That's right!! I passed!! Man, what a great feeling. It's been a rough and winding road so far but I'm still here and still plowing forward. My grades came back and I didn't do too bad. I was able to squeak out an A, 2 B's and a C which I guess averages out to a 3.1 GPA for the semester. Not too bad, knowing that anything below an 80% is a fail. And all the while working 50+ hours a week...I should be proud....and I am. I'm proud that I've been able to do what they said was impossible...they told us that no one can work full time and pass these classes....they told us that we should say goodbye to our families for the next 2 years because we wouldn't have any time for them....but, so far, I'm doing what they said I couldn't accomplish. So there! As far as my GPA is concerned, I still have a 3.6 or so overall so I'm happy with that. I just would be happier with better. :)
Now, do I wish it would have been easier? Hell yeah I do!! What do you think I am, stupid? Who doesn't want things easier? But, we're good and that's all that matters. So, now where do I go? I have the next month off from school to collect my thoughts so what do I do? .....work! LOL What did you think? I have a wife and 2.5 kids to support so I'll be working but it's nice to be able to check out for a little bit....just to take a breath and enjoy the moment.
Do you have anything big planned for the holidays? I'll be taking a few moments to enjoy my family and catch up with some of my friends....I hope you're able to do the same.
Until next time,
Josh
Monday, December 28, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
So, I kinda dropped the ball on starting this blog....
And, for the most part no one in the world knew about it. But, I'm having a night that makes me want to try this again....try putting some of my thoughts and experiences to "paper" if for no other reason then it gives me a place to reference my own thoughts in the future. So, let's try this again....
The last year has been busy to say the least. I've gotten through a year and a half of my nursing program. A year and a half put into this journey with the hope that if I can come out on the other side with some kind of career that will put food on the table for my family.....a career that I can get up in the morning and go to without hate, hate directed at the "prison" that I'm locked into....a career that I can enjoy. And a career that I can feel makes a difference....a career that helps others....a career that I will be able to stand back in 30 years and be proud of what I've accomplished. So, why not take on nursing.
Why would a guy want to go into nursing you ask? Well, like I said, I like helping people. I've spent 6 years helping people as a firefighter....this I enjoy but being that I don't make much money at it I have to find something else to pay the bills while I do this. So, that led me to educate myself and get on the ambulance in another neighboring town....so I could help more people. And, I enjoy it.....lol, but again, it doesn't pay much money so I have to find something else to pay the bills. And I thought to myself, if I enjoy helping people on the ambulance....taking them to the hospital, why not just get a job on the other side of those doors and help people as they come in. And this is what started it...
So, I signed up for a local college's nursing program. It's a 2 year, associates degree program where at the end I'll be an RN. An RN......wow, what does that mean? What doors can that open? Can I support my family with that? Be done looking around for a career? Well.....I'm going to find out. And now, as I sit here completing my 3 semester...I still don't know where I'm being led but I do know that I'm enjoying the journey....and at the end of the day that is all you can hope for. Enjoy the journey! You will never be able to predict what's coming up in your journey but if you're enjoying it....if you're REALLY enjoying it....then what does it matter? The road of my journey has bumps...it has potholes....it has hills and valleys...but these are the things that make up MY journey. And I wouldn't trade them for anything. But let's get back to the nursing for the moment.
I've completed a year and a half of this program....what they don't tell you when you sign up is that before you can get into that "2 year" program there's a bunch of classes that you need to take to make sure you have the knowledge to participate in the REAL nursing program and this made up the first year of my stay. But I did well....4.0 GPA....while working 50+ hours a week and having 2 kids and a wife at home. So, I thought, I got this....no problem...they say you can't succeed in this program while working full time but I'll show them. I mean, look, see what I've already accomplished? So, I plowed into this semester....into the 1st semester of the "core" nursing program. And boy was it different.
The bright side is that it appears I'm going to pass all my classes and move on to next semester....while still working 50+ hours a week....but it hasn't been easy, and my grades are FAR from perfect now, but I'm still here. I'm still standing....and it's a good feeling, check that, a GREAT feeling. A great feeling to say that I was able to succeed at this while working so much....while working to provide for my 2.5 kids (that's right, my wife is pregnant with our 3rd) and my stay at home wife...but it wasn't easy and I don't really suggest doing it this way if you don't need to but I need to.
So, as I complete this semester and I'm taking a breath, and I'm looking back at what I've accomplished so far....is there something that I can say to shed some light on my journey? Is there something I can say that might allow you some insight into what this path holds? It's hard! It's extremely hard! But anything worth while is hard....if it wasn't hard everyone would do it and then it wouldn't be special anymore. So, if you want to do it, go for it.....charge up that mountain.....open that door and step inside but be prepared to work and fight for it. And if there is anything I can do or say that might help you, by all means ask....I'm here....I want to help those that come after me so they don't have to reinvent the wheel.
So, how's that for an update? Still interested? Still want to know more about me and my journey? If so, keep checking in and I really will try to stay on top of this. Until next time....keep fighting!
The last year has been busy to say the least. I've gotten through a year and a half of my nursing program. A year and a half put into this journey with the hope that if I can come out on the other side with some kind of career that will put food on the table for my family.....a career that I can get up in the morning and go to without hate, hate directed at the "prison" that I'm locked into....a career that I can enjoy. And a career that I can feel makes a difference....a career that helps others....a career that I will be able to stand back in 30 years and be proud of what I've accomplished. So, why not take on nursing.
Why would a guy want to go into nursing you ask? Well, like I said, I like helping people. I've spent 6 years helping people as a firefighter....this I enjoy but being that I don't make much money at it I have to find something else to pay the bills while I do this. So, that led me to educate myself and get on the ambulance in another neighboring town....so I could help more people. And, I enjoy it.....lol, but again, it doesn't pay much money so I have to find something else to pay the bills. And I thought to myself, if I enjoy helping people on the ambulance....taking them to the hospital, why not just get a job on the other side of those doors and help people as they come in. And this is what started it...
