I have this really bad habit of starting things and not sticking with them. Example #1- If you know me, you know I am addicted to Pepsi. I've tried over & over again to cut back or completely stop drinking it, but I always give up in a week or less. How pitiful is that? Another example is my lack of consistency with exercise. Before my wedding, I got in an awesome routine of getting up every day at 5:00AM, doing my exercise video (either Hip Hop Abs or a Jillian Michaels DVD) and then I'd walk Molly afterwards. Every. Single. Day. I was in the best shape of my life, I was happy with the way I looked, and for once I felt comfortable in my own skin. Then I got married, went on my honeymoon, came home, and I haven't been consistent with exercise since. Ugh. There are a million other examples of my commitment issues, but I will spare you the details. I will tell you that I have had this problem just about my whole life.
I am a quitter.
Why can't I stick with anything?
SO anyways... I thought maybe if I start blogging some weekly commitments, maybe I'll feel more inclined to stick with them? Not sure how many people, if anyone, reads this.. But hey, I'm putting it out there in writing so maybe I will think about that before I sputter out and give up.
Week One.
I am thinking I will start small this week. You know, nothing too drastic. I don't want to set myself up for failure. Now y'all don't laugh at me, but I am thinking this week I will try to drink more water. Simple, right? The reason I'm thinking about starting here is because my excess consumption of soda + my decrease in water intake has led to quite the ugly breakout. All over my face. Grrreat. I've been stressed over work (see my last post), and when I get stressed I want Pepsi. I crave it. Like mouth watering, can't focus, need it right now crave... Pitiful. I know. So I've been on a dehydrated sugar high for the past few weeks and it has done nothing good for me. So this week I am committing to drink at least 48oz, or 6 cups, of water per day. Geeze. Now that I typed that, it sounds like the wimpiest committment ever. What a dork. But again, I've gotta start somewhere. Don't hate!
Well, here goes nothing. Let the hydration begin! :)
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
"Welcome to cray cray"
Well as most of you know, I am now working at Huntsville Hospital as a Labor & Delivery nurse! :) I got my job offer in the middle of May, went through the hospital's nursing orientation the second week in June, and hit the ground running on L&D the next week. Whoa, has it been a whirlwind of a month since starting orientation. I am so so blessed to get a 16 week orientation to the unit (THANK GOODNESS) before I have to be "on my own". I am on week 7 right now. Ya'll, I had no clue what being an L&D nurse entailed. Sure, I precepted there as a student for 3 months... But working there as a licensed RN is a completely different world. I am held to a higher standard. I have to chart under my own name, so if something goes down, they will look back and see my name. I am responsible. Some of you may not understand the magnitude of this, but it is huge. And scary. And overwhelming.
Since receiving my job offer in May, I've told many people that I am an L&D nurse, and most of the time I get "aww what a fun job!" or "oh that must be the happiest job ever!" -- eeeek. Not so much. Yes, for the most part my days have been full of joy and excitement as babies are welcomed into the world.. BUT I have also had days where I could barely hold myself together due to sadness. I've been terrified. I've felt like an idiot. I've cried myself to sleep. From what I can tell over the past few weeks, as an L&D nurse our job will bring the very highest highs, along with the very lowest lows.
Labor & Delivery nursing is a crazy unique (and CRAZY challenging) job, especially for a new graduate. Jade (my nurse manager) told me this during my interview and asked if I was up for it. Wow- she was not kidding. I have to be a pre-op nurse, a circulating OR nurse, a PACU/recovery nurse, a scrub/surgical nurse, a baby nurse, a labor nurse, an antepartum nurse .... Ok, really? That is like 7 separate jobs. Talk about overwhelmed!!!
All of that being said, I wouldn't want to work anywhere else. I work with some awesome women who check up on me when they know I've had a hard day. They've encouraged me when I've made a big dummy of myself. They've challenged me to think harder and not be so timid and afraid. They push me beyond what I think I can do. I am learning so much from them, and I'm so excited to be joining their team.
