One month in

So, as it turns out, nursing school is a lot of work...no really, A LOT!  This can be evidenced in part by my lack of regular updates on here.  I am feeling a little sad about that as I had hoped to do a better job of documenting my journey, but one of my new mantras is accepting my limitations.  The good news is, I have officially survived my first month!

Is been quite an interesting journey thus far.  The stress and volume of work is far greater than I anticipated.  Luckily, I am beginning to settle in a bit and develop a flow.  I have now taken a written exam in almost every class and have a little better idea of what to expect moving forward.  Testing in this program is very different from the types of tests I am used to.  This is in large part because the program is preparing us for the NCLEX exam and the way that  exam is designed.  It feels very different from what I consider to be "regular" science-based exams.  These tests are very much about critical thinking.  Often there is more than one right answer given and our task is to pick the best answer given the scenario.  Takes some getting used to, but hopefully I am getting the hang of it.

As someone who has pretty much gotten all As in my college career since 1995 (we won't talk about my first stint in college back in 1988), it has been quite humbling to be in this program.  First off, the grade scale is much more competitive.  We need a 94% to get an A and anything below 75% is considered failing.  Talk about pressure!  (For the record, to date I have received one A, two A-s, a B+, and a B on my exams.)  The testing feels non-stop...one, two, or three exams every week since the middle of September.  Thankfully, we haven't had much in the way of super time intensive research/writing projects.

I'm also settling into a groove with some classmates.  I've met lots of interesting people and have connected with some good study partners.  That is also a change for me.  I am really used to being a solitary student/studier.  In many of my classes, it is almost necessary to study with at least one other person, particularly on hands on, skills based assignments.  My first midterm is this Monday.  It's in my Assessment class and basically we'll come in and draw a card with a sign or symptom and we have to do an appropriate, focused assessment on our lab partner based on the card.  I'm not too worried about it, but I'm guessing I'll have some anxiety come Monday.

In other nursing school news, last week our group did our clinical orientation at Henry Ford Hospital.  I was surprised how mellow the med/surg floor we'll be working on was.  I think it will be a nice first clinical experience.  We actually start our rotation next Friday.  I'm actually really looking forward to that.  I so prefer hands-on, practical learning to rote memorization and lectures (pharmacology and pathophysiology.)

It has been hard starting this program so far away from my friends and chosen family.  However, I am so, so grateful for all the love, support and cheerleading I am getting via Facebook.  Whenever I'm having a down moment and post about it, there is always someone, but usually multiple someones, who give me encouragement.  Thank you all.

Peace and compassion...