CD Hill

As of August of 2015, Frederick Community College certified me in practical nursing which is a great thing in that it will allow me to practice nursing. For now, I am studying for the NCLEX-PN and looking for work. I am still debating if I want to go back and obtain my BSN because I had such a challenging and anxiety-ridden time in nursing school. Four years ago, while dealing with stage 1a endometrial cancer and being fired from my job at Lowes as a cashier, I made the decision to start anatomy and see how I would do because I have moderate dyspraxia and ADHD. I have been interested in nursing since I obtained my master's degree in thanatology or death, dying and bereavement back in 2005. Then in 2008, I got my associate's degree and certification as a nationally certified medical assistant which made me even more interested in nursing. Somehow, I managed to complete both anatomies and a microbiology with straight As. I applied in the Fall of 2012 to do the weekend and evening RN program at FCC for the Spring of 2013 and was accepted. I went through two years of year round schooling doing well both academically and clinically until my last med-surg class in the Fall of 2014. I did well clinically but I failed with a 74% in the class and was unable to graduate because a 75% was needed. Thankfully, FCC allowed me to retake this med-surg class in the spring of 2015 and I did well academically with an 83% in the class but not clinically. I was deemed unsafe because I injected my patient with his 1 unit of insulin but I was not clear if the dose had went into the patient. Apparently, I missed some sort of a locking mechanism that turns red when you push an insulin pen so that the dose is received correctly. I had given insulin before correctly but the instructor made me nervous by interrogating me and I was way too focused on an upcoming exam instead of reviewing my skills. Thus, I took the practical nursing program over the summer and passed it. Now, I am hyper-alert about my skills and I realize that I need to obtain some more experience before I go back for my RN.