The Dreaded NCLEX

I signed up to take the NCLEX-RN on July 1st. The turning point for my entire life (or so it seemed). It was this test that would determine whether or not I would become a nurse after four hard years of endless tests, clinical work, and papers. I was so freaked out. So so so freaked out. I had a little over two weeks from the time I registered to the time I could take it. The time was spent studying like a mad-woman - I studied my Saunder's NCLEX preparation book and my HURST prep book. In between all the studying I watched BONES, my new favorite TV show, and tried to get ready to move. :) Hey, I needed a little break every now and then!

The day before, I completely did whatever the heck I wanted. I didn't study at all! Jordan and I went and saw Toy Story 3, a great movie by the way, and then went to find the testing center so that my drive wouldn't have any surprises the next morning. There was major road construction (thanks, Utah), so I had to ditch the map from Google and use my memory.

I did everything normal the next morning, getting ready and eating the same breakfast as always. I didn't want to jinx myself. I made it over to the testing center in Draper with a few minutes to spare, so I used that time to seriously pray and get a few last minute studying in. There were 14 nursing students there ready to take the test. The moderators scanned our palms, fingers, took our picture, emptied our pockets, and then gave us a white board to write on, a black dry erase marker, and some ear plugs. It was pretty quiet in the testing center, but I put the ear plugs in anyways plus the headphones from the computer.

With the NCLEX, you can have a minimum of 75 questions up to a maximum of 265 questions. Or anywhere in between. It depends on how you are answering, whether you are above the line or below the line. Even if you end at 75, you don't really know how you've been doing because you could have answered them all bad or all right. You also have 6 hours to do it all in, which gives you a minute and a half-ish for each question.

So I'm going along, going VERY slow, and taking my time to read the question and answers at least 3 times each. I was freaked out. I got all these questions on nursing leadership and how to determine if someone you taught learned what you taught them. It was crazy. I got like one drug question and 3 intake and output questions. Lots of prioritization questions. I took a 15 minute break around question 60 and sat outside and drank some water. Then I came back in, ready to rock and roll! I reached question 75, and when I pushed the "next" button, it kept going. BOO!! I kindof started to speed up at this point, because I mentally planned to get all 265 questions, and I only had four hours left. Then I reached question 90 and the computer just stopped. Stopped!! I was done??!?! Ahh, what does this mean!??? The computer had me do a survey and then I raised my hand and the moderator came and collected my materials.

I WAS FREAKED OUT!!! I was sure I had failed. Absolutely positive. If I failed, then I would have to come back to Utah from Virginia to take it again in 60 days! And I would have to study more and face the dreaded test again! I was not looking forward to this. So I drove myself home and freaked out for a couple more days. Jordan was sure I passed, as well as my mom. I couldn't wait for the 2-day window to pass, then I could check my status online. So, on July 3, I logged into the NCLEX website, and the first word I saw was...

PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO!!

:D :D :D

Ahh what a relief! What a good feeling - I am officially a nurse! Heck freaking yes!

Am I Finally Grown Up?

May 29 was a full day! Westminster threw a brunch for all the graduates and their families/friends. My parents and dear brother Jordan came to join us for bad french toast and cold eggs. Since my dad and brother really haven't seen the campus, we walked around and showed them our soon to be alma mater. Oh and FYI I made a really sweet graduation announcement and party invitation but can't find them to show you :(

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." - Aristotle

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly

find out how far one can go." - T.S. Elliot

"I'm glad I did it, partly because it was worth it, but

mostly because I shall never have to do it again." - Mark Twain

Giovale Library. Many long and

arduous hours spent here...

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready

to pay the price to make them come true." - Leon J. Suenes

Happy to be done!

"I know that attitude shapes our lives; if you want to change,

change your attitude. In the end, success is simple. Climb

the mountain - achieve your dreams." - Darren Hardy

The School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

I lived here, lol.

After the brunch and tour, we went back home and got ready for that afternoon's graduation ceremony. It was held at the E-Center. We got all dressed up and grabbed our caps and gowns, and made the mad dash over there! All the graduates hid behind the stage and we filled out little cards with the phonetic pronunciation of our names. Then we all got in lines and the bagpipes (again!!!) started and we filed out. There were about 800 graduates, I believe, including all the graduate students. Then we sat down. The actual ceremony was...pretty boring. Not going to lie. It was SO long. But walking across the stage was exciting :) We sat with all my nursing friends, and whenever one of our class walked, we screamed for them. All the BS nursing students also screamed for the MSN students, who were our clinical instructors and lab instructors.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!" - Goethe

We took pictures outside and then went home and got ready for our graduation party. So many people came! It was awesome! Thank you all for your gifts and well-wishes! We had a backyard barbecue (and had issues with the propane, sorry everyone). But overall, it went very well.

"Believe that with your feelings and your work

you are taking part in the greatest; the more

strongly you cultivate this belief, the more will reality

and the world go forth from it." - Rainer Maria Rilke

At this point, we still had no idea what the future held for us. I was planning on taking the NCLEX soon to become licensed as a nurse and then working at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. If Jordan got accepted, then we would move! But everything was still up in the air.

"To unpathed waters, undreamed shores." - Shakespeare

We did it! We finally graduated with our Bachelors in Science. Jordan graduated in Chemistry and Neuroscience and I graduated in Nursing. Yay us!

"And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in

a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

Study.

Yesterday Jordan and I went to the Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) in Salt Lake to apply to become a Registered Nurse. The process was VERY fast and easy. I just gave them my application and then they fingerprinted me! After Westminster gives them my transcript, they will contact Pearson Vue, the company who runs the NCLEX, and give me an Authorization To Test (ATT). Pearson Vue will then call me with the ATT and ask me to pick out a date to test. I'm hoping for sometime in June, after our immediate family on Jordan's side goes on a cruise. Until then, however, I'm studying two hours each day with the Hurst review, Saunders review, Incredibly Easy review, and online study aids!! Ahh! I will conquer this test!

On another note, Jordan's mom, Wendy Henderson, was on the news yesterday! See her story here. The story is about her running her 50th marathon before the age of 50. She is truly an inspiration and motivation to accomplish goals that you set for yourself. The marathon is tomorrow in Ogden, and we will all be there cheering her on!

Finals

Just a quick update...Jordan had a final today, a take-home test to turn in tomorrow as well as a final, and a final and 20-page paper due on Wednesday. Then he is done!! Yay! I have a final on Thursday, one this Friday, and one next Friday (the 7th). I also have a required national review of all things nursing that I'm attending the first week of May. I have my pinning ceremony for nursing students at St. Marks Cathedral on the 28th, and graduation for Jordan and I is the 29th at the E-Center. I then plan on taking the national test to become a nurse, the NCLEX, sometime in June, but I have to register for it first. Until then, I will be working as a Nursing Apprentice (essentially a glorified CNA). But I will be making $2 more per hour and get to pick up all the shifts I want. Yay! It doesn't bother me. I'm going to be studying like crazy for this NCLEX. I really really REALLY want to pass it the first time and I'm going to make sure that it happens! Otherwise I have to pay for it all over again...something I don't really want to do. It costs about $200 for each test. Anyways, thought I'd catch you all up on our crazy life. We are literally in a whirlwind, which is why I named the blog that :D