Night Shift Survival

If you look at the glass half empty, half of my schedule is night shifts.  Glass half full, ONLY half of my shifts are at night.  As I round out the end of my two weeks of night shifts, this glass is defiantly half empty.

This really bothers me.  I don't want to survive half of my life, I want to thrive in all my life.

First, I am going to attempt to fix this by changing my attitude.  Giving up on the attitude of survival and trying to embrace the attitude of thriving.

Second, I want to create a night shift routine.  When I am awake during normal hours aka the daylight, I have a routine.  I read scripture, I eat three meals, I have a bedtime routine, I just function better.  Well if half my life is spent working nights I have to have a night shift routine too.  I have to find a time that I open scripture.  I need to eat healthy food.  I need to thrive when I work night shift.

Now I know that I know something about doing night shift.  My tips to anyone else trying to thrive with night shift is try different things to see what works for you and don't expect them to always work.  Sometimes the night before I work I stay up as late as possible so that I can sleep in as late as possible.  Other days I don't sleep much at night so that I can take a good nap.  That however is a risky move because if I can't nap I haven't slept much before I go into work.  Above all, believe in Benedryl.  If you work two days in a row and it is bright, sunny, and hot outside take a half a Benedryl and you will sleep the whole day through.  Benedryl and I are best friends when I work nights.

Any other night shifters out there?  Anyone else switch between nights and days?  What are your tips and drinks?  Love a night shifter desperate for help.

Nurse's Week 2015

Well here I am celebrating my first nurse's week.  It was just about a year ago that I was wearing my cap and gown celebrating with the rest of the field house my hard earned diploma.  Now here I am waking up at 5pm from my night shift last night and on call tonight.

Having had diploma in hand for about a year and working as an RN for about 6 months has been incredibly challenging and rewarding.  I have the privilege of taking care of families as they welcome new life into the world.

Source: http://www.birthandbeyondmagazine.com/moms-features/2014/11/17/newborn-given-to-wrong-mom-to-breastfeed-in-norcal-hospital

I get to hear first cries and see dads as their eyes well up with tears when I hand them their first born and say "here is your son".   I also vigorously rub a fresh newborns back praying for her to just cry and start turning pink.  Some moms come in nervous and I can do my best to help ease their worries and help them have a beautiful birth experiences.  I help keep moms and babies safe and healthy when the labor process is less than perfect and ideal.  

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/aug/22/childbirth-women

I hold women's hands when they get their epidural as soon as they walk through the door and sway with them when they enter their 15th hour of natural labor. I footprint, ID band, and weigh these babies often before their moms have held them for more than 10 minutes.  I help women breastfeed and encourage a long breastfeeding relationship.

Source: http://imgbuddy.com/newborn-mixed-baby-boys-in-hospital.asp

Beyond all these beautiful things that people imagine L&D nurses do I also grab ice, clean areas...down there that are less than clean, change my scrubs multiple times a shift because they have blood, urine, amniotic fluid, meconium or a combination on them, handle annoying family members, advocate for women, and tell women yes they did progress but not as much as they were hoping.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/10/baby_friendly_hospitals_promoting_breast_feeding_at_the_expense_of_the_new.html

Nurses are supposdely the most trusted profession.  Honestly most days I don't understand why and more often than not I leave a shift feeling like I didn't give my patients the best care I could have.  Being a L&D nurse I can honestly say it is one of the hardest and one of the best jobs I could ever imagine doing for all the reasons listed above and 100 more.

Source: http://galleryhip.com/newborn-birth.html

To all you other nurses, kudos.  Thank you for holding dying hands, having a smile on your face when a patient first opens her eyes and saying "I think the surgeon has some good news for you",  helping a man detox from his cocaine addiction, singing a bedtime song to the little boy who has been sick for so long that his parent's have no other choice but to go to work, passing another pain pill, not giving up on a man who is in cardiac arrest, and infusing another day of chemo.  Happy Nurse's week, enjoy your free coffee, hospital emblemed gift, and posters posted around the hospital.  Keep on caring!

