Weeks 1-4 of Semester 6

The first few weeks have flown by.  I wanted to write updates, but I was so stressed out!

No Sleep For The Weary
The general gist is that the community nursing semester is front-loaded with readings.  Every course had chapters and chapters to read, articles to read... it seemed endless.  I got so overwhelmed that I couldn't fall asleep at night.

One night, I was awake until 4:30 am worrying about how I was going to finish all of my work on time.  When I woke up for my 8:30 am class the next day, I went through the usual routine of getting ready for school.  After I was done getting ready, I walked to my bed, laid down, and fell asleep.

I felt terrible for missing my first class, but I didn't have the energy to stay awake.  I woke up instead to go to the second class, and made it through the day with a cup of coffee.  I don't usually drink coffee, but I have started to need a cup after the morning class in order to stay awake for the second class.

Last week, I had 3 papers due and a quiz.  It was a rush trying to get it all done, but I survived.  Along the way, I picked up a new good habit: exercising.

Exercise Improves Sleep 
I wrote a paper on how stress affects sleep in college students.  All the articles I read said that exercise could help a person manage their stress better, manage their emotions better, and sleep better too.  I didn't really want to exercise, but I really wanted to sleep at night.

That evening, I devised a way to balance my book on the exercise bike, and did my readings while biking.  One hour later, I had finished reading my articles and exercised for an hour.  Then I tucked myself into bed, did 100 (lousy) crunches and actually fell asleep.  It was amazing.

I think the best part is that I had to sit around and read anyways.  It was really nice that I got my exercising and my homework done at the same time.  I felt a sense of success and I was really impressed that I had actually exercised for an hour (without really even noticing it).  It was like exercising in my sleep or something.

So now I sleep better, feel better, and I seem to focus better while reading on the bike too.  When I get stressed out, I just bike faster  :P

I am going to try to keep this up.  I try to exercise a lot, but I'm not very successful.  Maybe I will succeed this time because I am exercising without actually trying to exercise.  Seriously, my legs keep pedaling the bike, but I'm really more focused on trying to read my textbook.  It's a good thing  :)

First Interview
I had my first employed student nurse interview.  I wish I could tell you that I did a fabulous job and that I came across as amazing, but I am honestly not sure.  I felt like I could have been better prepared though, so here is something I compiled for you from internet sources on common nursing interview questions.  These are things I wish I had thought of ahead of time  :)

If you ever go to a employed student nurse interview, here are some questions you should think of ahead of time.

1. Why should we hire you over the other candidates? 
2. Describe a conflict situation and how you handled it? 
3. Why do you want to become a nurse?
4. Describe a memorable clinical experience and why you liked it.
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
6. Tell us what you know about our company's mission, vision, and values.
7. Tell us about yourself.
8. What area of nursing would you be most interested in working in?
9. What do you know about this position?
10. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
11. Tell us what you know about the difference between registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and care aides?
12. Tell us what you know about the difference between working as an employed student nurse and working as a student nurse in clinical.
13. Share one experience where you felt you did a great job and felt self satisfied?
14. Tell us about what you know about the scope of practice for employed student nurses.
15. Why do you want to work here?
16. What is your idea of a good workplace environment?

You should also be prepared for questions where they give you a scenario and you have to answer how you would respond in that scenario.  You can't really prepare for those, but they often related to things like stress management, conflict resolution, scope of practice, and difficult patients or staff.

I also liked some of the questions posted here on good questions to ask the interviewers.

Human Perspective

After my interview, I wandered outside a bit lost.  I saw a street person standing there and I somehow ended up starting a conversation with him.  I told him about my interview and how I wasn't sure it went so well.  He was really nice and we both just chat.  He told me about living downtown, how his motel smelled like urine, and how he hated sharing bathrooms with the other residents.  We talked about income assistance, the possible new government-assisted homes being built for homeless people... it was just a neat, random conversation.

It gave me a bit of perspective.  

I don't know why, but I didn't feel so bad about the interview anymore after that.  I felt good.  I liked talking to that person, and I felt like I was on the right path whether I got the job or not.  I would be caring for people just like him one day, and I was happy about that.  He was human and he was kind to me, even though other people were not always so kind to him.

So, it all worked out.  The reading load is getting a bit more manageable, I had my first interview, and I started exercising.  I think that's not too bad.

I hope you have a good week  :)