A Nursing Blurb

Throughout my time in college, I had no doubt I would graduate, get a job in the hospital (preferably on the OB floor), and be an extraordinary super badass nurse. I would work day shift, 8 hours, at the same hospital as my mom.

Well, God had different plans. What's that phrase...? "I had a plan and it made God laugh". Because it doesn't matter how much I try to plan every step of my life; He is always one step ahead.

So I spent the entire summer searching for jobs. I started out being relatively picky but when I received rejection after rejection, I was willing to apply for anything - night shift, 12 hours, med/surg, whatever it took.

Nothing.

So I eventually caved. I was bashing my head against the wall with boredom and I needed to be making money. When I went back to the nursing home I spent 2 1/2 years in as a CNA, I was super depressed. I was going to be the one kid in my graduating class that was going to have to work with the old people, get paid less, and be super lame.

I've changed my mind 180 degrees since then.

My coworkers are phenomenal. We work so well together and spend so much of our nights laughing and goofing around (while getting the job done, of course). The residents love us; we're fed and gifted and complimented all the time. I work in rehab, so it's basically the equivalent of a subacute floor at a hospital. We have IV's, feeding tubes, trachs, wound vacs, PleurX drainage systems, etc. I actually do more than a hospital nurse, according to my mom (who is one) because we don't have all of the specialists and techs on hand, so I'm learning a ton. My scheduling is super flexible (I get three weeks off for my wedding, no questions asked) and my bosses are very easy going. And I actually love the work. There is so little stress on a day to day basis, and when we have a busy day, we get through it.

I've actually become very defensive of my coworkers and my residents. I've seen some really nasty care given to the elderly. We have people coming in all the time saying how bad they were treated other places. And I know I'm doing a good job. So if I don't take care of them, someone else will, but probably not as well as I will. So why do something else? These are people with histories and lives and stories, just like everyone else in the world. I just have the privilege of spending a longer period of time with them while they recover.

So while I still get hit with the pangs of loser-feelings when I see on facebook that my peers are working in the NICU and transplant teams, I'm actually extremely grateful for what I'm doing right now. Because the people in my life mean more than my work does, and I can get up in the morning and not dread going to work. I've hardly complained about any of it since I've started.

I'm not sure what's in my future when it comes to my career. I don't plan on working full time for very long; when Luke and I decide to have a baby, I will be only working part time. But I'm totally good with where I'm at right now.

Wedding Update: 5 months to go!

While in the midst of a particularly bad stretch of work days, I have managed to accomplish quite a bit these last few weeks.

Our honeymoon is booked and the down payment is in: we're going to Hawaii! Oahu, Kauai, and Maui, in that order, we're going to spend 12 days (including travel sadly) on vacation. We leave the Monday after the wedding. Of course I'm excited to be getting married; this day has been in the works for more than just the year I've spent planning it. But goodness gracious I dream about Hawaii almost every night; I think I'm more excited for the honeymoon than I am about the wedding itself!

We went through a bit of a hassle with my ring, but I finally got it replaced and we took care of buying wedding bands right away that day too. An unexpected plus.

Also, one of my bridesmaids and I went shopping yesterday. It was supposed to be a short "let's-just-pick-up-these-few-things" kind of deal, but she ended up having some awesome ideas on how to make my place cards and my envelope addresses. It is going to help me so much with the little things. So I picked up a whole bunch of supplies yesterday , and it was awesome.

Luke and I are planning on going and picking out tuxes this weekend; I can only hope that I can still get him to do it!

To be honest, there isn't a whole lot left to do! Just have to order invitations in the next couple weeks, get them all addressed and sent out, and put together the church program and the place cards for the tables. My freaking out gets a little stronger every day...