I’m excited to settle into life as a nurse.  Finishing this program and starting a career feels like a whole new life and I am excited for this new chapter.  I set out on this journey about 2 years ago and it has come together so nicely.   It is quite amazing to set a series of goals and reach them.

After graduation I plan on taking the NCLEX as soon as possible and will be studying until then.  There will be a nice meal out in Portland, and probably another one in Boston with family and friends.  I am realizing there might be a short period of time after the NCLEX and when I start working.  I hope to get a little travel in, but not quite sure where.

The build up of obtaining the final goals in my plan to become a nurse carry a lot of weight.  To finish this semester strong, pass the NCLEX, and find a job I will love is a lot to process.  I have hopes that I will be desirable as a team member, and will I live up to and/or exceed their expectations.  There has been a lot of hard work, struggle, and accomplishment while in school that I feel will translate into success.

As I navigate through this final semester, which is also some of the heaviest content, I know I need structure to meet my goal of finishing strong.  I have a calendar built and work with a varied schedule day to day.  Setting focused intentful work at strategic times is important.  I chose not to pursue work this semester as I did not want to overload myself and prioritize studying over experience.  I am also prioritizing self-care this semester and making sure I have time for my hobbies, and for fitness.  I feel this will be beneficial towards success by maintaining a healthy work life balance.

Upon completing the Nurse Logic 2.0 modules I took away 3 key things.  First, I strengthened clinical judgment and reasoning.  Critical thinking is a fundamental to the nursing process.  Second, that prioritizing leads to best practice and is extremely impactful on patient are and safety.  Finally, an overview of nursing concepts.  In nursing there is hierarchy, procedure, and order of operations.  By learning nursing concepts and fundamentals creates a foundation on providing patient centered care.