August 17, 2011

  • Done! Sort of...

    I am officially a nurse! Wa-hoo! Okay, so I'm a graduate vocational nurse. Soon, I will take boards and be a licensed nurse. This was such a long, hard year. I was the class president and had to give a speech to the new class starting this August, I will share that with you later...to kind of clarify how hard it was. Anyhow, my Mom - #shellisland posted...but I figured I better, too.

    I graduated this past Saturday and Friday was the awards ceremony. I came home with an arm full of awards. I was the Valedictorian of our class and made the President's Honor Roll. I was recognized again for the campus wide Academic Excellence Award. I was recognized for scoring high enough on an ATI Pharmacology test to be exempt from the pharm course in the RN program. I achieved a Level 3 status in Pharm, Maternal Newborn Nursing, & Medical-Surgical Nursing. ATI also has a composite predictor test that gives the percentage you have at passing boards on the first try, I have a 99% chance of passing boards on the first try.

    We were all given the opportunity to give a certificate to someone special that made our success possible. I gave mine to Wesley. Of course, my Mom was awesome and stepped in when we needed her most. It was Wesley who day in and day out, had to deal with the insanity. We got Mom a massage and pedicure, of which she needs several hundred more to be repaid for her good works.

    Anyhow, my favorite, most special award that I received was a Certificate of Appreciation from one of my classmates. Instead of recognizing her family, she chose to recognize me...and of course made me bawl. The certificate reads "During the course of my study, through personal sacrifice, selflessness, and without material reward, bestowed the support and understand without which my graduation would not have been possible. This certificate is hereby conferred to honor and recognize the confidence, devotion, guidance and assistance freely given in helping me obtain this important milestone in my life." - yep, this one is for sure getting a frame. I don't think I did anything extraordinary, but she is convinced I did. So it's a reminder to me that nice matters. And that it isn't hard to make a difference in someone's life.

    And speaking of nice, I went to ask my dear doctor if I could use him for a reference for job applications today. He insisted that I do and then picked up the phone and made appointments for me with key people, right then and there on the spot. I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. I was so glad that I had brought a thank you note and included in it a portion of my graduation speech that recognized him. While there was one person in the program that made it very difficult, I look around now and find myself surrounded by beautiful, supportive people. How lucky am I? VERY. I'm so blessed. My God, I'm so blessed.

    I have the best support system of family and friends a person could ever ask for. Here is a small excerpt from my speech: "

    A thank you to our brothers & sisters, extended families, in-laws, and friends for understanding that we weren’t avoiding you this past year. Thank you for being there for us, even though we weren’t always there for you. Thank you for understanding we weren’t in your ordinary nursing program."

    I can't change the font back? I must say I did not manage to send but ONE graduation announcement. They had me running like a chicken with my head cut off right up until it was all over. If I didn't know my grandmother's address by heart, it probably wouldn't have been sent either. I am very sorry, I wish I had been granted a little more time. We had to take 10 tests of substantial significance in 5 days. It was rough. 

    Okay, that's all of the bragging I'm going to do on myself for now. Thanks to you all that cheered me on. I'm so very grateful!  

    Love to all!

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