meiraculous!

hello, friends. i am finally in nashville and am slowly but sure getting settled in. my little apartment is lovely and is starting to feel homey already. on monday 7/6, i start my first day as work as a registered nurse! i have my license number and am now licensed to heal. :-D

i have been trying to find opportunities to get involved in the community since i have moved here. God works in mysterious ways and has led me to where i am for reasons that are starting to make sense. i found a family medical clinic for people who are immigrants, underinsured, etc. the services are free to the people who come, and the clinic is run completely by volunteers. this clinic is 2.5 miles from my apartment!!!!!!!!! i am going to start volunteering there once i get my schedule figured out with work. it will be good experience for me in the primary care setting, which will be very useful when i go to clinics in different villages around the world to volunteer, God willing. the type of patients i would see in the clinic are different from the type of patients that are going to be in the hospital, so i will have the opportunity to be a well rounded nurse. patients that come in to the clinic are people who need check ups, help managing diabetes/hypertension/high cholesterol, immunizations, and generally a caring health professional to give them hope and encouragement. not only will they have various physical illnesses, but they will often times be people who have been through tough journeys in life and need someone who will lift their spirits instead of just making their situation worse. even just a smile, words of encouragement, or prayer can be a gift to these patients. i believe in the little things.

i will keep you updated of what happens with this and how my first day of work goes.

peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 12:53 PM | 0 comments  

Ahhh, my last week here before I move. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in my life. . . . . .


The Good - I am a REGISTERED NURSE!!! I passed my boards, so thanks for all your support and encouragement! Another Good, I am moving to Nashville and can''t wait to start my life there!


The Bad - I have only one week left to see my friends and family in Johnson City. I wish I could pack them up with me. I will miss everyone terribly!


The Ugly - PACKING! My room is a disaster area that looks like it has been hit by a tornado AND struck by lightening. Maybe my room won't look so ugly by the time I am done with it.


Happy Father's Day!


Peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 9:37 AM | 1 comments  

i am so relieved to be finished with the nclex. i just took it, and the computer cut off at 75 questions, so according to mrs. page's theory, i passed. if it cuts off at 75, that is uuuuusually a good sign. i will let you know how it goes! i find out on sunday, so until then. . . . . .

no more pencils, no more books. . . . . . . :-)


peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 9:48 AM | 2 comments  

aaaaah!!!!!! i am trying not to stress, but the nclex is coming up. i have been studying the medications, med surg, lab values, and anything and everything i know i need brushing up on. i feel like there is so much to study, that what if nothing i study is even on the nclex? after reading the test taking strategies in the kaplan book, i feel slightly more confident about what to do if i have no idea, but i don't like the feeling of having no idea what the answer is. i know, i know, get used to it.

wish me luck!


peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 9:09 AM | 1 comments  

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of studying for NCLEX, working at Barnes and Noble, packing and organizing my stuff for Nashville, appointments, and trying to see my family and friends before I move. My parents and I went to South Carolina to visit some family and friends down there, and we just arrived back home. It was a nice, relaxing mini vacation. 2 days can sure do a lot to help you unwind!

Now, I am still packing and trying to do my best to prepare for NCLEX. I have been doing practice questions and studying the review books. I know I need to focus on pharmacology, because that is for sure a weak point for me. Other than that, I don't even know what to study! I am pretty much studying everything, but it is overwhelming. Some of my class mates have already taken the NCLEX and found out they passed, so that gives me some hope. I take my boards 2 weeks from today! Wish me luck!!!!!

What is your best NCLEX study advice?


Peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 5:57 PM | 0 comments  

At my family's house, we have a desktop. Since I am leaving to go to Nashvegas, I need my own computer. My parents decided they wanted to get me a laptop for my birthday/graduation, both of which are in the month of May. After much debate over whether to get a Mac or a PC, I made a decision. I researched both types of computers, asking the salesperson at the Apple store in the mall in Nashville, and the salesperson at Best Buy when I came back to Johnson City. Both did their best to persuade me to choose their product, but only one came out the winner. So what am I, a Mac or a PC?


The answer is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .










I am a PC! My parents and I went to Best Buy together and looked at laptops, and we found one that suited my needs, at a reasonable price. I found a Sony Vaio on sale, after reading the reviews. It turns out that Sony Vaio was highly rated. It is a long lasting computer that looks great, works really well, and has little to no problems. The DVD player reads Blu-Ray movies, which is nice if I ever feel like dishing out more money to rent Blu-Ray dvds instead of regular when I go to blockbuster. I don't watch movies that often, and I am not going to get a TV (thus no cable bill!!!) for my apartment, so I think it is a fair trade off. All of these wonderful features on my laptop for less than $1000!!! (before tax). Best Buy had a great sale going on, and I was able to get 18 months interest free on my laptop. I have already watched Pride & Prejudice and Bride Wars on my laptop and am happy with the quality. I am still getting used to Windows Vista, but it is not bad. The basic Mac was more expensive than the laptop I got, which has more features than the basic Mac. For now, I think the Macs are overpriced. Thanks for the tip, Sarah and Ben Page!!!!!


My birthday is in one week! Happy early birthday to me! :-)


Peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 10:43 PM | 0 comments  

Last Friday and Saturday, my mom and I went apartment hunting in Nashville. I had a list of 10 apartments that I planned to see while I was there. Some of them were close, within walking distance, and some of them were farther, requiring a 15-20 minute drive. I was trying my best to find an apartment that was within walking distance, and God had plans for me to find this perfect apartment! It is a 10 minute walk to the Vanderbilt Medical Center, and it has its own washer and dryer. These were two of the big things that I was looking for in my search. I wanted to find an apartment that was within walking distance so I would save on gas, do my part to help the environment, and get in better shape by walking to work. Also, I wanted a washer and dryer in the apartment so that I wouldn't have to take my clothes to a laundromat to wash/dry them, as this would be an entire day wasted each time I needed to do laundry. Now, I will be able to throw my clothes in the washer while I do other housework or get on the computer. It is a great deal more convenient. The area seems to be really safe, and the apartment has a security system installed, so that is good. My lovely little apartment is going to be $850 a month, and this includes water. In addition to rent, I have to budget my money to include money for the electric bill, groceries, wireless internet, and save some of my paycheck each month in a savings account. I haven't quite figured out how much I will make per month after the taxes are removed, by my starting pay will be $18.25/hr. This doesn't include the differential for night shift, weekends, holidays, etc. I hope to work the night shift once my 6 week rotation ends. This way, I will be able to sleep part of the day and have some time during the day to explore. Also, it will be nice to get the shift differential, which will help me to pay those bills that are going to be starting in June.

Now that I have an apartment, my next step is to furnish it. I have some stuff already from my time in the dorms, but I have to get some kitchen stuff, a coffee table for my living room, lamps, and a few other things. I don't want to buy any more stuff than I need, since I am just starting out. I will take pictures of it when it is decorated so you can see it. :-)

In addition to apartment hunting, my summer break has been spent working at Barnes and Noble, hanging out with my family and friends, and studying for NCLEX. I am using the Saunders and HESI books and the cds that come with them, so hopefully that will go well. I need to take it before July 6th, so we will see how that goes.

I hope you are having a splendid day!

Peace!

Posted by dx_acutefelicity at 9:12 PM | 0 comments