The Initiative

I had to backoff the blogging for a minute there, because I have found additional things to occupy all this free time I have so excitedly stumbled upon.  I also discovered I am not alone in my "what to do? what to do?" state.  Many of my classmates who have passed the boards are now searching for projects.  I spent over a year of my life living a fire drill, trying not to panic and get everything done and study enough (I realized I could never study enough) to arrive at this...

The ability to wake-up, stretch and just breathe.  I then plan out my day however I see fit for the most part.  If I wanna run, run, if I wanna watch TV I can do it, drink coffee and hang out on FB for half the morining, well go right ahead.  I even get to bed between 10pm and 11pm most nights and rise between 7am and 8:30am most days.  Never had a regular sleep schedule before, wasn't even sure if I could do it.  This nearly stress free zone I have been living in is fantastic and I know completely and whole heartedly that I earned it! 

It's only been a little over a week and I find myself excited for the next adventure!  Work starts on the 7th of March, and I have been going over new hire paperwork and scheduling appointments for exams and check-ups.  I have also started reading books again -- for fun!  No more text books addressing lab values and abnormalities of the human body.

I even started a private group on facebook for me and my classmates to share our knowledge about new nursing information, such as SB5 and collective bargaining (and to plan reunions, of course).  I have also reached out to a former professor of mine at school and have been mapping out some professional meetings and lunchs with some "superstars" in my profession.  I don't want to say too much yet, until it's set in stone, but there are about 3 million nurses in the US, however only about 20%  of them belong to a professional organization and are proponents of active nurse advocacy.  It is my hope to help that number increase in my own small and special way.  My last semester I made a promise to myself.  I wouldn't be that nurse that punched a clock and went home.  I would be professionally vested in my career, supportive of my colleagues and job, taking initiative to improve nursing care and patient outcomes. 

This is a really "BIG" step for me and I worry a bit I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but hey I wanna die trying..so I say "bring it on!!!"