BSN

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Graduation from College of Nursing!

March, 1977 – Winter Quarter – College of Nursing

The final few weeks in nursing school have been so busy between clinicals, sending out resumes, and interviewing for jobs. My first job choice was to work in home care because that was my favorite quarter. I met with the director of nursing at the county board of health where I had my clinical last fall. She said they would be very interested in having me work for them after I gain at least one year of experience on a medical or surgical hospital floor. Because it is such an independent position alone in the patient’s home, they do not hire new graduates.

I also interviewed on a medical unit for evening shift at University Hospital where I have had many of my clinical sites. My third interview was at a 300 bed community hospital located downtown in a low income neighborhood. The head nurse on the diabetes unit seems very friendly, efficient, and has developed an impressive diabetes program.

I was offered both hospital positions, so after praying about it, the Lord gave me peace about accepting the evening shift position on the diabetes unit. Since I am rather weary of the huge 1000 bed busy University Hospital, I am ready for a smaller quieter place.  I hope the hours will be a good fit for me since I am not a morning person. Like all hospital nurses, I am required to work every other weekend and every other holiday. I will be able to attend morning worship at church every Sunday, but I am sorry I will miss every other evening worship and most prayer meetings on Wednesday nights. After I have some experience, I hope the Lord opens the door for me to work more regular hours.

I guess it paid off to go to summer school and graduate 3 months before the majority of my nursing class. I am very blessed to have had 2 good job offers since there is an overabundance of new nursing graduates presently.

My graduation was held inside at the 10,000 seat basketball arena. The graduates sat in rows on the basketball floor while our families and friends sat in the stands. It was a happy thrilling moment when they asked the 20 of us in the College of Nursing to approach the table where we were each handed our degree. I was so thankful all my family could attend. We had a nice dinner afterward and I showed them the hospital where I will be working.

Pamela Receives Her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree!

Pamela Receives Her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree!

My Brother tries on my Cap for size! He graduated 2 years later.

My Brother tries on my Cap for size! He graduated 2 years later.

Grad family

My family rejoiced with me

Dear Lord, Thank you so much for your grace and strength these past four years of college. I know I could not have completed my degree without your help. Thank You for the times of sweet fellowship with the brethren, and for the trials that pressed me closer to You. I pray for all the students from around the world who heard the gospel, and pray they would receive You as their personal Savior. I commit my nursing career to You and pray You will use me for Your glory and honor! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Thou wilt show me the path of life. In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

Reflection

The Lord has been so faithful to me these past 40 years. He has always wonderfully provided for me and given me so many opportunities to share the gospel around the world during my various travels.

My first pastor always taught us to record the number of gospel tracts we handed out and the books we read on the home Bible study program. As I was rereading my college journals, I was curious to total them. I was totally amazed that by God’s grace, He allowed me to hand out 2381 gospel tracts on campus and read 45 books in the home Bible study program during the four years I was also studying nursing. What a privilege to meet students from all over the world! I am so thankful that I was taught early in my Christian life to always put God first (Matthew 6:33) and to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16

 

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Graduate Nurse Banding Ceremony

Febuary, 1977 – Senior in College of Nursing

It is hard to believe I am in my last quarter of nursing school before I graduate in March. This quarter my clinical site is the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at University Hospital. I truly thank God that everything I learned the past 4 years is finally coming together! I am receiving a good review of anatomy and physiology as I spend many long exhausting hours making my care plans for these complex patients. I go to bed at 1 a.m. after finishing the care plan, and arise at 5 a.m. in order to get to ICU ready for report at 7 a.m.

I have a very nice instructor, Miss B. She corrected me last week after I gave a medicine Intravenous (IV) push without her or my preceptor being present. Earlier in the quarter she told me to work as independently as possible, but I guess that does not apply to IV meds yet! Thankfully, no harm came to the patient.

At the third week, I became filled with anxiety that I would not make it through the quarter because it was so difficult. I pleaded with the brethren to pray for me and claimed Isaiah 40:29.

He giveth power to the faint; and to those who have no might He increaseth strength.

The Lord gave me victory and lifted the horrible depression and sense of defeat. From then on the quarter was fine.

