Official RN status

I did it! Made it through the first year of my 3 year program! Yay, officially an RN after I passed the NCLEX on Tuesday. It was such a relief to get the results and to know that I accomplished this goal. With all the hectic stuff going on in our lives, I was still able to finish this year.

Also, I landed my first RN job at the local hospital here in Greenville. It's at Vidant Medical Center as a staff nurse I working in Mother Baby/Antepartum. This is where I spent my 5 week capstone clinical during my last semester of this year. It is a great unit with the ability to move to L&D in the near future to prepare me for the midwifery track, if that is what I end up choosing. I love women's health and really loved the time I have spent shadowing my midwife as well as my experience during my own labor. I also have had a few opportunities to work with the nurses in L&D and have really enjoyed that. We will have to see what the future holds. I feel that the Lords has a plan and that I just have to prepare myself and put myself in the position to allow it to unfold.

I couldn't have gotten through this first year without the amazing support of my husband. He has really stepped up this last year to not only provide for our family but also being a great dad and husband. He makes many meals per week, gets the kids ready for school and bedtime, helps me study and just all around helps out with whatever I or the kids need. It truly has been a year of challenges, but we had gotten through it. I know this is just the start of the program, but I think we have it down.

I am currently knee deep in my first semester of the graduate portion, MSN, taking general core classes. This semester I am taking pathophysiology, nursing theory and health assessment. It has been tough, but I am already learning so much. It is really nice to finally be in the classes and portion of the program that will lead me to my master's degree.