Expectations v. Reality Four Months In

So someone, and I greatly apologize for not remembering who, suggested I do a post on if my job is what I expected.  So just a refresher my job for the first three months was rotating between high risk Antepartum, Labor and Delivery (including OB OR, triage, OB ICU, and prenatal monitoring unit), and postpartum.  In the past month, I have been working in my permanent job of Labor and Delivery.

So what is my job compared to what I expected.  It is really hard to say because I don't really remember what I expected but I will give you what I've got.

I didn't expect to be so scared of "what could go wrong."  Ideally labor and delivery is an experience that is healthy for mom and baby and requires few interventions.  Unfortunately I work at a high risk hospital and this isn't always the case.  Alot of the mom's come to my hospital because of how sick they are and they require alot of interventions from Magnesium to prevent seizures and C-sections because their placenta covers their cervix.  In addition, sometimes things just go south in ways that we didn't expect which can be scary but we are used to it and can handle it. It is great when labor and birth are beautiful experiences with good outcomes all around but that isn't always the case.

I didn't expect to get along so well with my coworkers and to actually make friends with the people I work with.  A couple of the girls I actually see outside of work and many others I love being with when we are working.

I didn't expect how much we would work in a team.  Not only do I know my team leader has my back but also the other nurses on my team will help me out as much as they are able.

It is sometimes the most unexpected patients that I really hit it off with.  I will get patients that I expect to just tolerate taking care of for one first impression or another and before you know it we really hit it off.  The opposite is also true.

Some days I am over or underwhelmed of the whole labor and delivery process. There are days when I come home and I marvel at what happened during my day.  Amazed that the baby I had been monitoring all day is now opening her eyes and staring at her mamma.  Other days I forget to stop and marvel at the lives taking their first breath all around us and just stumble through the monotony that is a high volume maternity hospital.

I don't feel like this post really portrays everything I want it to say but maybe when I am a few more months in I will be able to flesh out a little bit better my expectations versus the reality of a labor and delivery nurse.  In addition I wanted to put some sort of funny meme in hear about labor and delivery but I will save you from the "v" word and other such things. Your welcome.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Well hello.  I know, I know all of you have been anxiously awaiting an update on my life and I aim to please.

First off, the job searing continues.  Everyday I look for and apply to as many jobs as possible.  Thankfully when looking for nursing jobs, most hospitals have all your info saved and you just have to click a few buttons and remind them of  your gender and ethnicity and bada bing.  Praise the Lord I am getting somewhere, talking to people and filling out questioners.  Nothing concrete yet but at least the job train is moving and I am not just sending applications out to the clouds.  And that darn questioner put my panties in a bunch because one time I failed one.  Have no fear, I didn't this time.  During the time of "preemployment" I have gotten a new perspective on the unemployed. As I sit in my parents house with no necessary expenses currently I have some stress about finding a job.  I cannot even imagine the stress for an unemployed bread winner of a family.  My heart goes out to anyone in that situation and I am praying for you.  

Insert awkward transition to lighter topics. 

For the past few weeks I have been nannying the family I watched last summer.  The timing was actually divine, she called me the week before I took my test to see if I could come work and I told her not that week because I had to hard core study and take the test but after that week we could talk.  Well since then I have been working 2-3 days a week which is awesome because I have been putting all that money directly to student loans (a full post coming soon with a whole bunch of Dave Ramsey).

So another thought floating around in my noggin' is how excited I am for the NAS series to start back up.   Even though our community has been great on the FB page I miss having a topic to write about each week. Sorry Morgan and Jen that at the moment I am fresh out of topic ideas but I will let you know if I think of one.  

I have also noticed lately that I am not good with keeping up my MyFertilityMD app.  Thankfully I am in a season of life that it really doesn't matter but I want to stay diligent.  However anyone who has diligently charted for at least a few months I think can agree that it becomes second nature to notice your signs of fertility without much thought.  