The end of January, my class had our ceremony where we received our black velvet band to attach to our nursing cap. I thanked God for his mercy and grace to me these past four years as I pinned the band on my cap .  I know I only  arrived at this moment  with God’s help. My family traveled two hours so they could share this special time with me.

Approaching the podium to receive my band.

Approaching the podium to receive my band.

banding 2

Pinning on my new black velvet band.

banding 3

I almost feel like Cherry Ames with my black band!

Reflection

Nurses no longer wear caps in the clinical setting. It was optional to wear mine in the hospital where I first worked after graduating. I wore it very proudly at first, but as I bent over a patient to do his dressing change, it fell into the middle of my sterile field and I had to start over. I also knocked it off sometimes on the over-bed trapeze bar. There was no good way to clean it since it was made of stiff cardboard like material.

But there were some advantages in wearing it. I could easily identify which nursing school the person had attended. I still am fascinated when I look at old pictures of the wide variety of nursing caps! It also set us apart from the nursing assistants so the patient knew at once that I was a nurse when I entered the room. During a code for a patient emergency, it was easy to recognize who the nurse was because of the cap.

A variety of nursing caps!

A variety of nursing caps!

I still have my slightly yellowed cap tucked away in my bottom bureau drawer. Occasionally, I gaze at it fondly and recall that proud moment when I received my black band.

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Pediatric Orthopedics

Summer, 1975-Junior in College of Nursing

After much debate with my parents, I decided to go to summer school so I could graduate in March rather than June. The job market is rather tight right now for new graduates, so I’m hoping there will be more openings available if I graduate ahead of my classmates.

I only took 13 hours of classes this summer (two 4 hour nursing courses, and 5 hours of American history), but it was totally exhausting, because I had to study so much for my two nursing classes in orthopedics and pediatrics. When I felt like I was at the breaking point, I met with my Pastor and he wisely counseled me to stop teaching two Bible Clubs so I could concentrate on my studies. He said I would have plenty of time to serve the Lord after I graduated. But if I didn’t graduate, it would be a poor testimony to my parents (who are not yet Christians) and others.

My clinical site was at the Children’s Hospital on the neurology/orthopedic unit which was interesting. Since I’m now in my junior year of nursing, we were assigned more acute patients compared to last year in the nursing home. Half the summer I cared for children with neurological problems such as brain tumors and seizure disorders (epilepsy). It saddened me to care for the children with brain tumors who did not have much longer to live.

Chuck HATED Being in Traction!

Chuck HATED Being in Traction!

Most of the orthopedic patients were 8-12 years old and in traction for the summer. Chuck had a bicycle accident and was totally frustrated about being imprisoned in bed. I brought in his lunch tray and set it up on his over bed table. As I turned to leave the room, he picked up his entire tray and flung it to the floor while he screamed, “I HATE THIS PLACE!!!” He was in a room with three other boys, so the other boys started crying because they were so startled and frightened by his actions. I pressed the call light and said I needed his nurse and my instructor immediately! I definitely felt like I was in over my head and was at a loss of words as to how to calm the boys. The experienced staff members rushed in and took command of the situation. His nurse gave Chuck a sedative and a pain pill while the housekeeper cleaned up the mess on the floor. I exited the room and reviewed what had happened with my instructor in the conference room.

I was so thankful when this difficult summer ended!

Reflection

As I reread my journal which recorded how much I struggled through that summer, I began to learn the important lesson that it is never God’s will for us to be serving Him so much that we don’t have time to sit at His feet in worship first. If there is not first true effectual worship there will be no effectual service. So often I see a need and automatically think it is God’s will for me to fulfill it. But perhaps it is God’s will that it not be done or that someone else does it.

I reread about the two sisters, Martha and Mary, in Luke 10: 38-42. Martha gladly welcomed the Lord Jesus Christ into her home, but was overly occupied and too busy and distracted with much serving. She became upset when her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened eagerly to His words. When Martha asked the Lord to rebuke her sister, Mary, He gently rebuked Martha instead.

“Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

May the Lord help us all to sit quietly at His feet while we let Him speak to our heart through His precious word and renew and strengthen us for the day that is ahead of us. I will close with the words from the first verse of my favorite hymn. Whenever I sing this prayer to the Lord, it helps me focus my heart on Him once again.

“Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting” by Jean S. Pigott.

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart,

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, And Thy beauty fills my soul;

For, by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

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Which Nursing School????

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

March, 1973, Midwest, USA – High School Senior

Ever since last year when the Lord gave me peace about becoming a nurse, I have struggled in deciding which nursing school to attend. I visited two small Christian colleges here in the Midwest that I really liked, but neither has a nursing program. So I would have to earn a bachelor’s degree in some other major and then continue on to get a two year associate degree in nursing. Six years total sounds way too long to be in school! I wanted to attend a  Christian college in the south where I could major in missionary nursing, but my parents do not want me to go there, so they refused to sign the admission form. It was heartbreaking, but I know God closed the door for a reason.

Where Should I Go?

Where Should I Go?

I left the Protestant Church where I was raised because the Bible was not taught verse-by-verse and I wasn’t growing in knowing the Lord better. My sister also left, which broke our parents’ hearts, especially Mom. We became members of a Bible church led by the Pastor who Marsha met at the University her freshman year. A group of students from another University drive an hour every Sunday to attend. The pastor teaches a weekly Bible class on this University campus which is really growing!

They have a good nursing school at this University, so I decided to apply there as well as a three year hospital diploma nursing school in the same city. I have my interview tomorrow at the diploma school and will tour the University while I am in the city. The diploma students work many more clinical hours in the hospital than the University students, but it is more difficult for them to obtain nursing leadership positions after graduation.

The next day I nervously entered the office of the Director of Admissions at the diploma hospital school of nursing. Mrs. L. greeted me warmly and gave me a tour of the nursing skills lab, classrooms, and dormitory. Afterward we sat down in her office and she asked, “So tell me why you would like to become a nurse?”  I replied, “I like science and I would like to help sick people get better. I enjoy learning new things, and I think it would be fascinating to learn all about the human body and how it works.”  She asked if I had applied to other schools, and I told her I was also considering the State University in the city here.

She advised, “After reviewing your high grade point average and ACT/SAT scores, I think you should go to the University Bachelor of Science (BSN) program rather than our diploma program. Our program will probably be closing in the next few years, and I think you have real potential to go into management or research in nursing. You could then earn your master’s degree or even a doctorate degree in nursing!” I thought to myself, I am amazed that she thinks I have real potential to go so far in my nursing career! I would be satisfied to be a regular staff nurse, work a few years, marry a godly Christian man, quit work, have children, and be a stay-at-home Mom like my mother did. I thanked her for her time and drove across the city to tour the State University.

I joined the walking tour led by a student. This campus has 55,000 students, which is as many people as my entire city where I grew up! It has over ten libraries, 30 dormitories, and countless classroom buildings. The 1000 bed University Hospital is one block from the School of Nursing, so that would be convenient for clinical days. Despite all the buildings, it has green space and many beautiful trees, so it doesn’t appear to be a concrete jungle. After living in the country my entire life, I hope I can adjust to living in a huge city.

State University

State University

When I returned home, I asked the Lord to make it clear to me which school I should attend, and He gave me perfect peace that He wanted me to attend the University. I  was accepted, and am so excited to start in the fall! It will be so wonderful to have fellowship with the other Christian students in the Bible class, and give the gospel to American students as well as the the international students who attend from all over the world. In addition to the prerequisites for nursing, I’m looking forward to taking electives in a wide variety of areas since they offer so many majors.  The class catalog is fascinating to read.  I also hope to become very fit from walking all over the huge campus to my classes!

Reflection

The director of the diploma nursing program gave me excellent advice in steering me toward the BSN program at the University. As she predicted, the diploma school closed a few years later.When I was 39 years old, I returned to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. I was thankful to receive my Master’s of Science in Nursing after four grueling years of working full time and going to school part time.

In God’s great sovereignty, He never gave me a husband or children. Little did I realize when I was in high school that I would have a 40 year full time nursing career, but God knew all along!

One of my favorite hymns is:
Tis’ so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.
-by Louisa M.R. Stead
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Which Nursing School????

