Still smiling

Yes, still smiling (although I thought I was starting to drool a few days ago...scroll down and look at the cartoon from a few days ago, if you have no idea what I'm talking about!)

After a few days of nervous waiting, I did find a "S" beside my name, as in a "satisfactory" result for my practical lab exam.  WHEW.  That's one less thing to worry about.

Tomorrow I have my first midterm exam.  The school has condensed learning experiences, so we basically cram all the information in one semester into a half semester, so everything is sooner.  The midterm exam is tomorrow, and the final will be in mid-October.  Then pediatrics is finished, and we move on to maternity.  I like that its so focused and concentrated, but wow, is it ever a lot of work and clinical shifts.

Speaking of clinical shifts, I had t-h-e best pediatric shift ever, on Friday.  Not that I did anything more complicated, it was a difference in my approach and confidence.  I felt that I almost knew what was going on in the unit, where the important stuff was, how to work the monitors and other various equipment and stuff like that.  It was almost a day-night difference in my approach. 

The 8 hours flew by, and before I knew it, I had to leave.  I didn't want to.  But I did, with a bounce in my step, a huge smile on my face, and a feeling of accomplishment and having done something useful, like never once in my first career.  This is a sign of things to come for the rest of my career.  I am thrilled.  I got home, chatted with my son, got laundry (scrubs!) going and went for a run...all that after I'd been awake since 4:45 am...and I am NOT a morning person.  Incredible.

But back to the academic reality now.  Apart from my exam tomorrow, I also have to do a pediatrics quiz that is part of my final mark, prepare for an upcoming lab for Tuesday, but the quiz for that prep needs to be done today, try to start my care plan, prepare a brief talk on complementary therapies for Tuesday morning and keep working on my ethical dilemma paper.  Did I mention that this is a busy year???  Last night I was feeling a bit sorry for myself with all this work on my shoulders, when I could have just simply stayed in my first career, and had weekends mostly free.  But then I just thought about Friday's great shift, and its all worth it.  I am ready for school to be over, but it is worth it...and school cannot be over yet, as I still have so much to learn!!!

To top it off, my hubby is away this weekend, which leaves me as the parent in charge of the kids all weekend.  It is such a beautiful fall weekend, sunny skies and warm temperatures -- the kinds of weekend that literally begs you to spend it outside.  But here I am, nose mostly in a book and the kids mostly entertaining themselves.  They're such great kids -- they built a huge fort yesterday and did various crafts in it.  Now they are "helping" me by watching TV -- they are more than happy to help me that way!  Lol!!!

OK, back to the books...this too shall pass...

;-)