On the Final Stretch

You know, it's amazing to look back and see exactly how fast and furious one year can be in one's life, particularly when that year happens to involve the cycle of events that follow acceptance into a nursing program. My classmates and I are counting down the days until our pinning and rejoiced when this just a few days ago we fell below 100 days left in class.

By far, this has been the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life, as I simulatenously work fulltime, juggle a turbulent family life - complete with a wife who has been having a tremendous amount of health problems, and go to school to have 3-5 tests per week on average. For me, this year has taught me an overwhelming amount of humility and in my darkest hours even brought me to a higher level of spiritual awareness I didn't know existed.

I find it strange how all of this resulted from an application to nursing school. I'm thankful each and every day I did.

To all of my fellow LPN/LVN students out there, I hope your experience has been rewarding. And if it doesn't seem like it now, just remember to look back a year from now and think about it again.

Jason

We celebrated our less than 100 days in class the other day, but to make it seem even less, we said:

26 class days until pinning.

26 clinical days until pinning.

or...

10 weeks weeks until pinning!

I graduate in August. We have a month break coming up in May so I think we have about 10 weeks left total or something like that. I totally agree with what you said Jason. It has absolutely been the slowest/fastest year of my life. It has been a whirlwind since I got my acceptance letter..but lord what a ride. I remember being in CNA class (which was a requirement to get into LVN school) and hearing "big" or weird words like Foley's, hematoma, pressure sore and NG tube and thinking to myself that I couldn't do this. I had no med background and it scared me to death because everyone else in CNA had worked in that role for years and knew what the instructor was talking about. Then my first semester having A/P I definetely thought I couldn't do it. I remember looking at names of bones, muscles, etc and literally crying because I was so overwhelmed and just knew I couldn't do it. Now I've got 2 weeks left of my second semester, then a month break then a couple months to be done!!! I can't believe it sometimes. It seems like it dragged by while I was there but looking back it flew. Now I sit in class and hear those "big, scary words" and grin because I know exactly what they're talking about. I've done awesome grade-wise and even annoy people watching tv with me because I can tell them what a drug commercial is for and side effects...lol. I watch shows and hear them talk about a medical diagnosis and can rattle off what it is. I'm so proud of me!!! I don't think anyone else truly gets it unless they've "been there and done that". Congrats to us all!!! We've almost done it!!!

I also graduate in August, but I have signed up for the last trimester which starts on May 4th, around here they seem to be laying of LPN's, I work as a CNA now at a TN hospital and one of the LPN's that I know who graduated from my school a few years ago is getting laid off as of wednesday, she doesn't know what she is going to do now. I'm not sure if I should even bother to finish, there aren't many jobs locally and the pay is horrendous, $10 per hour is ridiculous.

I need to make a decision this week and try to scrape up enough cash to pay for the last semester.

Congrats to all of the other final stretchers, you've done great and I for one know what you've been through, great job!

Tony