The Days When I'm Not a Nurse

Nurses Week 2013: ugly scrubs link up

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We’ve all seen it.The ugly scrubs out there in the nursing world.
Maybe you even own some?
See, I’m a solid color scrub gal myself. I’m trying to stay opened minded about all these prints but, what I want to know is who is responsible for making such strange patterns on the fabric? Are they made specifically with scrubs in mind? or do people also make curtains with dancing santas on them? If someone has some insight, please share!

Nurses week 2013

For your viewing pleasure, here are a few gems I found online:

ugly scrubs

1. Smiley faces– A scrub top so cheerful, you don’t have to be. $6.98
2. Peace and Frogs– an unusual pairing, but bright colors make up for it! This top is described to have a “generous fit,” if that’s a selling point to you. $6.98
3. Eagles– for all the patriotic nurses out there. Nothing quite says ‘Merica like these majestic birds all over your scrub top. Also comes in a black bear print too! $9.99
4. High-waist pants– elastic waistbands…the the better to cut off circulation with. $13.88 (with poor reviews, can you imagine??!)
5. Shamrock pants–  Pants you can sport literally once a year. Don’t forget to get the matching top! $9.99
6. bubble pants– I truly believe there is no one out there who would find these flattering. $19.99
Link up below and show me what ugly scrubs you found!
**if you happen to actually own any of these, I apologize for making fun of your scrubs. I just found some that I personally would never ever ever ever own! ever.**
I would honestly love to get together with people and do an ugly scrubs party, like these people did here:

Who’s in?
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Come back tomorrow to read about nurses and humor, a symbiotic relationship. :)

Nursing link up: the pre/post work routine

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Nursing can be an incredibly challenging career at times. 
well, most of the time. 
This means coping strategies and lots and lots of practice being mentally prepared for your shift, and trying to leave work at work at the end of your shift. Everyone has their own methods. Here’s mine.
Preparing for work
I wake up at 0525. Then again at 0530. Then once more at 0537. Third time’s the charm and I get up and start getting ready then. Does that make me sound OCD? I think all nurses have their own mild form of OCD. Anyway… back to this post. While I’m getting ready, I usually listen to some of my favorite music on my iphone (while secretly hoping work’s number will pop up and they’ll say the magic “on call” words). Once I’m ready for the day, I leave the bathroom, give Mo a hug & kiss while trying not to wake him too much and leave the bedroom. In the kitchen I gather some food for breakfast and lunch then grab my nursing bag and keys and head out the door. I have a 20 minute drive to work that I can mentally prepare myself for what’s to come: morning rounds with the doctors, open heart surgeries, and distraught families, just to name a few. 
Winding down after work
Some days are worse then others. After a rough day, I take the 20 minute drive home to try and relax. Once again, I usually have music playing that I can sing to. Singing helps me wind down. Once I get home I usually figure out some sort of dinner for Mo and I, then catch up on all the facebook and instagram that I missed over the last 12 hours while I was at work. Sometimes I have roller derby practice. Sometimes I have the next day off, so we stay up late. And by late, I mean 11 or 12. Party animals over here, I tell you what. Once, after an incredibly difficult day, I made chocolate chip cookies. It seemed like the thing to do. Those difficult days tend to stick in your head and you can’t help but think about the circumstances over and over again and think about what you could have done differently and if it would’ve helped… In the end, just giving it a little time helps. 

Your turn! What is your day like before and after? Feel free to link up with Paige and I!

March Nurse link up: Getting into Nursing School

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Welcome! 
Paige and I are talking about what it takes to get into nursing school and we would LOVE it if you nurse bloggers/student nurse bloggers joined in. :) 
And if you, dear reader, are someone who is considering the nursing profession, maybe some of our experiences will help you know what to expect when you’re trying to get into a nursing program. 

Nursing school can be difficult to get into. I think we’ve all heard some of the horror stories out there.
For example, I have a co-worker who has been working as a unit clerk for a couple years and is planning to move to Arizona soon because a nursing program down there called her and said the two years on the wait list is over and it’s now her turn. insane.
I have known people who have submitted application after application, trying to get accepted.

Allow me to share my experience.
I knew I wanted to study nursing.
I sent college applications to Brigham Young University-Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, and to University of Utah. I was fairly certain I’d try and go down to Utah and do what I could to get into their program. I liked the idea of going out of state (even if it was only one state away) and I’d been to their campus and liked what I saw. I was accepted into each school, but shortly after receiving BYU-I’s acceptance letter, I received an acceptance letter into their nursing program. I remember my mom brought the letter to me during school so I could open it right away. I was pretty shocked. And I definitely didn’t how lucky I was to be holding that piece of paper.
I remember working through that nursing program application to meet their requirements:

  • have a cumulative 3.5 GPA or better
  • take a Kaplan pre-admission test 
  • criminal background check
  • I also remember writing some sort of essay about why I wanted to be a nurse…ha. I can only imagine what that was like. :) 
  • and I’m sure listing my hospital volunteer experience on the application didn’t hurt either

Once I heard that I was accepted into their program, I knew I should jump at the opportunity to get my nursing degree STAT. The only prerequisites to get into the program were to take Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry 101 OR one year of high school chemistry with a grade B or better. Thankfully, I had passed my high school chemistry class without a problem and I was able to go to school a half semester early and crank out Anat & Phys in a 8 week class. SIDE NOTE: These days, BYU-I and most other schools require a semester of college before a person is even eligible to apply to the nursing program. My class was one of the last groups to be accepted right out of high school. 
There are a few other things that were required:

  • CPR certification (specifically from the American Heart Association)
  • access to transportation (to drive to clinicals that were 30-60 minutes away)
  • up to date immunizations, negative TB skin test, and a completed medical history form

Other things that might help:

  • excellent work and personal references
  • experience in the medical field (CNA, EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, etc.)
  • high SAT/ACT scores and GPA

If you’re applying, best of luck! And if you’re already in a program, congratulations! It’s a long road, but it’s worth it in the end. :) promise.

