Feb. 04, 2011
2011 is here, and that means a fresh start for a new year and a new semester—and my last semester at USM, too.

For my last semester at Saint Mary, I will be taking three classes. Those classes include Mental Health, Leadership Roles in Nursing, and Community Health.

When you are in nursing school, you do clinical hours and this semester we are everywhere around the Kansas City area.

Some sites include the Lansing prison, local schools, KU Med Center, Operation Breakthrough, hospice visits, and much more. I’m going to make the most of this semester since this is my last one.

I plan to enjoy each day that I’m here because I’m sure this semester will go by fast and before you know it, I will be walking across the stage and receiving my diploma.

Dec. 17, 2010
The End of the Semester
Another semester has come and gone here at the University of Saint Mary and it went by fast!

This was a stressful a semester for me and everybody else in the Saint Mary nursing program.

There were a lot classes and material covered over the past four months.

Now that it is over we can take a breather and relax now that we are on break.  As for me, my plans for break are to work and also complete my Senior Clinical Practicum hours.

The nursing program has allowed us to choose if we wish to get our hours in over winter break. We are assigned to a nurse and we follow that nurse around, doing patient care work. We have to get 90 hours completed before we come back for the Spring semester. 

Ultimately, we break from the clinical instructor and instead, we have a preceptor who chooses to be with a student nurse. We are starting to develop our own autonomy in our care.

The hospital where I will be at for my practicum is Children’s Mercy Hospital, in the Operating Room. This should be a good clinical experience for me since I want to work with a pediatric population when I graduate and have considered working in the O.R. I will get to test the waters and see how I like it and determine if that is right the place for me.

It should be a good relaxing break and I’m looking forward to coming back in the spring for my last semester!

I hope everybody has a fantastic Christmas and New Year!

Nov. 12, 2010
Fall is officially here! Winter will soon be coming and this past semester has flown by. I can’t believe it is already November and the countdown to Thanksgiving break has begun.

We have many tests coming up in the nursing department involving our core three classes: Complex Care, Women’s Health & Maternity, and Pediatrics. They’re all crucial to the class. Not only do we have internal tests but we have external tests coming up as well. These external tests will reflect on how well we are progressing towards scoring on the NCLEX exam. The NCLEX test is what we take after nursing school to obtain our license.

We have a couple things coming up in the nursing department that will enhance our chances of getting a job. We are currently working on our professional portfolios, which we will take with us to our interviews and will be a part of our interview presentation.

As part of this career training, we will have mock interviews in one of our classes, teaming up with other students in the class as we hone our interviewing skills. We will act as though it’s the real thing and practice how we would respond if we were in an interview with a hospital or other health care facility.

Everything is quite busy right now, but I can see an exciting conclusion coming and it will be upon us very very soon.

A Fast Semester…

The fall semester has been going by so fast here at the University of Saint Mary.  Fall break is just right around the corner and I can’t wait!

My days have been filled with studying, classes, and clinicals as a University of Saint Mary nursing student. I finished my pediatrics rotation just a week ago and will be starting my OB clinical the following week. It will be a different environment for me, but I have an open mind and will learn even more.

Being an active member of the NSNA (National Student Nurses Association) here at the University of Saint Mary, we have some activities going on. We are collecting hand sanitizer for the Leavenworth community will distribute them throughout the community once we get enough. You can look for the boxes with the colorful hands scattered around the campus if you do wish to contribute. This is an awareness activity to let the community know about the flu and proper hand hygiene.

Hope everybody else is having a great fall semester!

This semester will be a full load, and since I’m a nursing student, not only do I have classes to attend but I have clinicals as well.

I’m going through three rotations this semester consisting of Pediatrics, OB, and Complex Care. The last one is a more advanced med-surg clinical where you see a little bit of everything.

It is looking to be a very crammed workload, filled with tests, projects, and presentations. I’m sure it’s possible to get through it by just taking it one step and day at a time. Nursing school takes up a lot of your time and can be very demanding. All of my instructors agree that you have to use your critical thinking skills.

The nursing program at the University of Saint Mary is outstanding and I would recommend it to anybody who is considering a career with the intent of obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. All the instructors, faculty, and staff I have met on the campus have been extremely professional, approachable, and interested in my own personal success.

Sept. 3, 2010

It’s back to another school year here at the University of Saint Mary.

Summer break was fantastic and it was just what I needed. I got a lot accomplished and kept busy during the whole summer.

Some of the many things I did during the summer included getting my 2nd-degree black belt in kenpo karate, obtaining a job at Children’s Mercy Hospital, going to the Lake of the Ozarks, cliff jumping, and getting some surgery done (not related to cliff jumping!) So my summer was very packed with various activities.

This upcoming school year should be my last, as I’m entering my senior year. I hope to make the most of it since this will be my final year before I have to face the real world out on my own. I want to strive towards excellence and maintain the friendships I have made at Saint Mary and hope to make new ones as well.

Now it’s time to hit the books and get back to the busy college life of a nursing school student!

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