I have to say, I am a little more than freaking out about taking my big "final".
When I was in school, we heard about two different kinds of items that were supposed to help prepare you for taking the nursing boards. One was called ATI and the other was called KAPLAN. I had heard "if you are doing KAPLAN don't even look at the ATI's". I knew that my work would be footing the bill for KAPLAN, so I figured I wouldn't worry about the other.
WELL, my school has an agreement with the company that does the ATI's, so we were required to do them. I can't tell you how many of those tests I took, but I'm pretty sure it was well over 400. Now, I had heard if you did the ATI's, KAPLAN could really mess you up...they weren't kidding. I have now taken around 400 KAPLAN questions and have been doing just awful!
It is so confusing. In the KAPLAN course, I would answer a question the way we were taught and get it wrong. On the KAPLAN website, I answer a question the way they showed us during the course and I STILL get it wrong. I have talked to the people from school who have taken their tests and they have all passed. They said that they too did awful on the KAPLAN practice tests. So, I guess, I will just go with the fact that they all passed and struggled with the practice ones too.
However, I have to get my ATT, (authorization to test) before I can even schedule my test. It was delayed because my transcripts were held since work had not payed the balance for my school. I'm giving the state until the middle of next week to let me know, then I am going to be driving them nuts with phone calls.
I sure hope this is not a sign!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Mamma's Boy
Michael is, and I feel will forever be, a mamma's boy. He has to give me first and last kisses and hugs. I have to kiss his hand when I leave for work and sometimes will kiss his pillow to prevent daddy from getting the last kiss.
Friday night, he will be spending the night at one of his friends houses. He was upset when he found out that I was working Thursday instead of Friday because I'll "be home and won't be able to spend time" him. I told him he could call me if he wanted to say good night and he said "you're right".
The other night, I went to bed early because I had to be at work at 7:30 in the morning. I was doing some cross stitch to wind down and he asked if he could snuggle with me. He jumped in bed and was coloring some pictures and we had the following exchange:
"Michael, do you think you'll still want to snuggle with me when you're 12?"
"Probably."
"Do you think you'll want to snuggle with me when you're 17?"
"More than likely."
"When you're 37, can I come snuggle with you?"
"Of course, I don't care."
I wonder what his wife will have to say about that.
Friday night, he will be spending the night at one of his friends houses. He was upset when he found out that I was working Thursday instead of Friday because I'll "be home and won't be able to spend time" him. I told him he could call me if he wanted to say good night and he said "you're right".
The other night, I went to bed early because I had to be at work at 7:30 in the morning. I was doing some cross stitch to wind down and he asked if he could snuggle with me. He jumped in bed and was coloring some pictures and we had the following exchange:
"Michael, do you think you'll still want to snuggle with me when you're 12?"
"Probably."
"Do you think you'll want to snuggle with me when you're 17?"
"More than likely."
"When you're 37, can I come snuggle with you?"
"Of course, I don't care."
I wonder what his wife will have to say about that.
Tele Nurse
Well, tonight is my first night on the tele (heart) floor. It is very different from the medical/surgical floors I have been on. The nurses on this floor are very nice and encouraging. I took on one patient tonight. He is an easy one that is here for some swelling, not unlike many patients I have taken care of in the past.
Starting on Tuesday, I will be taking EKG classes that will teach me how to read the heart monitors~EEKK!!! It's a little over whelming and scary, but that's what I thought when I started working on the floor a year ago.
Starting on Tuesday, I will be taking EKG classes that will teach me how to read the heart monitors~EEKK!!! It's a little over whelming and scary, but that's what I thought when I started working on the floor a year ago.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Fun With Twins
As I said, the kids and I watched the boys yesterday. They were so much fun, we had a blast!!!
McDonald's here we come!!
Jack shows how to eat four fries at once.
"Maybe I should eat one at a time."
Riley shows how HE thinks you should eat fries.
"Shove them in..."
"Then cover your mouth so nothing falls out."
"Hey, I know you!!"
"Count my teeth."
"I'm always good and NEVER bite."
"Look deep into my eyes."
McDonald's here we come!!
Jack shows how to eat four fries at once.
"Maybe I should eat one at a time."
Riley shows how HE thinks you should eat fries.
"Shove them in..."
"Then cover your mouth so nothing falls out."
"Hey, I know you!!"
"Count my teeth."