Well that is all I have today happening and what better way to end than on fertility and such.  

Little Life Update

via 

Did you read the update to my little profile on the left?


Well did you?


Did you notice the big news?


That's right.  I am officially a registered nurse!  I took the NCLEX last Wednesday and discovered that I passed on Saturday (for anyone else who is a RN you know that State Board websites can be like a treasure hunt).  I am incredibly thankful that I passed and do not have to study again (or pay another $200).  I know that I did not do it on my own but through the grace poured out from tons of people praying for me.

Now onto finding a job.  At this very moment I am applying to a job that has six full time positions on the L&D unit, all of which technically require at least one year experience.  Here's to hoping I will convince them to give a new grad a chance with my exceptional  resume and cover letter and then woe them with my interviews.  Hope is good, but prayers are great *wink*wink* for the job the Lord wants me to be His hands and feet in.

Night shift and Patients' Passing

If any of you follow me here on the bloggity or the 'gram you know this semester I was plagued with 108 hours of night shift.  Ok maybe plagued is a little bit of a strong word considering they weren't nearly as bad as I had expected. Yeah your sleep schedule is more like a series of naps and the hour drive home in the morning can be brutal but night shift is like an alternative universe when everyone else is asleep.  You try to convince your patients to sleep too but then wake them up every few hours for medications and blood draws.  Whatever patients, we try to cluster care as best as possible but you also need these interventions to get better.  Either way I stand on the other side triumphant and say I will never be working another unpaid night shift.  Woohoo!  From here on out if I am up all in the hospital I am getting a paycheck for it.

Last unpaid night turn

Unfortunately this last night turn involved a patient death.  The patient was CMO (comfort measures only) so it wasn't a surprise and no code was run but it still is a patient dying rather than getting better. I pray and hope that it is never normal or easy to lose a patient.  I hope they always shake me up a little and make me pray. Because these patients we take care of and hands we hold aren't just medical record numbers but real people with souls that the Lord is passionately in love with. Souls that in those last moments need everyone praying and guiding their souls to the heavenly gates.  St. Catherine of Sienna, patroness of nurses, intercede for all nurses that we make be exceptional nurses.  St. Joseph, patron of happy deaths, intercede that each and everyone of us with a heart full of faith can rejoice and praise the Creator with all the angels and saints for all of eternity.  

NAS: Single Life Bucket List

Single Life Bucket List

What are those things that you want to do before you get married (or enter the religious life)? Is there anything that you are excited to do, accomplish, etc before engagement, marriage and babies come along? Even if you feel that you've done everything you wanted to do pre-marriage, dig deeper and see if there isn't anything you'd like to do!

If you didn't read about it yet I got to meet Jen who blogs @ Jumping in Puddles and obviously co-hosts the Not Alone Series during my time in Florida this past week.  What an awesome surprise blessing!

I really like the topic this week about things we want to accomplish through this single season of our lives.  Of course this life is not my own so however long the Lord wants me single I will do what I can and praise Him for it.  Before I become a wife and mom their are a handful of simple not so simple things I want to accomplish....

1. Sleep....and lots of it. When you get married little bundles of babies inevitably follow and for the next 20 years you are waking up with babies and toddlers who don't know the art of sleeping in.  As a single lady I try to sleep in and take naps sometimes.  When I roll back over I punch my fist into the air and say "for the moms." 
2. My career.  I know that I am not a nurse by accident or coincidence.  It has been a long difficult journey to be almost down with nursing school.  I am confident the Lord has big plans for my career and I want to achieve His will before and/or during my vocation as a wife and mommy.   
3. Take good care of my body.  We are both body and spirit and marriage and motherhood will require both.  I want to form good habits now that include eating well, exercising and generally taking care of my body so that it can be a gift to my husband and children.   
4. Be completely and utterly in love with the Lord.  The foundation of any marriage requires both the husband and wife to know the Father's love.  Being loved and loving the Lord is a continual process that will never stop however as a single lady I am in a unique position to devout undivided time and attention to my prayer life and relationship with the Lord.   
5. Travel. I pray and hope that the Lord has more travel plans in store for me.  I have already been blessed to travel all over Europe, Haiti, and Central America but I hope I am able to travel moe-back to Haiti, back to Europe, and hopefully hike the Camino, that doesn't even mention trips I want to make in the States. 
6. More wine nights with girls.  You are only young and single once so why not have more wine nights with the girls filled with good conversation and soul sharing. 

