I passed!!!

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

I know since it's late June, the posts about passing NCLEX and other board exams are becoming numerous, but I need to get this off my chest:

After a ten year journey, from age 17 when I decided I wanted to become a midwife, through my 4 year BSN, working as a nurse on med/surg and then Mother/Baby while going back to school for my master's---I did it! I passed my boards today and am officially a certified nurse-midwife! I know it sounds corny, but there really were times, especially once I started clinicals, that I did not think I was tough enough, or smart enough, and would never be able to make it through. I am so relieved and thankful! Can't wait to change my AN name to LilyRoseCNM!

[nrsjn]

Congratulations, LilyRose, CNM!!!

[mamagui]

Congrats! You should be so proud of your achievement! I am just now going back to school with the same goal as you and I cant wait to post that I passed :) Where did you go to school? Do you have any advice for someone who is just starting out?

[Mel_81_99]

Congratulations!!! Lily Rose CNM does have a nice ring to it!! I can't wait to be able to say that some day.

[Jaynie_Marie]

Congratulation!! You've definitely worked hard to get there and have a lot to be proud of!! I'm just starting my journey to there (start in my ADN program this fall), and look forward to the time I will be able to join you in adding that 'CNM' to my name. Congratulations and good luck as you start this new stage in your life!!

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Thank you so much everyone!

Mamagui, I went to NYU. My advice for students just starting out is that the struggle to balance work and school (if you are doing both at the same time, which was a necessity for me), you really do have to make school the #1 priority. Work now exists simply to be able to eat and have shelter :) I had classmates who continued working full time once we started clinicals, and they were just kind of phoning it in in class and at clinical. I personally chose to go part-time, and live on a tighter budget, because for me there was no way to fully focus on school while working full time. Not a chance. There were still school conflicts with my work schedule sometimes, and I had to call out sick from work two or three times, and often had to switch shifts in order to make it to clinical, because that had to come first. I didn't always do a perfect job, but I really tried to focus on school first and foremost, because once you start clinicals, time FLIES by and you only have a short amount of time to learn a lot of material like the back of your hand.