Taking the Long Way Around: Becoming a Nurse

The people who helped me through it all!

Taking the long way around... it can be challenging, defeating, and also frustrating. Sometimes you don't know what is at the end. You think the end will never come in some cases. You keep going and going and for some reason you just can't figure it out. I am very familiar with this concept. As the title states, I took the long way around to become a nurse. This wasn't by choice I want to emphasizes. If I could have been a nurse two years ago, I would have. But in this blog post, I want share my journey to getting where I did today.

In 2014 I graduated from my high school. In my speech, I vividly remember telling the crowd that I was pursuing a career in teaching. This wasn't a lie. I did pursue teaching for a brief period. But if you know anything about Oklahoma, you know that teachers are basically disregarded and left to fend on their own. I wasn't about that life. (This blog is kind of an outlet for my desire to write because I wanted to be a literature professor.) As time went on, I moved my effort towards "health sciences." I thought about doing radiology and even went to their pre-admission meeting. It just wasn't the fit for me.  This was roughly around the year 2016, earlier in the year. After showing interest in the health field my mom, who'd been a nurse for 15+ years, encouraged me to take a position at her job working as a PCP (patient care partner) in November 2016. This was a TERRIFYING change for me. I had previously been an assistant manager for a retail store and I was very comfortable at my job. The first day on my new job at the hospital, my preceptor gave me the easiest job she could... to feed our elderly blind patient. I figured, "Hey, I've fed a baby before, it can't be much different." I don't know if it was the nerves of the new job or my blatant stupidity but I didn't lower the bed and almost passed out because I locked my knees (Rookie mistake). I figured if this was the precursor to my job that maybe I wasn't cut out for it. It took me months to get comfortable and there was days I was so frustrated I could have cried.  I am glad I didn't let it defeat me because I am still currently employed with this job and have been for roughly three and a half years. 

This job has taught me so much. I began working so hard to meet my patients needs. I felt I tried very hard every time I went in. I want to add that I am actually really awkward and shy before you get to know me too well so I have really learned to deal with that through this job. I learned the importance of having open and valuable communication with the interdisciplinary team. I learned that no matter how many times I tell people "I am just a tech," that they are right and nursing assistants everywhere should be greatly appreciated for their work. I've learned SO many things. I could write a very detailed list about all the things I've learned but that post will have to come next. Back to what I was saying though. I became a well oiled machine. Some things still made me wince but they were still manageable (because fun fact, I hate the sight of big chunky blood clots.) Due to my persistence, I was recognized for my abilities and nurses began pushing me to pursue this career. 

In the fall of 2016, I sent my first application in for my local community colleges ADN program. Rejection. This trend followed suit three more times with this local college and once more with another college. The last round really devastated me. I began questioning everything about where I was heading. Was I meant to be a nurse? Was I good enough to be a nurse? Normal questions anyone I am sure would have if they were in my shoes (or have been.) Nursing school is incredibly competitive though. You have to have the right GPA and solid test scores. I tried during this period to get in every which way even if it meant retaking courses. I was almost at my wits end when in January of  2018 I began investigating the local LPNs programs. In 2017, I received my AUA license from a local technology school. It wasn't until that January that I realized I could apply for their LPN program. 

Now let me tell you, the moment I realized I could get into this program, I was ecstatic. I was let down so many times that I legit thought about quitting. I applied and was accepted June 3rd, one week before my wedding!!! I was taking on two life goals at once. 

It took me 2 years to decide (more if you count during high school) what I wanted to pursue, two more years to finally get into a program, and a total five years to finally get the career I was working towards. I am not completely finished because I get to attend what I think is the best ADN program for my area starting in the fall of 2019. A literal dream come true. I am so blessed that I didn't give up and that I made it to where I am today. The past eleven months were... HARD. They were so worth it though in the end. 

My last words of advice other than the obvious "don't give up" is the cliche "if there is a will, there is a way." I tried and tried. I know what I am capable of doing and others who know my heart know what I am capable of as well. If you are like me, and you know where your passion lies, pursue it. This post doesn't have to help you become a nurse. This post is about me reminding you that if you truly feel something in your heart, then go after it. There isn't one way to get things done. I didn't go the traditional route for getting my nursing license. Also, don't be afraid or even ashamed of the time or the way you accomplish something. That whole thought process diminishes the quality of your hard work and you do not deserve that. I have learned to appreciate my journey, one because I can still working as a nurse while technically still in nursing school and two, if something crazy happens while in the ADN program I will still be a nurse. I will just have to complete it at a different time. See the beauty in your journey and learn to love it. Your journey may work for you but it won't work for everyone. You will eventually fall where you are supposed to land... it might just take some time. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey. I would love to share more about nursing and I hope you find what I have to say interesting. Let me know if you have any recommendations about topics you would like to see in the comments below!