Warning: post may be long!!
I originally was going to do just one post about the whole year combined but it was getting quite long. I decided to break up year 2 into two parts, one for each sem. So, I’ll be doing round ups after every semester!
For those who don’t know, I’m currently in the middle of my 3rd year for my Bachelor’s of Nursing degree! Like most degrees, it definitely has really high highs and really low lows. My journey to becoming a nurse is not an uncommon one but it also isn’t the stereotypical path that most students find themselves in.
s e m e s t e r – o n e
the classes:
As someone who was very proud of her grades getting into nursing, I felt like I knew how to study in a way that worked for me. That’s not to say my study habits were good ones, as I still struggle with intense procrastination, but for the most part – I knew how to study in a productive way for me. At least, I thought I did.
At the start, it felt like everything I knew about myself in terms of who I was as a student was not there. Maybe it was the fact I had no idea what to expect from my teachers since it was the first semester, my limited attention span because the wrath of 3 hours classes took a toll on me, or the fact that I spent more time complaining about it all through bonding with my classmates. I was not an efficient studier and I was running out of ways to grasp concepts in a timely and productive way. I. Was. Discouraged. and extremely overwhelmed.
The classes to me were hard because of that. I was getting by and passing but my ego was shot. Eventually, I had to realize that getting by was still an accomplishment in itself and at least I was passing and getting the credit.
I struggled intensely in my Pathophysiology/pharmacolgy class as that class had such heavy content and A LOT of it. Nothing like I’ve ever experienced in my pre-nursing background. The grading for that class consisted of 4 midterms and a final worth 50%. For every midterm I did, I was always 1 mark away from passing. In my college you needed a 60% to pass an exam or a class, and my marks were consistently 59%. Big yikes.
In the end, I was advised to just keep going until the final because my professor thought I could do so. In the end, I pulled major clutch and got the highest mark I’ve ever gotten in that class which resulted in me passing. Not only passing but passing the class with a mark better than I thought I could get! The light at the end of the tunnel finally presented itself.
clinical:
This rotation was geriatrics in the personal care home. We were basically HCA’s (Health care aides) and helping the resident (we were taught not to call them patients because they were residing in a place considered to be their home) with their every day needs such as pericare, getting dressed, and addressing any concerns they may have had plus relaying that information to their primary nurse.
I think this was a very smart way for my program to get us adjusted to touching, conversing, and providing care to patients. I have a background in being a rehabilitation aide, so patient interaction was not something new to me and I felt very in my element. But for some people, it’s quite awkward being in someone’s life so intimately for the first time.
My CEF (clinical education facilitator) paired us up with one resident that would be our focus of care for 6 weeks. I had a wonderful experience and all the staff on my ward was so willing to teach me their own tips and tricks. I also had such a lovely resident who was such an accomplished woman, it was very inspiring.
my social/personal life:
I didn’t have much of a social life if it didn’t involve my new found friends from nursing. I was with them so much it felt weird to be apart. Because of this, it was hard for me to keep up with some of my non school related friends. But adjusting your time and connections takes effort and I knew that I had amazing friends who would understand.
I was also in a relationship at the time, and to be quite frank it was difficult for me to not be selfish with my time because the transition into getting accustomed to nursing was so difficult for me. Luckily for me at the time, I was with a partner who really understood what it was like being a student and how this career path was really important for me. So if you’re going to be with someone while in school (any type of program, honestly), it’s important to be with someone who understands what your goals and ambitions mean to you.
conclusion:
I definitely had luck on my side throughout this semester. I wasn’t as introverted and shy as I thought. I was actually able to come out of my shell and was becoming a little social butterfly. It felt comforting because I wasn’t trying to get people to like me like I was in high school. I was okay having 2-3 friends that genuinely liked me, but was blessed with being able to get along with way more and was able to get 2 amazing best friends out of this journey.
I passed all my classes so I was ready to start fresh and to conquer the upcoming semesters that were ahead. Little did I know but the setbacks were going to continue through my academic career, and I wasn’t ready for what was coming my way.
Keep updated for part two!
-Karla R.
Life With Karla 