The light at the end of the tunnel is NOT an oncoming train…

… it IS, in fact, the end of the semester. Two more “real” clinical days, then that wonderful “evaluation” day (translation: get your evaluation and give the nurses goodies, then go home obscenely early), no more required classes… and a final. Savor this moment: We are almost halfway done our nursing school. It feels really, really good. Just imagine what it’s going to feel like NEXT YEAR at this time.

I’ll close with a good suggestion from my sister’s NCLEX blog: “If you’re struggling with school and especially with clinicals, it’s important to remember all the things you do RIGHT. A clinical instructor once gave me this tip: buy a notebook (a composition notebook is best, so it won’t have a spiral to degrade and snag on your uniform) and write down everything you do right as a student nurse. Did you pick up on the beginning of skin breakdown? Write it in the notebook. Patient compliment you on your teaching? In the notebook. Ace an especially difficult test? In the notebook it goes. When you graduate, you can use the notebook to review the development of your skills, and remember how far you’ve come. And don’t stop using the notebook after you pass that NCLEX…there will be days in your life as a nurse you’ll want to have some instant encouragement. C’mon, what are you waiting for? Go get that notebook!”