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

March, 1973, Midwest, USA – High School Senior

Ever since last year when the Lord gave me peace about becoming a nurse, I have struggled in deciding which nursing school to attend. I visited two small Christian colleges here in the Midwest that I really liked, but neither has a nursing program. So I would have to earn a bachelor’s degree in some other major and then continue on to get a two year associate degree in nursing. Six years total sounds way too long to be in school! I wanted to attend a  Christian college in the south where I could major in missionary nursing, but my parents do not want me to go there, so they refused to sign the admission form. It was heartbreaking, but I know God closed the door for a reason.

Where Should I Go?

Where Should I Go?

I left the Protestant Church where I was raised because the Bible was not taught verse-by-verse and I wasn’t growing in knowing the Lord better. My sister also left, which broke our parents’ hearts, especially Mom. We became members of a Bible church led by the Pastor who Marsha met at the University her freshman year. A group of students from another University drive an hour every Sunday to attend. The pastor teaches a weekly Bible class on this University campus which is really growing!

They have a good nursing school at this University, so I decided to apply there as well as a three year hospital diploma nursing school in the same city. I have my interview tomorrow at the diploma school and will tour the University while I am in the city. The diploma students work many more clinical hours in the hospital than the University students, but it is more difficult for them to obtain nursing leadership positions after graduation.

The next day I nervously entered the office of the Director of Admissions at the diploma hospital school of nursing. Mrs. L. greeted me warmly and gave me a tour of the nursing skills lab, classrooms, and dormitory. Afterward we sat down in her office and she asked, “So tell me why you would like to become a nurse?”  I replied, “I like science and I would like to help sick people get better. I enjoy learning new things, and I think it would be fascinating to learn all about the human body and how it works.”  She asked if I had applied to other schools, and I told her I was also considering the State University in the city here.

She advised, “After reviewing your high grade point average and ACT/SAT scores, I think you should go to the University Bachelor of Science (BSN) program rather than our diploma program. Our program will probably be closing in the next few years, and I think you have real potential to go into management or research in nursing. You could then earn your master’s degree or even a doctorate degree in nursing!” I thought to myself, I am amazed that she thinks I have real potential to go so far in my nursing career! I would be satisfied to be a regular staff nurse, work a few years, marry a godly Christian man, quit work, have children, and be a stay-at-home Mom like my mother did. I thanked her for her time and drove across the city to tour the State University.

I joined the walking tour led by a student. This campus has 55,000 students, as many people as my entire city where I grew up! It has over ten libraries, 30 dormitories, and countless classroom buildings. The 1000 bed University Hospital is one block from the School of Nursing, so that would be convenient for clinical days. Despite all the buildings, it has green space and many beautiful trees, so it doesn’t appear to be a concrete jungle. I am so used to living in the country, I hope I can adjust to living in a huge city.

State University

State University

When I returned home, I asked the Lord to make it clear to me which school I should attend, and He gave me perfect peace that He wanted me to attend the University. I  was accepted, and am so excited to start in the fall! It will be so wonderful to have fellowship with the other Christian students in the Bible class, and give the gospel to American students as well as the the international students who attend from every country in the world. In addition to the prerequisites for nursing, I’m looking forward to taking electives in a wide variety of areas since they offer so many majors.  The class catalog is fascinating to read.  I should also become very fit from walking all over the huge campus to my classes!

Reflection

The director of the diploma nursing program gave me excellent advice in steering me toward the BSN program at the University. As she predicted, the diploma school closed a few years later.When I was 39 years old, I returned to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. I was thankful to receive my Master’s of Science in Nursing after four grueling years of working full time and going to school part time.

In God’s great sovereignty, He never gave me a husband or children. Little did I realize when I was in high school that I would have a 40 year full time nursing career, but God knew all along!

One of my favorite hymns is:
Tis’ so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.
-by Louisa M.R. Stead
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Promotion!

September 30, 1978 – Midwest, USA

Last spring, after I had completed my initial mandatory year of experience on a medical-surgical floor, I began asking the Lord for a position during the day time with weekends off so I could participate more at church. I so missed evening worship and prayer meeting, as well as going door to door calling with the brethren to share the gospel. I thought about applying for a visiting nurse job, but didn’t really feel it would be safe in the big city here.

