Life of a Do-It-All

I have begun the journey into Mental Health. This is a topic that is not heavy on the NCLEX, but the class is hard! In my school Mental and Critical have the harder reputation, but I know I will make it. I just recently got a job in Emergency Services as a nurse extern. I have my first full 12 on saturday so we will see how it goes. Will update.

Per usual- it's been a bit since I've posted on my blog and I wanted to give a slight life update into the projects that have been on my plate. Since the start of The Non-Profit, it has been hard work trying to juggle each avenue of what needs to be done. - Somehow the list never ends, but the excitement grows with it! We are currently trying to grow our audience, partnerships, and investments across the board. We have many goals and the partnerships we have formed just make me more and more excited for the future to come. More so, school is exciting but I am clinging onto the edge of my seat! Everything is hectic and crazy as usual!

Last Tuesday, 1/15/2019, I had the extraordinary opportunity to go to the Capitol building with the Staff of my school to talk to our representatives about some of the legal action that nurses need within our field. Two examples of what we talked about are: APRN being able to order imaging studies in all cases (not just emergency)  Tax credit needs to be given to nursing preceptors  We were able to meet with GNA (Georgia Nurses Association) to go over what our mission is, after that, I was able to drop the gifts we brought into the offices of the representatives I was given. Next, we entered the capitol building. After going through security we made our way to the Georgia House of Representatives floor and sent pages to get our representatives. We talked to a few while waiting, and while my two assigned representatives both were not available, it was an amazing process to experience. The entire process was much easier than I imagined and something that I had wish ...

Critical care is definitely more of a handful than I expected it to be. It's safe to assume I did not expect the grade to be handed to me, I am fully aware of the amount of work that needs to go into my classes... BUT I'd been hearing from multiple people that as long as you hunker down in specialties... it should be okay. Fun fact: it might not be okay. It's a lot harder than many make it out to be- especially critical care. I hope that the first cardiac exam proves in my favor, but who knows.  I am also running for Senate at my school, hoping that I can gather more insight into the student body and help make a better student experience!  I will keep more updates later... 

The school year is about to begin again for my cohort, we are leaving fundamentals and adult health and transitioning into specialties. To say I'm terrified is an understatement. This is the class I have been looking forward to the most, and this is my desired field to work in after graduation! While I am overjoyed with this new chapter, I am very nervous about the rigor infront of me. I have decided to be more proactive, and make good use of the tutoring center at my school. I know personally that I need to pay closer attention to pathology- so hopefully the tutors will help!  Critical care is what will stand between my patient and their health, I take my education seriously. I am completely enamored with this portion of my education, and cannot wait to bring you along the ride!

Over the last two years, I have been dreaming of opening my own non-profit organization. If you've read my introduction you know it's one of my life goals. The last month I left the previous non-profit I was on the board of, due to personal reasons. I took the chance to reflect during the month, then decided to move forward! e I am so excited to announce The Non-Profit- Passion Projects. My heart, mind, and soul have gone into this concept and I am excited to release it!  We want to connect charitable organizations and people who feel they have a talent or commodity to share. Our goal is to link the two through projects we organize to provide benefit to the non-profit with service or fundraisers. Our goal is not only to provide benefit to other organizations, but to the volunteer themselves through learning, experience, and using their talent or skill in the most giving way! Please follow our social media! Facebook Instagram Twitter

Many of those who walk through the doors of nursing school are already predisposed to be analytic, task-oriented, and able to synthesize information. While that might be handy for the job or many of the things that we are taught throughout the education process when it comes to deliverables those can be some harmful traits to have. Yes, it is fun to have many of the necessary deliverables done ahead of time, and to being offloading so most of your work is done ahead of time... if only there was this work ethic and ease in high school... but in nursing school, everything is given at a certain time for a reason. Sure, you can work up to your first exam, but you might be hindering yourself if you get TOO ahead. Currently, I am working up to each exam, but trying not to get ahead of myself. I am currently trying to gain my GPA some cushion points (in Adult Health no less...) by only offloading to a certain point so that I can stay focused on the information that is on the next exam. ...

