"Great Nurse"

So last Thursday I took the NCLEX to get license after a long and painful time trying to study and feeling prepared for the test. Pretty much the week before the test, I said screw it, worked and watched movies, with the occasional test. From listening to everyone who had taken the test so far, I though the test would be horrible and every question for some reason wouldn’t even be related to what I have studied over the last year. I had also felt really stressed and under pressure to pass this examine since I did move 300 miles to a new state with a job that required me to pass the exam. I had a number of dreams about being homeless and sleeping in my car with my cat and her litter box wondering how I’m going to pay off my very expensive nursing education, plus my previous degree. But it is such a relief to see the “PASS” result. I still have been a little nervous about the result not showing up on the Wyoming State Board website yet while my co-workers found out the next day. Plus my forwarding mail is all screwed up, and my address with the state is still my old address. So that means I will be getting my paper license even later then expected.

The Look on my face before the test!

Over the last couple of months I have been pretty superstitious about calling myself a nurse, I didn’t want to jinx not passing the test. I’d go into a patient room and say, “I will be caring for you today,” and dancing around the word Nurse. My name tag has a tag that says “GN” and a lot of patients ask me what it stands for and the running joke it means: “good nurse” “great nurse.” But now it does feel great to actually call myself a registered “real” nurse.
I actually the day after I found out I passed, I had a patient who was stable all day went Septic and Respiratory Distress with in 20 minutes right in front of my eyes. With the instruction of the Attending doctor and my preceptor I was actually able to help my patient breath better, become more responsive and decrease his heart rate from 170 down to 100. I was very concerned about my patient and myself going in to Respiratory Distress as well, but I was able to keep my cool. And with the help of IV push Metoprolol (which I didn’t think I was able to push—still in the student mentality), but within seconds the heart rate decreased and he was able to breath better. I couldn’t believe my actions actually brought my patient back to the point he asked me if you could eat something because he was feeling 110% better. I’m so happy that I am in such a rewarding career. I know that it wont always be great and there will be stressful days but if I am about to help one person feel better and have a better quality of life for one day then all those stressful days are worth it! And I know I will stick up to the expectations of a GN or great nurse. :)