I haven't posted in almost a year... oops!
Nursing school has been my life for the past year. What can I say?
With my school coming to a close in December, I have been doing a lot of thinking about where my life is going now. I will be taking my final exam for my nursing degree December 14th, walking in the pinning ceremony December 17th, and sitting for the NCLEX boards sometime in February most likely. For whatever reason, the test is not available to be taken in January. This means I have a lot of decisions to make soon, and I have to start applying for nursing jobs sometime in the next little while as well.
Decisions:
-- Where do I want to live? I am considering moving as I am sick of Illinois, and think that this would be the perfect time in my life to move as I do not have a family to uproot with me, etc. There would also be a greater potential for future educational advencements somewhere else. I am considering Houston, TX as I have family there, warmer weather is AWESOME, cost of living is lower, the HUGE Texas Medical Center is there, and there are many schools affiliated with the various hospitals there that could be connections for education and career advancement.
-- What kind of nursing do I want to do for a career? I love ER nursing, pediatrics, surgical, and mother / baby. In general, nursing students are told they MUST start out in general medical / surgical nursing to gain general knowledge and get used to being a nurse. My thing is: I don't want to do medical / surgical nursing as a career, so why would I want to start my nursing career in a field I don't particularly enjoy in the vast world of medicine?
The big one I have been focusing on is whether I want to move or not. I have lived in Illinois since I was 3 and a half years old. I went away to school in Wisconsin for about 18 mos. but that doens't really count. I would love to experience something completely new and different in my life and force myself out of my comfort zone to grow as a person and truly experience life. Thing is though - I'm terrified at the thought of it. One of my big fears related to it is about medical care. The Texas Medical Center has some of the greatest doctors anywhere, but I love my doctors here so much. I am so afraid of not being able to find doctors there that I like and have a true connection with. It's funny: I am not scared of not knowing anyone, not knowing the city, not liking it there, any of that. I am scared of something that really I shouldn't be afraid of. Why would I be worried about finding good medical care in one of the best cities for healthcare in the world?
My daughter is 3 years old and recently diagnosed with Type one. The reason I am commenting on this post is the med/surg rotation. My wife is an RN and works in the NICU, she has also been an OR nurse. When she started nursing she did two years of Med/surg and while she did not like the work, she swears it made her a much better nurse because she was exposed to a little bit of everything. Her advice to new nurses is to start in med/surg in a busy hospital and go from there. Good luck with your nursing career.
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Jackie
I vote for moving to Texas!!
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