So. March came and went, another month of 2010 over. Just like that. I feel like I blinked and it was already April. Probably because the past few weeks of school have been a marathon -- I've really had to pace myself in order to get through the mess of exams, projects, presentations, and other miscellaneous assignments. But next week is the last week of this semester! Three out of four semesters, nearly complete. I have 2 more exams and one more presentation to wrap up this semester, and then it's on to my final 14 weeks! My classes will include Public Health, and my clinical experience in St. Croix will tie in with that course, and a "special topics" class (which I have yet to find out the actual topic... could be fetal surveillance or global health). My "Transitions" class also begins, which corresponds to my final clinical experience which I will be completing in Denver, Colorado. Have I mentioned that? Hmm... I don't know if I have or not! Well, briefly -- my final 7 weeks of the program (June 6-July 22) I will be living in Denver with one of my closest friends from UCLA, working at a hospital under the supervision of a nurse "preceptor." Basically, I shadow her on all her weekly shifts (I could even work nights, if that's her shift!) and over the course of the 7 weeks, I will slowly "transition" to complete autonomy as a nurse! It gives us an opportunity to have 1-on-1 guidance to prepare us for the demands of our future role and responsibilities as RNs. It will be a great learning experience, and I'm really looking forward to it! I haven't found out yet what unit I'll be working on, but I will be sure to share that information when I hear from the course coordinator (hopefully soon... it's not that far away....) So that's the final wrap-up of this whirlwind 13.5-month program. I've already finished 10 months.... the end is in sight... then I can work and get clinical experience for a year and a half in Utah before applying to their Nurse Midwife/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program! I recently learned that I can get a dual-master's degree, becoming both a midwife AND a WHNP, which is a DNP program -- I'll be a "Dr." after all! That option will provide ENDLESS opportunities for me, and it's only 3 years... if I didn't think that getting experience was so critical to my success once I graduate from that program, I would apply to start next year... but I'm trying to take it slow. No need to rush! But I am EXTREMELY excited for that next step in my education... I've already been in contact with the program director, and I'll meet with her once I've moved back to Salt Lake, to make sure that I will be adequately prepared and that my application will be well-qualified during the review process. But... the first hurdle I have to overcome is finding a JOB. I plan to return to Utah in a few weeks to meet with nurse recruiters about future job opportunities for new grad RNs (it's slim-pickings these days for new grads, unfortunately, due to the state of our economy...) Actually, let me address this problem really fast. Most people are surprised to hear that there are very limited jobs open for new graduates, because people hear about "nursing shortages" -- SO. to clarify: there IS a nursing shortage, but because of the economy, many retired/part-time nurses are applying for full-time positions, leaving us new grad RNs out of the application pool because hospitals would rather not have to orient/train us (which is expensive) when they can hire experienced nurses. Frustrating. Our instructors/professors reassure us that this will change... eventually... as soon as the economy shifts, basically. But I'm exhausting my resources, and hopefully meeting with these nurse recruiters next month will translate into something.... aka a position on their L&D unit. We'll just have to wait and see. I wish the only things I had to worry/stress about were related to completing assignments or studying for exams, but I have to try to coordinate my life in Utah while I'm stuck 2,000 miles from where I need to be managing it. Just a tad bit complicated. It's all coming together though... I've sought out ample support from the Lord on this one, and I know that He's helping to guide me through this process.
In order to find balance amidst this mess of uncertainty, I've been trying to find outlets and ways to spend my time that allow me to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings on the east coast. This past weekend I was able to travel up to Pennsylvania to visit one of my mom's friends, Rikki, who lives in the countryside near Lancaster (Amish country). I was SO grateful to have a car and make the 1.5 hour drive north through the rolling hills of the green Pennsylvania farmland, and remind myself of what the east coast truly looks like. I spent Saturday and Sunday morning with Rikki at her home, a peaceful and serene slice of heaven for me in contrast to my life in the city of Baltimore. I was able to help her with the menagerie of animals she and her husband care for on their property, including 15 peacocks, 5 deer, 3 horses, 2 cats, and a charming dog named Betty Bird. It was exactly what I needed to recharge for these upcoming 2 months that I have left in this city. Aside from that escape, I was able to stay at my friend Rachael's house in Reisterstown (a suburb of Baltimore) last week, and participated in their seder dinner for Passover. Quite a neat experience, and I very much appreciated her parents and their hospitality as they welcomed me into their home and their service (which I was asked to participate in, so interesting!) I also made a trip down to DC with another friend, Dara, to experience the beauty of the Cherry Blossom Festival -- I'll be sure to post pictures below.
As much as I have loved the experience of living on the east coast, I'm quite ready to return to life out west. I'll definitely miss the weekend trips to New York though.... I think I need to squeeze in one more city adventure before I leave :] Well, the sun is out and shining brilliantly, I think that means I should take advantage and add some color back to my cheeks! Maybe do some "hot" yoga outside today... mmm that would be lovely. Wouldn't even need a heater! haha. Take care all! Namaste [:
[pretty peacock]
[Clydesdales - the true "gentle giants"]
[Julie the Deer loved my camera]
[my new favorite flower: daffodil]
[Amish horse & buggy]
[cherry blossoms]
[cherry blossoms with the Jefferson Memorial in the background]
side note: I think I finally figured out what an "apricot tree" might look like -- don't those cherry blossoms look like little tufts of popcorn? ;)
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