Greetings on this lovely Thanksgiving night! Hope your day has been
full of delicious food surrounded by loving family members threatening
you over who gets the last piece of pie! Folks in the South are serious
about their pie, and sweet tea. Roll Tide.
I
felt compelled to catch up on my blog tonight- it was either do this or
face the Black Friday crowds ready to receive a holiday greeting to the
face battling over a waffle maker- you can see which path I chose to
take. So much has happened in the last six months which allows me to
give ample amounts of thanks on this day! First, lets begin with my job!
Over the course of the last six months or so I have gained much
knowledge regarding Emergency Nursing! I am far from where I would like
to be knowledge and education wise, but wow, I literally learn something
new EVERYDAY! I am so blessed to work with the people I am surrounded
by. From the techs to the MDs, everyone has been nice and always willing
to lend a hand or explain something; for these things make me proud to
say I work at UAB. The term "team" is truly exemplified in my
department. I have never seen a group of employees so willing to help
their fellow coworkers. I finally finished orientation in September and I
am grateful for the many teachers I had. I've learned that perfecting
skills and mastering the art of charting comes in time, but wow, one
must be willing to be humble, patient and learn, learn, learn as much as
you can! It has been so enlightening over these past few months to sit
and discuss treatment plans and the "hows" and "whys" of certain things
we do with experienced nurses; they have much to share! I hope to one
day be someone a young nurse looks to for advice.
I am proud to say that within the last couple of months of being off
orientation I have gained a new formed thought process that "plans
ahead" if you will. I find myself planning ahead for certain orders that
may be given and preparing myself. I am always happy to see myself
ahead of the game when it comes to my patient's care plan. Little things
like this help boost any new nurse's confidence. Recently I experienced
my first night in Trauma since being off orientation. IT WAS GREAT. I
worked along side a great co-worker which made the experience even
better. Sometimes stepping back and realizing how far I've come is
slightly amazing and HUMBLING to me and makes me grateful for everything
I've gone through in life which has brought me to where I am today.
Times like this I know my mother would be proud. Since becoming a nurse
my mother has been heavy on my heart. Following in her footsteps was
much more difficult than I imagined, but her strong-willed personality
and determination runs deep within me. Carrying on her legacy is an
honor.
Outside of work I have found that
sleep is amazing! Working night-shift truly takes a toll on one's body,
social life and relationships! It has been the hardest transition yet
since nursing school. I find myself eating "dinner" at 2AM while at work
when the rest of the world is fast asleep or sitting in our ER. I will
admit, self control from snaking on junk is TOUGH, especially early in
the morning when you're craving chocolate for an energy burst. However,
I've recently started staying awake as long as I can during my off-days
to correct my sleep cycle. I have yet to determine if that causes more
exhaustion. I want to join a gym soon; seeing so many sick patients is a
daily reminder to stay fit, eat healthy and have health insurance if
possible. I've recently taken up an obsession with crafting! PINTEREST
IS ADDICTING. I will admit though, I have saved so much money on decor
by making my own after being glued to Pinterest for three hours
straight. I've discovered on my off days I desire to be outdoors. Taking
my sweet chocolate lab, Dixie, for walks is so relaxing. Also, being
able to see my nieces without worrying about studying for a test is nice
as well. Since graduation, life has become so much sweeter!
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| Dixie checking out the new craft with Christmas lights! |
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| Walks with the pup are the best! |
So, I'm looking to the future! I have many goals to achieve and the
first.....paying back COLLEGE LOANS. Dear Lord. Loans suck, but having a
career is nice so I will just stop complaining. I want a new car, need a
new phone, but after being out in the real world I have discovered that
many so called "needs" are in fact wants. Being in debt from school
loans isn't great, but being able to pay bills, put gas in my car to go
to my dream job and put food in my belly seems pretty great to me so
far. I'm learning to be more thankful for the little, yet practical
things in life. I want to do something crazy as well, GO BACK TO
SCHOOL....who does that?! I have known for some time now that going back
to school is what is best for me. Learning is wonderful, advancing a
career is great and doing what you love is amazing. Being a CRNP would
be an amazing goal to reach and something to be proud of. I am looking
to start back school within the next two years. Also, I believe having
the skills as an RN needs to be stretched. I am looking to volunteer for
the ARC and hopefully work at a clinic for under served communities as
well. Dreams, dreams, dreams, they are beautiful.
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| Birthdays are precious. Grateful for these babies! |
Also, one individual I've been grateful for is my sweet guy,
Tucker. He truly has brought me back to my Southern roots. A girl who
lost her country vive many years ago has been reconnected, sort of.
Though I do not wear camo or record Duck Dynasty I will occasionally
drop a few lines of a Garth Brooks classic or choose sweet tea over
water. Surprisingly enough, I've even dragged myself out of bed at 5AM
to go on early morning fishing adventures with him. I feel no need to
impress, but he recognizes the little things. He is a strong worker, at
work and at home. He builds things and can fix pretty much anything. I
love his ability to improvise and "just make things work". His
willingness to help and carry his share of the load is recognized. He
loves sweets and that is music to my soul! I also am thankful that he
loves me for me and I can be nothing more than just myself when I'm with
him. I love his willingness to try new things and not be afraid to
speak his mind. He is a daily example and reminder to me to stay true to
thine own self. I guess I'm simply thankful for Tucker bringing me back
to me.
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| Yay for freezing cold fishing adventures! |
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| Tucker with my youngest niece, Emma Kate |
Well, making all things
full-circle, I guess I have many things to be thankful for. Even in
stressful times I should see the beauty in what has been given to me.
God Bless!
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| Thanksgiving 2013! Love my people. |
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| My family. :) |
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