This is in no ways an exhaustive list, I am sure I have forgotten things and it does assume that somewhere along the line of being married babies will come (as the nursey rhyme goes, first comes love....) but these are some of the things that I want to accomplish before (and in same ways through) the wedding bells ringing.

#chroniclesofnightshift

You know that when I mentioned night shift in 7QTs I would have to give a play by play of my first night turn for everyone who didn't want to know.  In case you want to know the end without hearing the beginning and middle, I survived, including the slushy/snowy/rainy drive home.  But really you want to hear all the only mildly exciting details.  I will try to be time specific but really the times get lost in the night time shuffle.

6:30am Mass in an attempt to wake up early, tire myself out and be able to take a good afternoon nap.

8:00-11:30 Research class because every nurse becomes a nurse in order to take a good research class.  Not.

12:30pm-3:30 Take a halfway decent nap.

4:30 Shower, eat, dress, yada, yada, yada.

5:45  Leave for Pittsburgh.  Laugh at people stuck in congested traffic coming in the opposite direction.  Then remember that they get to sleep in their bed tonight, try to push this thought out of my head.  Still telling myself that it is morning.  Chugging coffee and talking to one of my best friends (with headphones, safety first) to make the drive go faster.

6:53  Arrive on floor.  Overwhelmed by the unknown.  Try to make nice with the PCTs.

7:00  Meet my preceptor, get report, lets get this day started

This is where times get muddled together.  I didn't want to watch the clock because I knew that would make the whole situation harder.  We did our assessments, figured out the care we would need to give for the night and charted.

Holy charting.  I had never actually sat down and charted everything for three patients.  I am pretty sure it took about an hour and a half and that was for charting by exception.

Then it was pain killers for this patient, zofran for another, seizure meds for the guy at the end, back in the first room for his sleeping pills, another patients IV is alarming because God forbid he bend his elbow and back for a another temp check on the woman who is spiking a temp.    Of course we had to wait for the pharmacy to bring up this med and then this one and then this one. Because by walking in a patient's room every 45 minutes we are really helping them get the best sleep possible.

Unfortunately, this is reality. We stopped at one point long enough to sit down and eat something.  I believe I ate the well rounded meal of easy mac, dehydrated peach halves, and a Kind bar.

And somewhere in there we got a new admit up from the ER.

Things got quiet for a while when everyone was asleep and it wasn't time for 4am lab draws yet. However things got interesting when some of the ladies started talking about weaves.  Guys I am the whitest white girl I know and they kept including me in the conversion as if I knew what the heck they were talking about.  Bags of weave?  Going to the shop v. your friend's cousin's roommate's best friend? 

From there things were on the downwards slid (or upwards slid depending on how you look at it).  We got morning labs, gave some early morning meds, stocked the COW, and made sure everything was charted.

Coffee involved a fine line.  Drink a cup at just the right time so that it kept you awake enough to get through the last few hours and the drive home but not enough too late so that I couldn't fall asleep when I got home.

The nurses coming on were all running a little late due to the horrible weather. There was a group of cute little nursing students who were all timid and unsure and it was really hard not to be all "senior-I-just-spent-all-night-here-taking-care-of-these-people."

I walked off the unit at 7:41.

And walked into this.  Lovely.  Pittsburgh weather at its finest. 

