New Beginnings (and not the Young Women type)

After 2 1/2 months of applying to nursing positions and hearing NOTHING, I got two interviews this past week and was offered a position at each site. I accepted the position at Franciscan Hospital for Children in the pediatric rehabilitation and pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation units. I begin orientation on April 23rd and am excited (and maybe a little scared) to begin my new career as a registered nurse. Whoo hoo!

NCLEX

This week I took the national nurse licensing exam. It was awful. During the exam there were multiple times that I had to stop myself, refocus, say a little prayer and then forge ahead. I felt like a deer in the headlights and wondered where everything I had learned the past year had gone. My mind seemed to stop working and I had a hard time recalling the most basic information. When I walked out of the exam, I felt sure that I had failed. I was anxious and frustrated. Sometimes even mad. I had two days of agonized waiting to endure until I could pay to get the "quick results". (I am not the best at waiting and I have a bit of an anxiety problem that David can attest to.) Then today the quick results were available. My heart was beating out of my chest as I paid the fee and waited for the computer screen to display my unofficial results. And then it was there, Grade: PASS. Tears streamed down my face and I said a prayer of thanks. What a relief! Now on to the job hunt.