"I'm always good and NEVER bite."
"Look deep into my eyes."
And The Doctor Says...
"let's change his medicine". We are adding an antihistamine and a new cream. He is still to continue with his current stuff and the hope is that by adding the new things it will help to get it under control better. The dermatologist said that some kids will grow out of it and some kids will have it go dormant until times of stress and irritants.
We are going to get an appointment with an allergist. However, the doctor said not to put all of our hopes into finding an allergy. The most accurate allergy test is done by blood test. People with eczema have higher than normal levels lab values that indicate allergies making it difficult to really determine what, if anything, they are allergic to. He goes back in September unless there is a need to come back sooner.
We did mention the seizure that Michael had last summer. Michael told the doctor that he had felt one day at school like he was going to have one, laid down and it went away. Sean and I knew about this but since nothing happened, we kind of let it go. The doctor today said that sometimes, people will have an aura (I did know this) and that sometimes a seizure can be interrupted. (I didn't know this and will be looking it up) I said nothing, but inside I was thinking, "is this going to happen again?". It's amazing how you can be a nurse, take care of people everyday, but when it comes to your kids or other family members, you forget all that you have learned.
We are going to get an appointment with an allergist. However, the doctor said not to put all of our hopes into finding an allergy. The most accurate allergy test is done by blood test. People with eczema have higher than normal levels lab values that indicate allergies making it difficult to really determine what, if anything, they are allergic to. He goes back in September unless there is a need to come back sooner.
We did mention the seizure that Michael had last summer. Michael told the doctor that he had felt one day at school like he was going to have one, laid down and it went away. Sean and I knew about this but since nothing happened, we kind of let it go. The doctor today said that sometimes, people will have an aura (I did know this) and that sometimes a seizure can be interrupted. (I didn't know this and will be looking it up) I said nothing, but inside I was thinking, "is this going to happen again?". It's amazing how you can be a nurse, take care of people everyday, but when it comes to your kids or other family members, you forget all that you have learned.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
It's Been A While
I know, I know it's been just a little while since I have posted anything. Hopefully that will change now.
I graduated!!! Hard to believe it's over, but it is. Now, there is just the "big test" to take. My work paid for a "Kaplan" course that helps you prepare for taking boards. For me, it was more confusing. The instructor taught us a way to break down the question to help decide the answer. However, the answer that they wanted at times seemed to go against the things taught in school. I have been taking practice test after practice test. Some I pass and some I don't. I don't have my board test scheduled yet. I have to first get my "authorization to test" from the state of Missouri and then schedule the test itself. I have 90 days from graduation to take it. While I'm not going to wait the 90 days, I'm not going to take it until I feel more confidant. Besides, it costs $200 each time you take the test.
The kids are enjoying summer. This is the first year they are not going to summer school. There has been a change in plans and Noelle will not be going to Australia after all this summer. This seems to be a good thing since she got back late last night (about 1:30 this morning) from spending the week in Mississippi with her church group. They left Saturday and spent the week helping with vacation bible school and visiting some men and women's group homes to share the word of God. She said that by Tuesday morning she was crying missing us and said that two weeks would be too long to be away and she is glad she is staying home.
I start orientation on the telemetry (heart) floor this next week. The whole orientation last about four months. I am a bit overwhelmed knowing that I have EKG, basic heart monitoring and ACLS classes coming up while trying to study for my boards at the same time. I have been doing so much praying that I'm sure God is thinking "her again"! No, I know that I can never turn to him too much.
Michael is going to soccer camp this summer. It is two nights a week through June and July. He went for the first time last week and was the only boy. He loved it and is looking forward to being able to use the skills he learns in the fall for his games. He played this spring and his team won two, tied one and lost three. Much better than last fall. He has a doctors appointment tomorrow at Children's Mercy for his skin. It had not been so bad this winter, but he is really having some issues now. I'm sure that part of it is the mold count due to all of the rain we have been having. We are going to talk to them about doing allergy testing. We had discussed it before, but they didn't feel it was necessary. I'm going to insist this time. With eczema there tend to be food allergies.