I grew up in the northeast Ohio and I never remember driving in worse weather than this.  Snow/slush/rain/ice.  Thank the good Lord that classes were canceled for the whole day because I really wasn't feeling the two quizzes I had. On campus I had to park in a handicap parking spot because there was literally no cleared spots. My bed was in sight.  I thought I wasn't that tired but when I woke up at 12:30 feeling as though I must have been in a coma I realized maybe I was that tired.   

I know, I know you are a better person for having been able to walk through my first night shift minute by minute, urinal dump by urinal dump (oh I hadn't mentioned that?  Patients on fluids results in lots of urinal dumps).  I survived and as I said on instagram, I feel like this first night shift award goes right next to the first shot, first birth, and first blood draw award.    And maybe, just maybe you will be lucky enough to read about another night shift in the not so distant future. 

NAS: Career as a Vocation

How do we know what God's call is for us if we are focused on our careers? Is it appropriate to focus on that career and then get married/enter religious life later? Or maybe the call/vocation IS the career and you could be single?

Oh this topic, this is something that I can write about. If you have ever read more than a handful of posts on this here bloggity than you know that I am studying to be a nurse.  In fact I am in my last of five years.  It hasn't been easy to get to this point.  To make a very long and grace filled story short I didn't get into the nursing the program on the first try and I failed a class which they miraculously decided to let me repeat over the summer.  Me being a nursing major didn't happen by accident and the Lord's hand has defiantly been in it throughout.  And nursing, nursing is special.  People come to you when they are in a very vulnerable state- they are hurt, they are sick, they are bringing a life into the world, they are trying to be as healthy as they can be.  As a [future] nurse I get to, in a very real way, be Jesus' hands to them- caring for them, cleaning them up, comforting them.  However, beautifully, they also represent Christ to me.  I get to wash the feet of Christ and I get to hold His face and tell him it is going to be ok every time I go to work.  

Nursing Dedication Ceremony

So how does this play into my vocation?  I know I am meant to be a nurse for a reason, that reason, not positive.  Because of all this I have felt for a while that God might have some "professional goals" in mind for me before I settle down with a hubby wubby (do not tell any guy I may end up dating that he may end up getting called that in our wedded life).  Maybe missionary work.  Possibly become a midwife.  Like I said last week, hopefully a Creighton Model Practitioner  Or something else awesome that He hasn't even led me to yet.   And maybe I will be on the path to marriage very soon and then nursing might go to the back burner.   I don't know anything for sure but I do know I am open to whatever He wants.

So do I think I can listen to God's call about my vocation and career at the same time?  Absolutely.  I think both are important.  In fact something that has given me much consolation in the thought of not having to be a full time stay at home mommy (though nothing is wrong with that) is St. Gianna.  Not only was she a loving mother and wife but she was ALSO a physician.  That means she probably worked long hard hours caring for her patients while her children were with nannies and then going home and also being a wife and mother.  She did this and became a saint.  We can have the career and vocation if that is the path of sanctity the Lord has called us to.

Me with St. Gianna's banner in Lourdes, France.

Is it appropriate to focus on a career and then get married later or maybe even spend our whole life focused on a career and remain single?  News flash- our life should be in the hands of the Father's will.  If He is calling us to the above thing then by golly we should do it.  I think the Lord has, does and will call people to spend their life in a career that becomes their vocation and we must always follow the Lord's will in everything we do. 

I look forward to hearing all of you ladies' response to this topic. 

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If you haven't heard yet I am holding a link-up on this here bloggity- Make-Up Link-Up.  Can't wait to see what make-up you wear on a daily basis.  It will be open until October 14th. 

7QT (Vol.19)

I

Sorry for anyone who follows me on Instagram and follows my blog, you get a double update on what is going on in my life.

--- 1 ---

Let me start with last week.  Last Friday I went to a Pirates game with some household sisters.  Always great to enjoy America's past time on a beautiful evening with a beer in your hand and surrounded by friends.

