Where has the time gone??......

Wow.....I can't believe I haven't posted since October! 

This week marks the end of my preceptorship. I have achieved my IV, Venepuncture, Blood Transfusion and NG insertion competencies during this time. 

Also....probabation is up at work and I'm staying put! Haha! Still loving my job and feeling more and more confident in myself and my abilities. Gastro nursing is definitely my niche! 

Life at home is good....we had a fab Christmas....All together for the main 2 days! I was very lucky shift wise! 

Kids and hubby are happy and well....life is settling down nicely! We are managing to save some money each month now that there are 2 wages coming in, so hopefully this year we can work our way through the house and make it all pretty! :) 

7 Weeks Post Graduation......

Life is beginning to settle down. Work is going well and I'm beginning to manage my time better with each passing shift. I even managed to take my break yesterday and came out of work on time! ;-)

Friendships made during my time at uni seem to be fading out! However, I have managed to keep in touch with one of my friends, who is working in a community post, and it's nice to catch up and share our new experiences.

It's hard to believe I now get paid for doing a job I love..... Getting my first pay slip last week was a very surreal moment! Pursuing this career has improved our quality of life no end! We are now able to enjoy our times together as a family and make an effort to have a 'family fun day' every couple of weeks! :)

Next week I have to do an IV drug calculation exam followed by an IV study day in a few weeks. I am so looking forward to completing this as it is going to make things at work much easier as I won't need to chase after busy nurses to put up my IV's for me! ;-)

Time is still whizzing by....but for today, I am going to enjoy my day off (Sunday shift tomorrow!) with the family! :)

One Month Qualified......

Since my last post, I've been on the ward for 4 weeks as a fully qualified staff nurse.....and I am loving every minute! So happy to be on the ward that I spent my management placement on....it has really helped me to feel accepted as part of the team and I am being so well supported. Every day is a learning experience..... I am beginning to feel like I am finding my feet and managing my time well. I ask so many questions every day.....and I'm sure I will still be doing this in the months and years to come as healthcare is ever changing!

I put my blue uniform on and I feel so proud....when someone addresses me as 'staff nurse' I feel proud....when others ask what I do for a living and I tell them I'm a nurse working for the NHS.....I feel proud.....this is the best and most rewarding career path I can imagine.....and so worth all the hard work over the last 4 years!

Last week was graduation! I was so nervous about going and having to walk across the platform to receive my certificate in front of so many people, but I survived and am so glad I went as it was an experience to remember! It was great being with friends and family celebrating our success! :)

As a family, we are settling into our new routines....hubby has been great cooking meals as the shifts I work are 13 hours.....the kids have settled back into school/college/work....and we are all enjoying the fact that as I work 13hr shifts, I have 4 days off every week! The perfect balance for us all! Life is good! :) :)

7 Days Until Life Begins As A Staff Nurse.......

Uni have published the final grades and classifications, so it's official I'm graduating with a 2:1! Graduation and gown all booked ready for the 4th September!

Looking forward, it's not long now until I will be on the Trust Induction, in 7 days time to be exact. I'm eager and excited but the nerves are creeping in! Yesterday I recieved an email asking me to complete some pre-learning modules on the Trust Training Tracker. Decided to crack on with it today and 7 hours and 21 modules later I am finally finished!! Have printed off all the certificates (told you I was eager!) just incase the system doesn't save the results! ;-)

Anyway, the plan for the next week is to enjoy some family time as hubby has the week off. Our holiday to Majorca feels like a life time ago already! I think we will have to start planning next summers holiday soon! :)

Below is a ditti that a Nurses group tweeted me a few months ago.....never has it felt more real! :) :) :)

Still not the end of uni paperwork..............

Today I have written:

• Final placement assessment (ready for mentor sign off meeting this week)
• End of year 3 review.
• Action plan for 6 months post qualifying.

Still have to do 4 or 5 reflections!

This really is the last push.....tying up all the loose ends ready for my final Academic Advisor sign off meeting on 6th July! Can not wait to have this all done and dusted so I can apply for my NMC pin!! 

7 Shifts Left.....

It's been a week since results day and I think reality is finally starting to sink in! All that I have left to do is paperwork for my portfolio.... I have set Saturday aside to do this! I have a couple of reflections to write up too :/

Placement is still going brilliantly.....totally feel part of the team! Am regularly taking my own patients and am starting to believe I can really do this! So so happy! :)

3 weeks till we head off to Majorca.....cases ready, passports ready and euros purchased! So excited to spend some time with hubby and kiddo's.....going to appreciate every moment!

I Did It!!

Well I never got round to posting my results on Monday......this is due to the fact that I spent most of the day in a daze!

I am thrilled, ecstatic, over-joyed and proud to say that I passed everything!

• Consolidation - B
• PIP 3 - B
• Dissertation - B+

So overall, I will be rewarded with a BSc (Hons) with a 2:1.

3% off a 1st....but I'm happy! 10 years ago I would never have believed I could have achieved this at the age of 37, in a million years! 

So, for now I have 11 shifts left on placement, paperwork to hand in, then to apply for my pin and start work on 17th August as a fully qualified staff nurse!

So excited for my future.....can not wait to start wearing Blue!!

All my close friends have also passed so will be beginning their journey as staff nurses too! Between us we have had many laughs and as many tears along the way....but we've been there for one another and enjoyed all the highs as well as the lows! I wouldn't change a thing! :)

My hubby, kids, family and friends are all thrilled with my achievements and without wanting to sound as though I'm giving an oscar speech, I really couldn't have come this far without them! They've supported me the whole way through and always shown patience and encouragement.....I'm one very lucky lady! :) :) :)

**** So I've been questioning whether to continue with this blog or not??? I think I may tweak the title a little and carry on as I've loved keeping this diary of events, I've loved looking back and remembering all the experiences of the last 3 years! :) Let's see what the next 3 years brings! :)