find out who i am, what i want to do with my career, why i'm choosing what i'm drawn to, etc. while a part of me feels it's going to be extremely intimidating and nerve daunting, a bigger part of me is super stoked. i interview better than i make myself appear on paper (or at least i'm told) so this will give me a chance to let the selection committee see who i really am, and explain my story. i'm excited. 

if all goes well, i'll be accepted. that means: CHW will pay for the rest of my education as i get my nursing degree. it also means i've got a for sure-set in stone-no backing out job for a minimum of 3 years. not too shabby. it also gives such an EXCELLENT chance to network. but more than that, i get in right away. =) haha. 

rumor has it chandler/gilbert is in the working phases of beginning an accelerated program. if that's up, the first group will begin this upcoming may and finish in 18 months. no summer breaks. based on my education history, jennifer says i'm a perfect match for that program. if it's up, she's highly recommending me for it. if it's not, then i'll begin nursing school in fall '09. 

so that basically recapped my interview/meeting. but as for school, 202 is a lot different than 201. i'm enjoying it oh so much more than 201. no matter how much i enjoy it though, i'm ready to be done with school and working already. 

but...all in good time...