When I returned from Europe, my head nurse, Mrs. H. told me the administration had approved a new position for the hospital as diabetes nurse educator. The role would include teaching the daily group diabetic classes, making daily rounds on all the patients with diabetes in the hospital to give them individual education, and teaching the staff more about diabetes. The nurse would become an expert on diabetes. They required the nurse to have a BSN, so that eliminated many of the Tower 5 nurses. Mrs. H. only has a hospital diploma in nursing, but she would be the supervisor. The goal is to make our program one of the premier diabetes programs for adults in this part of our state! She asked me to apply, and so I did. The interview was fairly easy with her and Dr. L., the medical director who is an endocrinologist.

I’m not sure how many applied, but she notified me that they chose me for the position! How I thank God for giving me such a wonderful schedule of Monday-Friday with no weekends or holidays! Nothing is too hard for the Lord! I truly love to teach and am looking forward to stretching my mind again to become an expert in the area. So I began August 1. It was such a blessing to be able to drive to and from work in the daylight one week after my apartment mate and I were mugged. (See previous blog – Terror at Night). Surely, God’s timing is perfect! How I thank God for His wonderful encouragement after going through the difficult trial. He blessed me in reading Psalm 37:4.

Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

So now that I have been in the position for two months, I am becoming more comfortable each day in my role. I go to the hospital library many days and read the endocrinology medical journals to discover the most recent research in diabetes. I love it when the other nurses ask me questions, and I can assist them. I also enjoy having the time to teach the patients individually in their room, especially how to give their own insulin injections. I help them overcome their fear of sticking themselves by letting them practice sticking an orange or a sponge again and again until it becomes second nature!

I enjoyed teaching the patients how to give themselves insulin.

I taught the patients how to give themselves insulin.

I contacted the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, and discovered that they have a special week long educational session for diabetes nurse educators. I asked Mrs. H. and Dr. L. if I could attend, and they obtained the funding for me to attend in November! I am so excited! I have never been to a national nursing seminar before. And to think I get to visit the world famous Mayo Clinic!!

Reflection – 2014

Sadly, I didn’t record any details in my journal about my week in Minneapolis at the Mayo Clinic. But I remember the lectures by the diabetes nurse educators were very helpful and gave me some new ideas for our fledgling program. I greatly appreciated their sheltered glass sidewalks downtown which protected us somewhat from the bitterly cold wind, and the great restaurants the nurses from out of state shared at dinner!

I have found the Mayo Clinic website to be an excellent source for patient education and often recommend it. http://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-care-and-health-information.  The clinic has expanded over the years and now have clinics in Florida and Arizona as well.

Statues of the founding Mayo brothers at the Mayo Clinic

Statues of the founding Mayo brothers at the Mayo Clinic

U.S. News & World Report ranked Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. as the best hospital in the nation in their 2014-2015 rankings. Mayo Clinic has ranked at or near the top of “Honor Roll” hospitals through the history of U.S. News and World Report’s best-hospital rankings.

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State Nursing Boards- Zzzzz…..

July, 1977 – Midwest, USA

It’s hard to believe I graduated in March, over 3 months ago! I have learned so much working on evening shift with my diabetic patients. I’m feeling fairly comfortable now with my skills and organization.  The most difficult decision is if I should call the doctor at home, or if it can wait until morning. In March, I received a 6 month Graduate Nurse permit which I’m working under. Whenever I sign my name on the chart, I follow it with GN1117 which is my permit number. The doctors have started calling me “007”!

The state only offers Nursing Boards twice a year in July and February. If I don’t pass my boards the first attempt in July, I will lose my job and have to work as a nursing assistant which would be a huge pay cut and very embarrassing. Since my sister, Linda, has been a nurse for 3 years now, I asked her for suggestions in preparing for the boards. She said she reviewed her notes from all her classes and asked the Lord to help her choose the right answer. So I have been reviewing my class notes and textbooks an hour a day and more on my days off.

