In My Last Term!

[navydad51]

:chuckleHello all! Been a while (about a year I think!) since I have posted. Been really busy, only on the computer to go to what my school calls “Blackboard” to check my grades, do assignments, and study power point presentations an instructor leaves for us (she is great!) I am enrolled in a 15 month program, a private school located in Dover, NJ, and am now in my last term (can’t believe it) We started out with 27 students and are now down to 10, WOW! It is weird to look around the classroom and see that so many are gone.

A little about me (I will try my best to be brief, and to the point, as many clinical instructors have told me about my nurse’s notes…..:chuckle

I have been in healthcare for 25 years (on the support side) first in engineering where I worked my way up to manager (first hospital 15 years) when I moved the family down here to South Jersey I landed a job with a large healthcare system in their IT&S department as Telecommunications Manager. In Feb. of 2006 my position was eliminated (a nice way of saying, “your not needed anymore”) and my job was outsourced. At the ripe

young age of 51 I found it horrifyingly difficult to compete in the field I was in and became very depressed. To make things worse my only son was in Ramadi Iraq at the time, and Ramadi was considered at that time the most dangerous place in Iraq. My boy is a Navy Corpsman (hence the user ID NavyDad) with the 1st Battalion 6th Marines. For those of you that don’t know, one of the jobs of a Navy Corpsman is Combat Medic for the Marine Corps, since WWI. One of the men holding the flag over Iwo Jima was Navy Corpsman, Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class James Bradley. They are the guys carrying rifles and medical bags. My boy came home with a Navy/Marine Corps Commendation with a “V” for valor for saving a Marine’s life under heavy machinegun fire. The Marine lost his left leg above the knee, but is doing well. I visited him in Bethesda Naval Hospital (What a place, God willing I get my LPN/VN License, I will never complain about my job) the first thing the Marine said to me was “Your son saved my life sir” I just thought most Marine’s say that about their Corpsman, but never realized what my son did, until I saw his Commendation. My boy is now in Afghanistan with the 24th MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) since March of this year. So, again, trying to keep my head in the game is not at all that easy. But still keeping my GPA above 3.5 (don’t ask me how I am doing that, was never one for the books)

I was an EMT for 10 years, on the local volunteer First Aid Squad and also part-time with a company that did EMS and Critical Care Transport. I loved that job, and loved being a volunteer. Did I love my full time job, ever? Nah, not really. I grew up trained to think that all you have to do in life is work, don’t necessarily have to like what you are doing, just go to work and provide.

My daughter is a Paramedic, and my wife a Special Care Tech. One day they sat me down and said “why don’t you go to nursing school” I just looked at them like they had two heads. “Nursing School? Are you guy’s nuts”? Well, after many failed attempts to find a job (I really think someone upstairs was trying to tell me something) I decided to give it a try. RN was out of the question, by the time I took all my prerequisites, and then waited for an opening (4 year waiting list around these parts) I would be 55! Or more! So I started to look for an LPN/VN program. The local Vocational School also had a waiting list, so onto the private schools. I took the entrance exam for two schools and passed. One (the one I am in now) was 100 miles from my home, the other only about 35 miles. The closer school never got their program off the ground, and I had to get into a school quick to get my unemployment insurance extended. Luckily I still have my parents, and they live only 35 miles from the school I am attending, so I have been a house guest on their couch since July, 2007.

I have to tell you, the only people I loved dealing with in all my years in healthcare where the nurses. I always included them on projects, and always attended to their requests first. Patients come first to them, and I adapted to that philosophy rather fast, which earned me the Excellence in Caring Award the first year as a Telcom Manager. I always looked up to the nurses, not only as an employee, but as a patient. It’s rather hard to believe I may be entering this profession soon.

I have GU, Hematology/Immune System, and what they call Capstone this term. This class gets us ready for the exit exam. Our school uses HESI. You have to pass the course first in order to take the exam. From what I understand the exam is tough. We get three times to take it, and only a small percentage passes it the first time. But those that do, do well on their boards. The school also gives us a class this term called “Test Prep” which teaches us what to expect on the exam, and how it works, etc. We get practice tests in Capstone (man, I am seeing questions I never saw before, or did I ha!) quizzes that count, a mid-term and a final. My brain is shot, my nerves are shot, and I am in sensory overload to say the least!

OK, enough for one night, I promise future posts will be short. Have to get back to the books and those wonderful NCLEX Practice questions!

Great to be part of you all. My nick-name is The “Old Man” my boy has called me that ever since he was a little boy. And it is what my friends call me (especially my fellow nursing students) so, hit the “Old Man” up when you can! I will only be studying on this computer for what, the next 3 to 4 months! Geeezzzzz…..

God Bless,

The “Old Man”

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

:welcome: Welcome back!

And thank you for keeping us updated on your interesting life. :)

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

First off I'd like to send your son a message "Thank You! Because of you, I am free to say and do (ok within reason) what I want without fear of being punished, jailed or put to death. Know that there are lots of us with nothing but love and appreciation for your service to your Country"

To you "Old Man" thank YOU, having a child in the military must be daunting at times. I can only imagine what runs through your head at times and the fear for your sons safety that you must carry with you day in and day out.

WELCOME back! I too was a volunteer EMT for my local department. I loved doing that, but the "hometown politics" of the ambulance association weren't what I wanted to deal with. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.

What how fast this last term goes. I, myself, only recently graduated LPN school (June 6th) and took my boards on July 9th, PASSED BTW. You will blink your eye and you'll be finding yourself walking across that stage to collect that piece of paper you worked so hard for.

Congrats on that great GPA. I too graduated with high honors.

I was called "momma" by most of my classmates due to the big age difference between me and them LOL. Its not a bad thing, we are already "hardened" to the world, we've traveled a lot of winding paths, learned to wear a tough skin, and have expereinced alot of things in our lifetimes.

Best of luck with that beast aka NCLEX. Like you said about the HESI prep test, the NCLEX has questions that make you rub your head and say "hu??" But you can and will tame that beast and will soon have those three longed for initials after your name L P N !!

[navydad51]

Thank you so much, and the thank you for my son, well, don't hear enough of that these days, means a lot.

[MsDanny]

Yeaaa for you Navy Dad your story is very:bow: motivational, I am 25 and embarking on a LPN career, it'll be a change in career to eventually become a RN. Don't laugh but I keep getting this strange feeling that I am too old..Dont know where that silly idea came from, thats probably how I ended up reading your story. (Just when you are about to give up God will put things right in your face) However God bless you, I am proud of you despite never meeting you. And your son is always in my prayers....

[rnmomtobe2010]

:yeahthat:

:welcome: Welcome back!

And thank you for keeping us updated on your interesting life. :)