If you're in nursing school and a life event happens, be sure to hold on for dear life. No matter who you are or what's going on in life, nursing school will keep going at the speed of light. During nursing school, everything is moving at 1000 mph, and keeping calm, cool, and collected is of the utmost importance. One thing that I have been teaching myself lately is everything is possible as long as you take a day or two for yourself. Everything is laying on very heavy, and it's okay to take a day to catch up on everything needed.  I will keep this one short and sweet, but don't forget to do something for yourself!

There are thousands of webinars, pdf's, books, etc.'s warning people of the effects of working too hard, burnout, and why they should be working smarter. There's a hopeless amount of books just for one class, and it seems like there are more resources than what time is alotted throughout one 24 hour day. Sometimes the easier, and better road to take it following plainly what your instructor suggests, no matter how intensive it may be. Other times, we have to get creative by making colorful concept maps, wildly labeled pictures, and flashcards that have such small lettering you need a magnifying glass. The important part is to focus on the material that is given through course shells and by instructors. If you do not have a good outline, the material that you're preparing might not be accurate. Before every exam, I TRY (doesn't always happen) to create an exam packet. (It includes what helps me master many of my exams) Outline  Any questions/reviews  Chapte...

The next session, my cohort is going to be hit with the challenging duo of Adult Health I and Pharmacology. I've heard horror stories following pharmacology, and how daunting the amount of work seems. I am going to have my first ever 12 hour clinical on a Medical-surgical floor on in a hospital (will not disclose for HIPAA and privacy reasons) I don't know what to expect, and I am excited and nervous to learn a lot about the fields I'm passionate about in nursing. My textbooks for this session resemble a small stepping stool, and I haven't even found all of the resources I need- If anyone has any suggestions for pharmacology ( leave a comment!) We're all nervous and slightly overwhelmed with everything ahead of us, will keep you all updated. -M

Through nursing school, it can easily feel as if you're fully immersed without exit. While the workload might make everything seem impossible to juggle, it's easy to remember how rewarding it is. It's hard to make time for anything else but nursing school, but we all make do. Each nursing student is juggling a myriad of dreams and goals while trying to pave a bright future ahead. When given opportunities, no matter how many obstacles stand in your way... it's important to take advantage of each one in your path. When you receive news of a great opportunity, at the moment it's jumping for joy... but over time the reality sets in. The work and desire to make it all perfect is so exciting but can also seem like a looming cloud. But the important thing is to stay positive. Remind yourself... things aren't slipping through the cracks, you can do it, and to stay focused on the task ahead. Take every day as a blessing!

You might be nervous, feel adrenaline running through your body - or it might be something that you want it to be done before the day even begins. Nursing is a calling, and while the pay is good- do not step into this profession if you do not have a passion for your patients and what you're doing... it's easy to feel swallowed whole otherwise.  Clinical was great! I can only disclose so much that I was exposed to as a right to my patient. But I had a great time. Within the first hour, I felt my heart swell... knowing truly that this field (in all it's glory) is something that I am so excited to be a part of. Family and friends always insisted I would be better as a lab rat, but in fact, I adore direct patient care. While nursing is a science and has A LOT of studying and hard work behind it... pay attention to your heart and what you're passionate about- it can take you far. If you're just starting nursing school- clinical can seem like something you're ru...

It's easy to struggle through nursing school and focus on the material that is in front of you. Even if you're in front of patients. We might fully understand how a procedure works and know how to instruct a patient to relax, but we can never understand their point of view. Sometimes all we need is a change of perspective, and a personal experience to help make our patients have the best one that they can have. I was a patient recently getting my cavities fixed. I was more than freaked out about getting numb, and it was more than comforting to have a great dentist. I was shakey and teary-eyed while I felt the loss of control of the left side of my face. I was terrified to talk to even see the drill, let alone feel the vibrations through my mouth.  I realize going through nursing school, and for any type of healthcare professional, it's a "no-no" to tell the patient exactly how things will end up or an exact amount of time it will take. But, being an anxious...