Tomorrow is the big day! The boards are being given at the State fairgrounds, of all places. I hope we’re not in the same barn as the cows….

State Boards – Day One – July 6, 1977

I’m afraid I was so nervous last night that I only slept a couple hours. It is 100 degrees Fahrenheit today, so the heat didn’t help either. (I do not have any air conditioning in my apartment.) I entered the large room that held about 100 single desks. The air conditioning felt wonderful! (No cows in sight!) The moderator instructed us to put our purse under our chair and look straight ahead or at our desk at all times. If anyone was caught trying to look at their neighbor’s answer sheet, they would immediately be expelled from the room and not allowed to take the test again. There were two sharpened pencils on each desk and a blank scantron answer sheet with bubbles to color in with pencil. Each person had a blank white sheet to cover up their answers so no one walking past could see.

There were 3 tests today and 3 tomorrow. Each test lasted 2 hours. Today we were tested on Medical and Obstetrics before lunch, and Psychiatry after lunch. Tomorrow we will be tested on Surgery and Pediatrics before lunch. After lunch we will take a test of sample questions for next year’s boards.

I completed Medical and Obstetrics and began to relax a little. Then I found some of my classmates and we went to lunch together at a nearby German restaurant. We all compared our answers and wondered if we had done well enough to pass? It was good to see them again since I had not been with them since March.

We returned after lunch and the moderator handed out the test and answer sheet for Psychiatry.  The air conditioning felt so good after being outside in the heat. I began reading through each question and coloring in the bubble for the best answer of the 4 multiple choice answers.

All of a sudden I heard the moderator say, “You have 10 minutes remaining to complete this exam.” My head snapped up. Ten minutes!!! I couldn’t believe that I fell asleep in the middle of the test! I quickly prayed and asked God to help me finish on time. I had about 20 more questions to complete. I quickly read the question, chose the best answer and moved on. As I colored in the last bubble, the moderator said, “Time is up. Put down your pencil and bring your exam to me.” There were only a few of us still there. Normally I am a fast test taker, but there was no time to go over my answers.

State Boards – Day Two – July 7, 1977

I am so thankful that I slept like a rock last night! It’s also a little cooler today. I completed all the tests today without falling asleep! The surgical exam seemed fairly easy because I have taken care of so many surgical patients on the diabetes unit. There were about 15 questions on diabetes on the Pediatric exam so I whizzed through those since I could apply the same knowledge from my adult diabetic patients that I had learned. My three months of experience was definitely helpful today. Now I wait about 6 weeks for the results to come in the mail. I pray they arrive before my temporary nursing permit expires! The Lord’s will be done. If He wants me to be a nurse, I will pass.

August 30, 1977

I scanned the mail. There it was! The State Board of Nursing return address was in the left corner of the white envelope. I sat down on my bed and prayed to the Lord to give me a quiet heart of acceptance no matter what the results. I opened the single sheet of paper and scanned the results.

CANDIDATE 1437:

It listed my scores for each exam and at the bottom in capital letters it read PASSED.

I looked at the individual test scores and was amazed that my score for Psychiatry (where I fell asleep) was higher than Obstetrics (my lowest score). I was also amazed that Pediatrics was my highest score. I guess it was because of all those questions on diabetes.

Thank You, dear Lord!!! You gave me the strength and wisdom to get through four years of college and now I am a fully REGISTERED NURSE!!! I commit my nursing career to You, and ask that You would use me for Your glory and honor. Amen.

I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me! Philippians 4:13

I went to work the next evening and proudly wrote RN after my name!

An official Registered Nurse! HAPPY DAY!!

An official Registered Nurse! HAPPY DAY!!

 

Reflection – 2014

The graduate nurse now takes a NCLEX exam on the computer at a testing center within a few miles of their home at a time convenient to them. It is no longer separated into specialty areas. The GN has 6 hours to complete the test in one day. There are also numerous review programs one can pay a fee and attend to prepare for the exam. A person can pay $7.95 extra to receive the “unofficial” results in 48 hours.

I remember when I took my GRE test for graduate school on the computer at a testing center 3 miles from my house. I received my test results in 5 minutes which was nice! There are certain advantages to computers these days.