--- 2 ---

The next morning I was headed home for the weekend.  I asked my mom what our plans were for the weekend.  I think she was excited for me to come home. 

--- 3 ---

The reason I came home was for a kids' birthday party including celebrating my goddaughter's 1st Birthday (though she is only 9 months old).  Ok you can't deny it she is gorgeous.

--- 4 ---

This week's topic in the Not Alone Series was about our Fave Momma Bloggers.  Want to know mine?  Check it out here.

--- 5 ---

I had my first quiz yesterday in Advanced Med Surg on ECG interpretation.  I am very happy to say I got a 95% and don't have to spend the beginning of the semester anxious and hanging out around the pass/fail 80% line.  Yippee!!

--- 6 ---

Today, after I pick up my brother in Pittsburgh I am traveling to Columbus for my fifth and final wedding of the year.  My cousin is marrying a wonderful woman Allison who has already been a part of our family for so long.  My poor mom has been running around like crazy making sure all of us and my grandma had their outfits taken care of. 

--- 7 ---

Don't you hate it when you cannot for the life of you remember the last thing you were going to write about? Yeah, me too.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

This time next year....

I will be GRADUATING.


Whoa I am just going to let that sink in for a minute.....

.......

In one year I will be finishing up my nursing degree, preparing for my NCLEX and graduating.  This degree has involved many mountains and bumps along the way and graduating has always been something so far in the distance so to start to see the finish line is really weird.  Of course the journey is no where near over and their is still many adventures and boat loads of studying to go but for now I am just sitting in the fact that the end will come....well that and sitting studying for my psych final.

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 9)

--- 1 ---

Haven't been around these parts of the woods for a while.  Last weekend I was on Born of the Spirit  retreat and have been so busy with school.  After Spring Break I will have time again.  I won't be leading a mission trip and I will have a AA meeting in Weirton instead of a Psych clinical in Pittsburgh.

--- 2 ---

Psych clinical.  This week I had a patient that I will forever carry with me.  I pray to my guardian angel that I remember to pray for him every day for the rest of my life.  He was only one month younger then me and I saw in him the ability to get better and beat his addiction.

--- 3 ---

Med/Surg clinical.  It is so easy to see Christ in these patients.  They are so very sick and when you hold their hand, listen to them, and carefully move them you are truly caring for the very body of Christ.

--- 4 ---

Sick. Sick. Sick.  Everyone here is sick.  Wait a second and you will hear a sniffle or cough.  I wasn't able to escape it this time.  Sick two times in a little over a month is so unlike me.  Thankfully it is not full blown, just a raw throat, cough, and under the weather feeling.

--- 5 ---

I might be a little late in this but Valentine's Day was great.  Our household brothers set the bar really high, my roommate and I showered each other in gifts all day and ended the day with a romantic dinner for the two of us and another roommate.   Favorite Valentine's Day yet.

 Our household brothers, the Knights of the Holy Queen, set the bar super high for every other man on campus on Valentine's Day.  They all wore suits to 6:30 Mass, sprinted out at the end of Mass and served us breakfast while serenading us with violin and cello.  Honestly, we do not deserve all the ways they love us but I for one am so very appreciative of it.  

I came back from a bathroom break during psych nursing class and found this on my desk.  My roommate is so good to me.  Not only does she know I love McDonald's coffee but she also knows exactly how I like it. 

Our romantic dinner.  We moved the kitchen table into the living room for something different and ate by the light of votive candles. 

Even Polka Padre got in on the Valentine's Day fun.  I thought this was just so hilarious. 

--- 6 ---

If you are in the Steubenville area or a student at Franciscan let me introduce you to an awesome talk series Regina Angelorum is sponsoring 

Look at those topics and speakers!!  This is really going to rock your socks.  If you are not a student or in the area we are looking into recording them so I will be sure to let you know if that happens.  All I have got to say is, Satan watch out, there is about to be a whole lot of people on fire about fighting the good fight of faith!!

