week 1 = done!

scrubs + ID

I have officially made it through one week of nursing school.

Information overload. Yowza. I think everyone in my cohort can agree that the amount of information that we have to sort through is incredible. Countless emails, papers to print or sign or bring to lecture (or lab?), reading assignments (8 chapters in a night after being in class literally all day?!), clinical assignments… etc. etc. It’s been a lot, and I’m still trying to navigate how to organize it all in my brain and in my notebooks.

my room... taken over by papers and books

To prioritize what I even need to think about, I have been trying to ask myself: What is really important? What do I need to know, not for the test, but to be a nurse? To be a good nurse? What is going to really affect the people that I am caring for, and what will affect their families? What will affect other health care providers?

How can I use this information to be a good nurse, not just a good nursing student?

I have had to really focus on bringing it all back to that question. This has helped me avoid becoming overwhelmed. I could literally spend hours trying to master all of the information we’ve been given so far, and it’s only been one week! But taking a step back to choose what is really important, focusing on what is essential for caring for patients and for passing the test, has helped me not lose my mind. If I spend my time focused and present while I’m studying, in lecture, and practicing skills in labs, and keep the end in mind (oh, yeah… I’m doing this whole school thing to become a nurse), I have faith will be able to apply this material to my career. That’s the goal, right??

Keeping it all in perspective, our cohort took a study break and had a potluck to celebrate completing one week. I think we have a fun year ahead.