So back in May when I announced my first job offer on Facebook, Amy Hall commented on it and said "welcome to cray cray" -- Little did I know, those were the most accurate words to describe what the first month of my RN experience would be like! Welcome to the world of L&D nursing, eh? :)
Since receiving my job offer in May, I've told many people that I am an L&D nurse, and most of the time I get "aww what a fun job!" or "oh that must be the happiest job ever!" -- eeeek. Not so much. Yes, for the most part my days have been full of joy and excitement as babies are welcomed into the world.. BUT I have also had days where I could barely hold myself together due to sadness. I've been terrified. I've felt like an idiot. I've cried myself to sleep. From what I can tell over the past few weeks, as an L&D nurse our job will bring the very highest highs, along with the very lowest lows.
Labor & Delivery nursing is a crazy unique (and CRAZY challenging) job, especially for a new graduate. Jade (my nurse manager) told me this during my interview and asked if I was up for it. Wow- she was not kidding. I have to be a pre-op nurse, a circulating OR nurse, a PACU/recovery nurse, a scrub/surgical nurse, a baby nurse, a labor nurse, an antepartum nurse .... Ok, really? That is like 7 separate jobs. Talk about overwhelmed!!!
All of that being said, I wouldn't want to work anywhere else. I work with some awesome women who check up on me when they know I've had a hard day. They've encouraged me when I've made a big dummy of myself. They've challenged me to think harder and not be so timid and afraid. They push me beyond what I think I can do. I am learning so much from them, and I'm so excited to be joining their team.
So back in May when I announced my first job offer on Facebook, Amy Hall commented on it and said "welcome to cray cray" -- Little did I know, those were the most accurate words to describe what the first month of my RN experience would be like! Welcome to the world of L&D nursing, eh? :)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Strangely Dim
I'm probably the worst, most inconsistent blogger ever. Most of the time it's because I feel like no one really cares about my boring life or my random thoughts, but obviously you are at least curious if you're here reading this. SO here goes nothing! :)
As you noticed, I gave my blog some cute new decor. I even got all technical and figured out how to add this sweet picture at the top! Feeling like a pro now.
Anyways; I am graduating in 23 days! I can't even believe four years has come down to this. It is almost here! This semester I have been precepting with Amy on Labor & Delivery at Huntsville hospital and y'all.... I am pretty sure I found my calling! I LOVE it. The Lord's hand was all over the circumstances leading up to my placement on that unit. Story time! :)
Last semester we had to turn in our "yellow cards" for precepting placements. They were due on the first week of my OB class. So I put down a post surgical unit as my first choice; seemed like a good enough option. Then I got into my OB class and it rocked my world. I had never enjoyed studying for a class so much. Then I had my L&D clinical rotation and a light bulb went off. This is what I wanted to do! So I emailed my teacher and asked to change my precepting placement choice to L&D. She said okay, and I felt confident I would get a spot. Then December rolls around and placements are released. Where was I? The post surgical unit. Not gonna lie, I cried. And pouted. Then a few weeks later I read Jeremiah 29:1-14. This is where the Lord's people were captured and taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. God commanded them to make a home there, to be prosperous, to pray for that city, and to thrive there. He said the He would gather them back up & He would keep His promise, but told them flourish where He had placed them at that time. It was clear as day. I wrote in my journal "Work hard and make the most of my preceptorship placement... It may not have been my first choice but the Lord has placed me there for a reason!" That was the end of the story. I accepted it and moved on to call my preceptor. She proceeded to tell me she no longer wanted a student, so I was back to square one. I no longer had a place to work. BUT this opened a new door. I sent a text to my awesome friend, Amy Hall, and asked if she had been assigned a student (she is an L&D nurse)-- she said no, and admitted she had asked not to be given a student. So I told her my situation and she SO graciously offered to be my preceptor. I talked with my teachers, we got it all approved, and three months later here I am on L&D and absolutely LOVING it. Had I been placed on L&D to begin with, I wouldn't have been placed with Amy, I may not have been on day shift, I may not have been placed at Huntsville Hospital (where I really wanted to be) .... He just worked it out in the most perfect way and all in His timing! *HUGE shout out to Amy! Thank you thank you thank you!!!* :)
So I tell that story because I want you to know how absolutely dumb and forgetful I am. I make fun of the Israelites because they constantly forgot all about the miracles God had done for them, yet I am no different so much of the time... With graduation approaching, I have starting really stressing about whether or not I am going to get a job offer. Amy has had to calm me down on more than one occasion; it has been a real struggle. I feel like I need to be doing something to work it out or make it happen, when I have already done all that I can. What I need to do now is give it over to the Lord. He worked out my precepting position, why do I doubt that He will work out my job situation as well? It may not look like what I want it to or hope it will, but regardless, He has a plan and He will work it out. I need to surrender.