[little anna and her parents]

Link Up Rules
To whom it may concern, 
Here is what you need to know about the 2013 nurse link-ups:
Who: for all nurse/nursing student bloggers
What: monthly linkup (observing HIPAA laws, of course)
When: on the last Wednesday of every month
Why: to create an online community of nurses where we can support each other, make friends, and share experiences.

Linkup: Birthdays as a Nurse

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Wanna link up?
Paige and I would sure love it. :)

This theme is most apporopriate because today is actually Paige’s Birthday!
Happy Birthday Lady!!!
(I know another nurse/blogger lady who’s birthday is coming soon… Happy Birthday to Renee on March 2nd!)

I won’t be celebrating my birthday until June but I can tell you what I did last year…
I turned 24.
I’m pretty sure the hospital sent me a birthday card.
I was at the hospital on my birthday, but it was only for 2 different meetings for nursing committees I’m apart of. (I even instagrammed about it!)
Then I went home and spent the evening with husband (and the sweet, sweet man bought me a camera)!
Not a bad day.

Where I work at, nurses are able to pick their own schedule. There’s always the chance that the schedule coordinator might move you around if they need to, but for the most part, you get what you want. That means birthdays/anniversaries/any special occasions can usually be worked around. The major holidays (christmas eve, christmas, new years eve, new years, thanksgiving, 4th of July) are a different story. We keep track of who works what and we are required to sign up for a certain amount of holiday hours…
overall though, the schedule is wonderful and I LOVE only working three 12 hour shifts a week. :)

So, fellow nurse bloggers/readers. Link up below and tell us what it’s like to celebrate a birthday in your neck of the woods! 

Nurse linkup: 5 fun facts about Test Day!

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Hello and good day. 
Today we are talking about tests. 
Fun, right? 
And by ‘we,’ I mean Paige and I. 
(grab a button and link up!!)
I don’t know about other nursing schools, but it seemed like mine had about two tests a week. 
It was ridiculous. I’m still amazed that I made it through! 
5 Fun Facts About Nursing School Tests
1. You’re always studying for something. Whether it’s for a med/surg test or a hands on skills lab, there’s always notes to review, books to read, and procedures to practice. Nonstop. Basically, you don’t have a life in nursing school. You’re checking your roommates’ blood pressure. You’re waking up at 5am for clinicals (and eating peanut butter sandwiches on the way). You’re spending all your mornings reading textbooks to prepare for class and then taking notes during class and then doing homework at the end of the day. And you HAVE to, if you want to pass those many, many tests. I had a trusty digital tape recorder to take to class and record my lectures. Later, I’d go to the library and listen to them all over again. It was a bit of a hassle, but I’m glad I did it! (As a side note, I recently found the record option on my iphone! Brilliant! It actually works better than that digital recorder I had!) 
2. I had to arrive with PLENTY of time to take my tests! If I procrastinated and waited until one hour before test center closing time, there was a good chance that there would be a line a mile long of other students trying to take their test at the last minute. You never make that mistake more than once. 
3. It’s best to have a study buddy. Or three. And have “study dates” at Wendys. Not the most productive, but VERY memorable. :)
[pictured above: the one and only time we had fun in nursing school]
4. My testing center had a fill in the bubble system. You get your test, a sheet of bubble paper and your pencil, then find an empty desk in one of the rooms to take the test. When you left, they scanned the test in and you had an instant reading of how well (or poorly) you did and it popped up on a screen outside the door. Think about one of those airport screens you look at to see if a flight is on time… it’s like that. Except it has your student ID number (at least it was semi-anonymous!) and a percentage score of how you did. It was a little intimidating to find out immediately if you passed or failed. But either way, you were back at that testing center by the end of the week, taking yet another test.

5. Testing at my university was interesting. I went to Brigham Young University-Idaho where they have a Honor Code. We had people going up and down the isles, monitoring for people doing what they shouldn’t. You got kicked out if your cell phone rang. You were not admitted to take a test if you were not dressed according to the code (no shorts, no holes in jeans, no beard hair for men, just to name a few). None of the dress/appearance stuff was ever a problem, especially if I was already dressed for class (the same rules applied any time I stepped foot on campus). It just made it interesting to see people sent home from the testing center to shave or change their clothes and there was always the audible gasp when a ringtone was heard. 
P.S. if you’re considering a nursing major, I hope I don’t frighten you off! It’s only a small moment of time, when you look at it with a broader perspective. And it’s worth it. I promise!

What are/were test days like for YOU?

Nurse linkups for 2013.

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To whom it may concern: 
Here is what you need to know about the 2013 nurse link-ups:
Who: for all nurse/nursing student bloggers
What: monthly linkup (observing HIPAA laws, of course)
When: on the last Wednesday of every month
Why: to create an online community of nurses where we can support each other, make friends, and share experiences.
Co-hosts: Paige @ A Dose of Paige and myself (HUGE thanks to Renee for co-hosting in 2012!) 
January 30th, we’ll all link up to talk about one of the most dreaded of days in nursing school: test day. 
Tell us what it was like to take a test at your school: how you studied, what your best/worst nursing subject was, what your very first test was like, any test-taking strategies/tips? 
OR even better, tell us what your skills lab tests were like! (example: I had a professor who was a sterile-field nazi and she totally called you out if you contaminated anything!) There’s nothing quite as scary as a skills lab test, am I right? 
Looking forward to sharing many, many stories with you all this year!