The Next Step

Well, I graduated.

With honors, I might add.

No easy feat. 

Let me recap for you: 6 kids, hubby in school while working long hours, chronic pain, children with medical issues that need attention, Evil Back creating issues with simple things like walking, bending, lifting, and is worse with stress and fatigue, and a long drive to school and clinicals (guess what Evil Back loves as much as stress?)

Now that you're caught up...I'll again say, not an easy feat. And I'm damn proud of myself. Not only did I graduate nursing school, something that takes a ton of determination and dedication, but I graduated with an awesome GPA and with honors. Holding that diploma in my hands, a piece of paper that represents my dreams and goals and hard work was amazing. 

The last 3 months of school contained the most stressful, exhausting, painful, intense days of nursing school. I honestly did not think I would make it to the end, that somehow I would fail a class because I was unable to keep up with all the deadlines and massive amounts of work. On top of classes, labs, homework, hours of reading each day, papers to write, values and theories to memorize, and trying to get some sleep, I also had clinicals and preceptorship hours each week.

First day of Preceptorship. 

Last day of
Preceptorship.

Each day was a struggle to keep up the pace. I never had enough sleep and I was full of guilt for missing my kids and moments in their lives. I missed my hubby and little things like eating dinner with him and going to bed at the same time. Half of the week I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning for clinicals, the other half of the week I had preceptorship from 3-11 at night, sometimes after a 9 am class.

A clinical somewhere
between the first and
last day.

I was always packing more into a day than I thought was possible. I felt like a zombie. And most days I looked like one too.
 

That big book and the papers? Notes for 1 exam.
Not a midterm or final exam.
One. Stinking. Exam.

Ginger Girl took a picture of me...and such an oh so flattering picture at that...and made a countdown that was set for 2 hours after I was scheduled to take my final final.

Before my final
final. 

After my final
final.

How I celebrated finishing
my final final.

What I found on the fridge when I came home
from my final final. From Ginger Girl.

Of course I cried like a baby at my pinning ceremony, especially when it came to thanking the people who supported me through this bumpy journey. By the time I presented a rose to my brother for being the one who unknowingly led me on the path of psych nurse, I was pretty much bawling.

Me crying and that's
Half Brain's hair cuz
that girl got a front
row seat! 

I was so happy that the people who meant so much to me and supported me the most were at my ceremony. I was so happy to share such a huge moment with the people I love. My parents and brother flew from Florida to be there, my kids were proud and my girls were crying along with me, hubby was in the front row smiling, and my family and friends were so happy for me. 

I have been so happy being home and discovering what life is like for a Mommy who does not have such a crazy schedule with constant studying. It is...AMAZING! I like being the one to make dinner again, to catch up on projects I had to set aside, and to actually have time with the hubby man and the kids again. With hubby in school, it's been a nice change of pace to be only on the supporting side. 

I took a nice break where I got sleep, had fun, met with friends I have missed, caught up on my DVR shows, and was a stay at home Mom with only the concerns of my family to tend to. Oh yeah, I also got a shot in my spine, which was not anywhere near my definition of fun. But whatevs.

This last week I have been studying for the NCLEX and finishing up the prep course that my school paid for and I started in January. I'm back to studying and I'm not thrilled about that but I've always got my cats to keep me company. 

Lennon, taking after Watson,
has discovered a new way to get my attention
while I'm studying.

Next step: NCLEX!