The Journey After Nursing School

Last semester of nursing school was the fastest semester for me,which could be do to the summer semester that it landed on. It was easier classes as well, having done all the more complicated stuff in the previous spring semester. I had two clinicals (med-surg and pedi), Maternal, Pediatrics, Professional development and Med- Surg 2. All the while we were constantly taking mock hesi's to get us ready for the dreaded NCLEX. I did well in all my classes and was excited to graduate, especially because I was graduating with my LVN and an associates in applied science. Being 24 years old and finally getting a degree was helping to push me through the last semester.

While in our professional development class we were told to start applying for nursing jobs at least two months before graduation, they said that it would get the interviewing and hiring part out of the way so when we graduated we would take the NCLEX and have a job. Well, in this day and age, applying for nursing jobs is primarily done on the inter-web. Which most of the hospitals in Houston, TX have those fill in the blank applications, you know the ones, where you have to fill in everything with a star or it will not let you move on to the next page. Problem was that as students in our last semester, we weren't LVN or even GVN yet. So no application would let us get any farther. Some students put in the expected graduation date instead so that something was filled out. Then you got that dreaded email saying that your qualifications didn't meet the expectations for that job you had tried, in vain, to apply for. So some students, like me, decided that applying for jobs while in school was pointless and I only had a couple of months left and it was stressful enough going through finals and exit hesi, that going to interviews would just be the last stick on the camels back.

So finally after the blood, sweat and tears, it was time to graduate. Our graduation date was August 11^th and we all were so glad to be released onto the real world. The goal for most of the LVN graduates was to take the NCLEX in a week of graduation and then take the hesi A2 (intro hesi for the ADN program) in a month. So people, like me, decided to pick a date for the hesi and pay the fee. My date was September 6^th. Now that I was graduated it was time to apply for jobs, but atlas, I still wasn't a GVN because I was awaiting the Authorization to test email. So I waited and waited and thoroughly enjoyed having some time off. I became the best couch potato there was and made my boyfriend pretty upset, since I slept till noon and read my fiction novels non-stop. Two weeks had passed and still no Authorization to test letter had been sent my way. I was biting my nails and checking my email like a mad women.

Finally after what seemed like the longest wait known to mankind, I received my Authorization email, on August 29^th. I received the email at 2:09pm and I called my nursing school gals and rushed to my desktop to get onto Pearson Vue to schedule my NCLEX test. I was almost crying with relief! Until I saw that the next available testing date was September 9^th. Almost a month since our graduation date! I couldn't believe it, but I sucked up my disappointment and started meeting with my gals regularly at Panera Bread (deli) to start our study dates. We brought out NCLEX books and poured out our knowledge over coffee and bakery goods. Also as it turns out that hesi date that I thought I would be so prepared for ended up being on the same week as my NCLEX and of course all my focus was on my NCLEX exam. So long story short, I didn't do so good on that hesi exam. But give me a break it had been almost 5 years since I took an anatomy class!

Anyway, on the big NCLEX test date, we did what every teacher told us not to do, we met up a street from the testing center at aStarbucks (like 6 hours early), and studied and crammed our nursing butts off. We went into the testing center palms sweating and feeling like we were all going to be sick. But as it so happens, we all rocked that NCLEX test out of the water! It was the worst weekend of my LIFE waiting on the results and we all did come out of that test crying our eyes out. But it was worth it because now I can say that I am a nurse!

So, finally I got my LVN license number and was feeling good,started putting out applications and doing the interview thing...only bad side to my strategy would be that here it is September 20^th and I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse with no job and pretty upset that I don't get to see my beautiful nursing school friends (inside and out man, they are the best!), every single day. My amazing boyfriend is still supporting me, as he did throughout the entire program. I also am enrolled in another Anatomy class because mine expired. And I decided to work a little while as an LVN and then try again for the ADN bridge program in a year or so.

Nursing school was not the easiest program to finish, and come out on top I might add. And the journey after the program really wasn't any better but nursing isn't just a career. It is a lifestyle and now I am forever branded a nurse and although I wish the road to this place would have been easier to climb... I am so glad that I have made it this far and can't wait to see how far I soar in my nursing career.

Brittney Burns, LVN