I know there has been a lot of time passing between my posts. I apologize for that. Life has been hectic for the last few weeks as the semester ended. It is incredible the amount of grading that comes with the end of a school year–papers and projects and journal entries and discussion posts. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. It just gets a bit overwhelming during the last two weeks of school.

Graduation

Each semester when graduation arrives it feels like a rite of passage as I watch my students walk across the stage. I did not attend this semester due to a huge storm that blew through. Thank goodness I was not in attendance because lightning hit the flagpole right outside the auditorium. I would have freaked out. I HATE thunderstorms. So, I did not witness the smiles and cheers as these students who have worked so hard for the past 4 years received their diplomas.

NCLEX

As nursing students, their work is not finished. They now must pass their NCLEX exams in order to receive their nursing licenses. For some students, this will not be a difficult task. Other students will find they are not as prepared as they think they are when they sit down and begin that exam. I remind my students that we are tough on them as instructors so that when they go to sit for their boards they will find that they have the knowledge they need to pass. They still need to study and review material before taking this important exam. I remember being in nursing school and it seemed like the entire time was spent preparing for the NCLEX. After a while, it becomes the focus of all your study efforts. Luckily for me, I passed this exam on the first try.

I would like to think that as they take that exam they feel a huge weight lift off their shoulders. A weight they have been carrying with them for the entire 2 years they have been in the specialized nursing course section of their education.

Life Moves on

We have students who go all over to pursue their nursing dreams. I love attending pinning just to hear about the jobs that the students have accepted. One of the best parts of being a nurse is all the opportunities that are available. I think that is true now more than ever before due to the nursing shortage. It used to be that once you graduated you pretty much had to start working on a medical-surgical unit to get an overall nursing experience under your belt. Now I have students going into OR, Labor/Maternity, Pediatrics, ICU, ER, Mental Health, and rehabilitation centers. They want to continue their education to become nurse practitioners, flight nurses, educators, and nurse anesthetists. Oh, to be young again with such lofty goals!

Yes, time is passing quickly. Grab on and enjoy the ride while you have the chance.