Beautiful nursing quote

Nursing is an art;
and if it is to be made an art,
it requires as exclusive a devotion,
as hard a preparation,
as any painter's or sculptor's work;

for what is the having to do with
dead canvas or cold marble,
compared with having to do with the
living body - the temple of God's spirit?

It is one of the Fine Arts;
I had almost said
the finest of the Fine Arts

- Florence Nightingale

allnurses.com

After several months of extensive reading, I am now an officially registered member on allnurses.com.  This is a forum for nurses, by nurses...it is very inclusive, having discussion areas for pre-nursing students, current students, newly-graduated nurses, international nurses (this is where you'll find the Canadian nurses section!), nursing humour discussions, etc. etc.  It truly spans the range of 'nursing'.

It is a very dynamic on-line community, with approx. 5,000 users reading it at any given time, and having almost half a million registered users.  In the past month or so, there seems to be an over-whelming negative tone to many of the posts (hey, it is a place where nurses come to vent, but it was somewhat more negative than before -- others remarked on this too).  So much so that it was making me start to question the wisdom of leaving my current career to embark on this new journey.  However, as more people picked up on this negative trend, others made an effort to start posting about why they love nursing and how grateful they are to have chosen it as their career.  The site is also overwhelmingly supportive of 'second career' nurses, and people merely wondering if they're too old to start a career in nursing.

Perhaps in part thanks to my years of work experience, I am realistic enough to know that there is no such thing as a 'perfect' career or job.  Everywhere, in every situation, there will be moments of doing things one doesn't particularly enjoy (long meetings, in my current job!), but that it is important to look at the big picture.  If there are more enjoyable moments than non-so enjoyable moments, then that is good.  And most importantly, if one leaves work at the end of the day (or shift), and feels a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction in something that was done that day, then that is an excellent sign that the job is a good fit.

On the acceptance front, I am still waiting.  My university is still accepting applications, so no decisions are being made until early April.  In early February, some people on allnurses.com were saying that they're received their acceptances to Georgian, George Brown, Centennial College and a few other schools, for the BScN program for the fall.  This (of course!) made me a bit worried that I was missing the early acceptance curve, but this is not the case.  Early April is the soonest I can realistically expect to hear anything from my school of choice.

I have had a horrible week, fighting some nasty virus.  I am back at work today, as I have some energy back and am generally feeling better.  However, I wonder if my colleagues didn't wish I was still at home, as I am most certainly annoying everyone with my relentless coughing.  I wasn't back in my chair for 10 minutes, when my boss trotted over offering me a cough drop.  I assured her I came well supplied with them!  I will do them a 'favour' and leave for a one week vacation in a few days, to much warmer climes and white sand beaches....ahhhhh.....

I'll be back on my blog by late February!

Sorry about the lack of posts lately

I'm still in waiting mode, and much less so in 'career change indecision and panic' mode (the latter is a good thing...very good, in fact!)

Hopefully I'll have a reply between now and mid-March, but mid-March is when the school indicates that decisions are made. 

And I promise that this site will become a whole lot more interesting over the next four years, as I gleefully write about all my experiences in nursing school (I promise to leave out the gory bits, Trish, or at least post a warning header that 'content may be not be much appreciated by non-medically-interested types'!)  LOL!!!

Snippet of wisdom

I came across this random thought recently....as I wait (and wait, and wait) to hear the university admission committee's decision (mid-March has never seemed so far away!), this snippet of wisdom makes me feel good.

"Be careful of what you wish for, not just because you might get it, but because in the wishing, you may reinforce its absence in your life.

Better to give a great, big "Yeehaa!  Thank you!  Whoohooo!" in advance for having already received it, and act as if you already have."

I can certainly do that!!!

:-)

Waiting & fighting a cold bug

Not much to report, on either the university admissions front, or the agonizing over leaving my established, secure career front.  Lol!  My guess if I'll find out starting mid-March, as the university site says (but I can't but be optimistic that it may happen earlier -- here's to hoping!)

On that latter point, I should say that either way that my life unfolds in September (new career or keep working), a major work-life balance change will be happening. 

If I am in a situation where I have to stay in my current career, then I am seriously scaling back my working hours, to three days a week, or even two, if I am allowed to do it.  We have three young children who are growing up (too) fast, and I simply need to be home more, and to not be stressed and rushed when we're home as a family (and I should probably add, that if my dream comes true, and I am working as an RN one day, all I aspire to work is part-time hours). 

I never claimed to be, nor aspired to be a multi-tasking, uber-organized, type-A stereotypical super woman/mom.  Rather, I am more the laid-back, not too keen on planning, spontaneously enjoying life as it comes-type woman.  And right now, spending so many hours a week commuting and in the office, I am not enjoying life as it comes, and my children and dear husband are not fully enjoying life as it comes, as they could, and should, be.

Here's to positive change!  (Oh yes, and GRATITUDE!!!)  ;-)

Future RN

In the stars

As I was reading the paper recently, my eye caught the horoscope section.  I read it, for once, and it intrigued me.  It was actually "bang-on" -- however, it could apply to just about any day since last October, when I submitted my application to nursing school, to change careers.

"Deep in your heart, there's profound misgiving.  Even deeper in your heart, there's a sense of absolute certainty about the same matter.  You feel torn between an urge to alter everything and a strong yearning to continue exactly as you are.  These contradictory impulses can't both be valid, can they?  In a funny way, they can.  It's right for you to do what you are doing.  It's also right for you to be unsure about it.  Without an awkward inner dilemma, there would be no sensitivity, no sanity and, ultimately, no success."

Here's to sensitivity, sanity and success!!!

And to GRATITUDE!!!

:-)

"Golden Handcuffs" no more - a complete change of perspective

I had a "moment" last evening, which really made me realize I've been looking at my career-change situation from the wrong perspective (just to clarify, by 'situation', I refer to the difficulty I'm having letting myself leave a good job, in a career that I've worked hard to be where I currently am, and one that provides good salary, benefits, and is secure, and that has great future potential for climbing the corporate ladder further -- but also one that is making me feel dead inside).  (And I should add, for a so-called "communications professional", who writes a lot for a living, that is a horrid run-on sentence!!!)  :-)

I've refered to this situation as being caught in the "golden handcuffs".  Other times I've lamented that it would be so simple to change careers if it were forced on me, by a layoff, for example.  It is just hard to quit something known and secure.

So last night, I realized that my perspective was all wrong. 

Instead of complaining how hard it is, I need to develop GRATITUDE for the situation.  I need to be GRATEFUL that I have a well-paying, secure, mid-level career job, and one that lets me work with intelligent and friendly colleagues whom I like.  I need to be GRATEFUL to be in a position where I am able to be in charge of my destiny and choices, rather than have them made for me.  I have to be GRATEFUL to be in a financial situation that allows me the priviledge to be able to leave my career to go live my dream and my passion.  I have to be GRATEFUL that I have a husband who understands the value of loving one's career and who is 100,000,000% supportive of my desire to change careers and fulfil my career dream.

That is where I am now at.  I am grateful to be able to undertake this change. 

Extremely grateful.

GRATITUDE is where it is at.