While 99% of my posts thus far have been around nursing, this blog is centered around trying to juggle everything that is placed in your path that you wish to accomplish. I currently work with a group of high-schoolers that are on a Youth Leadership Board, under the non-profit I work with. I slowly am creating a collection of infographics that they can learn leadership skills from. I use them as a starting point for all of our meetings, I print and pass out copies to each child and we use it as a discussion starter for each meeting. After they will still have the resource. Here's my first one:

I'm officially in my first course that has a clinical rotation! Fundamentals II, we are going to a nursing home and learning! While I 100% am not volunteering patient information, I will be volunteering my perspective on what to look out for and what I paid attention to. Feel free to follow along and learn more about a clinical journey.  I'm writing this pre-orientation to my first clinical site. It feels like so much has been thrown at us requirement wise, but not much information wise. I lost count of how many emails have been sent out of reminders, dates, conflicts, etc. There's a lot that can flood a nursing student's mind, and it can all come at the rate of a tsunami. It's important to make a distinction between class requirements, and what the clinical site is asking of you. Just as we like our homes and private areas to be respected... each clinical site expects the same- and more... rightfully so. It's imperative to remember some of these clinical si...

Being someone who juggles many projects at once, burnout is a high probability. Time management can seem like a task, let alone finding the time for self-care or a moment comfortably in your own head. Because of this, burnout can wreak havoc on your routines. There are many ways to prevent burnout, and it depends on each person. We read it in magazines, tweets, and posts everywhere - but it can boil down to something more simple than once thought. Making the time within your daily routine for yourself can change the flow of your day. Here's a great graphic that can kickstart your healthier habits:

If you read this blog, you're following me and my journey through a gauntlet of life. This includes nursing school and working with a non-profit while trying to create my own. wild. Do I have a life? Sometimes it's hard to tell.  But currently at this stage in schooling, I'm taking Health Assessment I and Fundamentals I (Skills). Between Foley catheter and Nasogastric tubing, it can get a little frazzling. Intense might be a better word. It seems like it's at the point of running together, and that's okay... Other than vital signs (Temp, pulses, pulse ox., BP, etc.) our formal check off or lab assessment is our head to chest assessment. It's required a lot of lab practice time, and scripting. Here are some tips if you might be struggling: If you do not have mandatory open lab time, do it anyway. Being in the lab setting can really put your mental state in the right place before practicing... and that goes for any procedure. They also might have the resourc...

I know being in nursing school that you might have a commute to clinical, school, work, etc. Here are some podcasts that take up a great amount of my time that I love! CRIME JUNKIE  SMALL TOWN MURDER H3 PODCAST  JENNA / JULIEN SERIAL INSANELY CHILL

This by far was the class that 'put me on my butt' so to speak. It was one of the first true nursing courses I've taken other than a few others. To be more specific, it was the first nursing course relating to facts, rather than patient relationship. I overextended myself in what I thought I could do. I thought that I could read the chapters in depth, make flashcards, annotate powerpoints, watch the professors' content, take practice quizzes, etc. Obviously, by the list, you can tell that's what my life would be if I decided to take that path. I got very jumbled with what worked and what did not. Our professors grew frustrated at the end of the course because such a small class percentage had taken the opportunity to view that recordings and practice quizzes that they had made. To confess, I didn't watch the recordings and did practice quizzes religiously. And I do admit that this is a fault, but as students, we know what works and what doesn't for us. Thr...

(Hello! Sorry I took almost a month hiatus, everything built up really quickly and is some of the inspiration for this post) Nursing school teaches you a lot more than just the knowledge needed to be an extraordinary nurse. It pushes you to make decisions that will make you itch later when you recall the memory, it will make you change your entire perspective, and it even makes us more human. This last week it felt like everything was going wrong. There were two exams (micro and patho), along with a paper due. This might not seem like much, but when your school is on an accelerated track, its more than enough to keep someone busy. Last week taught me that it's okay not to get ahead. Throughout primary and secondary school we're constantly taught to get ahead of the curve to get our work done and then some... But in nursing school, I think its crucial to stick to what's in front of you. Obviously, you need to study for NCLEX as everything else is happening, but stick...