Today while I was in the car, my mind was rushing over this situation. I've been hearing all about everyone else's job offers and it was really freaking me out. Then I heard this amazing song, and peace fell over me in an instant. I am so so thankful for that moment. So here are the lyrics and a link to the video. I hope this helps someone as much as it helped me today. Thank you Jesus for your unexpected messages throughout my day. :)
As you noticed, I gave my blog some cute new decor. I even got all technical and figured out how to add this sweet picture at the top! Feeling like a pro now.
Anyways; I am graduating in 23 days! I can't even believe four years has come down to this. It is almost here! This semester I have been precepting with Amy on Labor & Delivery at Huntsville hospital and y'all.... I am pretty sure I found my calling! I LOVE it. The Lord's hand was all over the circumstances leading up to my placement on that unit. Story time! :)
Last semester we had to turn in our "yellow cards" for precepting placements. They were due on the first week of my OB class. So I put down a post surgical unit as my first choice; seemed like a good enough option. Then I got into my OB class and it rocked my world. I had never enjoyed studying for a class so much. Then I had my L&D clinical rotation and a light bulb went off. This is what I wanted to do! So I emailed my teacher and asked to change my precepting placement choice to L&D. She said okay, and I felt confident I would get a spot. Then December rolls around and placements are released. Where was I? The post surgical unit. Not gonna lie, I cried. And pouted. Then a few weeks later I read Jeremiah 29:1-14. This is where the Lord's people were captured and taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. God commanded them to make a home there, to be prosperous, to pray for that city, and to thrive there. He said the He would gather them back up & He would keep His promise, but told them flourish where He had placed them at that time. It was clear as day. I wrote in my journal "Work hard and make the most of my preceptorship placement... It may not have been my first choice but the Lord has placed me there for a reason!" That was the end of the story. I accepted it and moved on to call my preceptor. She proceeded to tell me she no longer wanted a student, so I was back to square one. I no longer had a place to work. BUT this opened a new door. I sent a text to my awesome friend, Amy Hall, and asked if she had been assigned a student (she is an L&D nurse)-- she said no, and admitted she had asked not to be given a student. So I told her my situation and she SO graciously offered to be my preceptor. I talked with my teachers, we got it all approved, and three months later here I am on L&D and absolutely LOVING it. Had I been placed on L&D to begin with, I wouldn't have been placed with Amy, I may not have been on day shift, I may not have been placed at Huntsville Hospital (where I really wanted to be) .... He just worked it out in the most perfect way and all in His timing! *HUGE shout out to Amy! Thank you thank you thank you!!!* :)
So I tell that story because I want you to know how absolutely dumb and forgetful I am. I make fun of the Israelites because they constantly forgot all about the miracles God had done for them, yet I am no different so much of the time... With graduation approaching, I have starting really stressing about whether or not I am going to get a job offer. Amy has had to calm me down on more than one occasion; it has been a real struggle. I feel like I need to be doing something to work it out or make it happen, when I have already done all that I can. What I need to do now is give it over to the Lord. He worked out my precepting position, why do I doubt that He will work out my job situation as well? It may not look like what I want it to or hope it will, but regardless, He has a plan and He will work it out. I need to surrender.
Today while I was in the car, my mind was rushing over this situation. I've been hearing all about everyone else's job offers and it was really freaking me out. Then I heard this amazing song, and peace fell over me in an instant. I am so so thankful for that moment. So here are the lyrics and a link to the video. I hope this helps someone as much as it helped me today. Thank you Jesus for your unexpected messages throughout my day. :)
I've got all these plans piled up sky high
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don't know why I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can't see Past the things I pray Today
But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face And don't look around
Any place I'm in Grows strangely dim
I don't know, I don't know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You're holding it all
So no matter what may come
I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
'Til every doubt I feel Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade And fall to the ground
I'm gonna seek Your face And not look around
Til the place I'm in
Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don't know why I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can't see Past the things I pray Today
But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face And don't look around
Any place I'm in Grows strangely dim
I don't know, I don't know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You're holding it all
So no matter what may come
I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
'Til every doubt I feel Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade And fall to the ground
I'm gonna seek Your face And not look around
Til the place I'm in
Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim
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