--- 7 ---

This weekend I am going on retreat with household.  Please pray for us!!  Regina Angelorum, Queen of the Angels, pray for us.

                                                    --- 7.5 ---


  If you haven't already, go check out the first part of my God in Austria series about my semester in Austria.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes (Vol.8)

--- 1 ---

I think it is cliche to talk about weather, but really what is up with this weather.  Snow, rain, warm, cold, boots, flats.  You would think living in Ohio for 22 years would make me use to this but apparently not.

--- 2 ---

The sophmore nurses had their first clinical this week. Helping them with their care plans and seeing them dazed after having their first early morning clinical makes me remember how far I have come. Now I could probably do care plans with my eyes closed and 7am has become my sleeping in.

--- 3 ---

Speaking of nursing, today my professor went around the room and asked everyone what kind of nurse they wanted to be.  It made me so excited.  Everyone was scoping out their place and I can't wait to see all that everyone does.  Alot of oncology, a few traveling nurses, a handful of nurse practiciners, a missionary nurse, and a pediatrics or two.

--- 4 ---

There are a ton of visiting students today competing for a full ride scholarship for net year.  Noon Mass was packed and the Gospel (the beheading of John) led way for the priest to have part of his homily be about what extraordinary students come out of this university.  He said we can't focus on the darkness of society but on the light of Catholicism, the hope of Franciscan University, and the light that graduates of Franciscan are in the dark of the world.  This school almost didn't happen, it was nearly sold to become offices, but through the vision of Fr. Mike Scanlen it become a world known passionately Catholic university.  The priest noted, think of all the lives that would have never changed, the passionate youth ministers that would never be, the faithful nurses that wouldn't exist, the hearts that might never have come to know the Faith on a deeper level.  It made me excited all over again to be a part of this University.

--- 5 ---

If you made it to #5 you deserve some pictures.

 I set out on Thursday to finish an assignment for my New Testament scripture class.  Five hours and many many reference books later I came out victorious.  As a nursing major, this last class to finish my theology  minor is blowing me away.  I look at the bible in a whole new way.

--- 6 ---

My roommate and I have gotten in the habit of watching half of a movie in bed at night.  I am going to miss this so much when she graduates in May.  I suppose I am going to miss her too.

--- 7 ---

Ok shameless plug.  If you haven't already check out my Marian Monday post on Mary crushing the head of Satan, my first clinical in the psych unit or my Gospel reflection on Wednesday's Gospel.  While I am at, a shameful plug--subscribe on the right to come back for more!! 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Live joy.

Psych Clinical

Wow, I liked it way more than I thought I would.  I found the psych ward, the people who work their, the patients,  and the groups so fascinating.  Will I ever work on a Psych ward?  Probably not.  Although I really enjoyed the experience, I realized I was being more sympathetic rather than empathetic.  I wanted to fix all the problems the patients have but it just isn't that easy.  I imagine that if I would ever work on a psych ward it would be emotional exhausting and I would burn out in a matter of weeks.  Because of that, with these 5 clinicals, I want to absorb as much as possible since I probably will never step foot on a Psych ward again.  One down, four more to go.

Live joy.

{p,h,f,r}

{pretty}

The gift I gave to my goddaughter on her Baptism.  So beautiful!!

{happy}

This color combo made me so happy!!

We had a bake sale to raise money for our Haiti mission trip.  It made me so happy how much money we made and seeing the team interact.

{funny}

Only at Franciscan do you find a miraculous medal hidden among a bunch of change aquired at above bake sale

{real}

When I was home for the baptism I worked for my mom one day sending out 1500 letters to parishioners who gave money during 2012.  I came out victorious with only one paper cut!!

These lab values are going to get the best of me. 

If you are a visitor from Like Mother, Like Daughter I hope you will follow me and come back for more posts about nursing school, Our Lady, and Haiti just to name a few!!