Noelle is looking forward to starting middle school in the fall and having a locker. I am not. It's hard to believe she is 11 and ready for lockers and those kinds of things. Every time I say that, my dad says "think how I feel when I think how old you are". The last time he mentioned that, he felt the need to say "soon you will be 40!". I didn't think he needed to mention that. I am planning on taking her to Chicago before school starts. She wants to go to the American Girl store and I want to take her shopping for something special for her first day of school. More than anything, I just want to spend some one on one time with her. She has grown up so much in the last few years. With being in school two times in the last three, I have missed a lot. I know it won't make up for lost time, but I feel it will help to lay the important foundation needed for open communication in the years to come.
Today the kids and I are watching Jack and Riley. I can't believe how big they have gotten! We took them to McDonald's and the boys shoveled food in like they had never eaten before. They actually ate their french fries as opposed to Noelle who would tear them in half, suck out the potato and hand back the skin. They both love Noelle and Michael so much. Jack tends to gravitate towards Michael, who is of course a clown, because he is always doing something to make Jack laugh. Riley loves Noelle and if she puts him down or leaves the room he scrunches up his face and does a pretend little "if you leave I'm going to really scream loud" expression. I have taken a few pictures today and will get them posted hopefully tomorrow.
I guess that's it for now. I let everyone know what we find out tomorrow.
I graduated!!! Hard to believe it's over, but it is. Now, there is just the "big test" to take. My work paid for a "Kaplan" course that helps you prepare for taking boards. For me, it was more confusing. The instructor taught us a way to break down the question to help decide the answer. However, the answer that they wanted at times seemed to go against the things taught in school. I have been taking practice test after practice test. Some I pass and some I don't. I don't have my board test scheduled yet. I have to first get my "authorization to test" from the state of Missouri and then schedule the test itself. I have 90 days from graduation to take it. While I'm not going to wait the 90 days, I'm not going to take it until I feel more confidant. Besides, it costs $200 each time you take the test.
The kids are enjoying summer. This is the first year they are not going to summer school. There has been a change in plans and Noelle will not be going to Australia after all this summer. This seems to be a good thing since she got back late last night (about 1:30 this morning) from spending the week in Mississippi with her church group. They left Saturday and spent the week helping with vacation bible school and visiting some men and women's group homes to share the word of God. She said that by Tuesday morning she was crying missing us and said that two weeks would be too long to be away and she is glad she is staying home.
I start orientation on the telemetry (heart) floor this next week. The whole orientation last about four months. I am a bit overwhelmed knowing that I have EKG, basic heart monitoring and ACLS classes coming up while trying to study for my boards at the same time. I have been doing so much praying that I'm sure God is thinking "her again"! No, I know that I can never turn to him too much.
Michael is going to soccer camp this summer. It is two nights a week through June and July. He went for the first time last week and was the only boy. He loved it and is looking forward to being able to use the skills he learns in the fall for his games. He played this spring and his team won two, tied one and lost three. Much better than last fall. He has a doctors appointment tomorrow at Children's Mercy for his skin. It had not been so bad this winter, but he is really having some issues now. I'm sure that part of it is the mold count due to all of the rain we have been having. We are going to talk to them about doing allergy testing. We had discussed it before, but they didn't feel it was necessary. I'm going to insist this time. With eczema there tend to be food allergies.
Noelle is looking forward to starting middle school in the fall and having a locker. I am not. It's hard to believe she is 11 and ready for lockers and those kinds of things. Every time I say that, my dad says "think how I feel when I think how old you are". The last time he mentioned that, he felt the need to say "soon you will be 40!". I didn't think he needed to mention that. I am planning on taking her to Chicago before school starts. She wants to go to the American Girl store and I want to take her shopping for something special for her first day of school. More than anything, I just want to spend some one on one time with her. She has grown up so much in the last few years. With being in school two times in the last three, I have missed a lot. I know it won't make up for lost time, but I feel it will help to lay the important foundation needed for open communication in the years to come.
Today the kids and I are watching Jack and Riley. I can't believe how big they have gotten! We took them to McDonald's and the boys shoveled food in like they had never eaten before. They actually ate their french fries as opposed to Noelle who would tear them in half, suck out the potato and hand back the skin. They both love Noelle and Michael so much. Jack tends to gravitate towards Michael, who is of course a clown, because he is always doing something to make Jack laugh. Riley loves Noelle and if she puts him down or leaves the room he scrunches up his face and does a pretend little "if you leave I'm going to really scream loud" expression. I have taken a few pictures today and will get them posted hopefully tomorrow.
I guess that's it for now. I let everyone know what we find out tomorrow.
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