So, I signed up for a local college's nursing program. It's a 2 year, associates degree program where at the end I'll be an RN. An RN......wow, what does that mean? What doors can that open? Can I support my family with that? Be done looking around for a career? Well.....I'm going to find out. And now, as I sit here completing my 3 semester...I still don't know where I'm being led but I do know that I'm enjoying the journey....and at the end of the day that is all you can hope for. Enjoy the journey! You will never be able to predict what's coming up in your journey but if you're enjoying it....if you're REALLY enjoying it....then what does it matter? The road of my journey has bumps...it has potholes....it has hills and valleys...but these are the things that make up MY journey. And I wouldn't trade them for anything. But let's get back to the nursing for the moment.
I've completed a year and a half of this program....what they don't tell you when you sign up is that before you can get into that "2 year" program there's a bunch of classes that you need to take to make sure you have the knowledge to participate in the REAL nursing program and this made up the first year of my stay. But I did well....4.0 GPA....while working 50+ hours a week and having 2 kids and a wife at home. So, I thought, I got this....no problem...they say you can't succeed in this program while working full time but I'll show them. I mean, look, see what I've already accomplished? So, I plowed into this semester....into the 1st semester of the "core" nursing program. And boy was it different.
The bright side is that it appears I'm going to pass all my classes and move on to next semester....while still working 50+ hours a week....but it hasn't been easy, and my grades are FAR from perfect now, but I'm still here. I'm still standing....and it's a good feeling, check that, a GREAT feeling. A great feeling to say that I was able to succeed at this while working so much....while working to provide for my 2.5 kids (that's right, my wife is pregnant with our 3rd) and my stay at home wife...but it wasn't easy and I don't really suggest doing it this way if you don't need to but I need to.
So, as I complete this semester and I'm taking a breath, and I'm looking back at what I've accomplished so far....is there something that I can say to shed some light on my journey? Is there something I can say that might allow you some insight into what this path holds? It's hard! It's extremely hard! But anything worth while is hard....if it wasn't hard everyone would do it and then it wouldn't be special anymore. So, if you want to do it, go for it.....charge up that mountain.....open that door and step inside but be prepared to work and fight for it. And if there is anything I can do or say that might help you, by all means ask....I'm here....I want to help those that come after me so they don't have to reinvent the wheel.
So, how's that for an update? Still interested? Still want to know more about me and my journey? If so, keep checking in and I really will try to stay on top of this. Until next time....keep fighting!
Friday, December 19, 2014
And it starts....
So, this is my first post. My name is Josh if you haven't figured that out yet and I'm changing everything I know for a chance for a better life...what's a better life? More money? More time with my family? More opportunity for advancement or responsibility? The ability to help others? I guess to some degree all of the above and more.
Let me back up a bit and give you some history on me. I'm a 32 year old guy that has done a lot of different things in my life. I went to college for construction management but didn't graduate. Then I had a vast array of jobs, construction, handyman, correctional officer, sewer plant worker, firefighter, EMT which has led to where I am now. After a lot of thought I took the jump back into school to get my nursing degree....RN to be exact. Why? Well, I don't really know yet. As a volunteer firefighter and part time EMT I know that I LOVE helping others. Not much makes me feel better(except my family of course)then helping others in their time of need. So, where else can you help more people then in a hospital? I mean, it made sense to me.
So, that's where I stand. I started school this past semester, having to complete a handful of classes before I can get into the core nursing classes. Before I can take the classes that REALLY mean something but I guess you need these to get there so they all mean something. I'm proud to say that I took 4 classes this semester and pulled off my first 4.0 in my life. It may not mean much to some but we all have to start somewhere and why not start off perfect, lol.
I guess the purpose of this blog is to give me a place to vent as things get harder. As things get more interesting it will give me a place to record my thoughts for later. And if there's anyone out there that wonders what it's like being a nursing student, or deeper yet, a male nursing student, I hope they can get something out of this. I'm sure there will be ups and there will be downs, and I fully intend to share all of it as I make this trek through the next 3+ years of school, life and everything that falls in between it all. If you enjoy reading this, great, I'm happy that I could occupy a small part of your day and if you don't enjoy it, well...feel free to stop reading I guess.
Anyway, until next time,
Josh
Let me back up a bit and give you some history on me. I'm a 32 year old guy that has done a lot of different things in my life. I went to college for construction management but didn't graduate. Then I had a vast array of jobs, construction, handyman, correctional officer, sewer plant worker, firefighter, EMT which has led to where I am now. After a lot of thought I took the jump back into school to get my nursing degree....RN to be exact. Why? Well, I don't really know yet. As a volunteer firefighter and part time EMT I know that I LOVE helping others. Not much makes me feel better(except my family of course)then helping others in their time of need. So, where else can you help more people then in a hospital? I mean, it made sense to me.
So, that's where I stand. I started school this past semester, having to complete a handful of classes before I can get into the core nursing classes. Before I can take the classes that REALLY mean something but I guess you need these to get there so they all mean something. I'm proud to say that I took 4 classes this semester and pulled off my first 4.0 in my life. It may not mean much to some but we all have to start somewhere and why not start off perfect, lol.
I guess the purpose of this blog is to give me a place to vent as things get harder. As things get more interesting it will give me a place to record my thoughts for later. And if there's anyone out there that wonders what it's like being a nursing student, or deeper yet, a male nursing student, I hope they can get something out of this. I'm sure there will be ups and there will be downs, and I fully intend to share all of it as I make this trek through the next 3+ years of school, life and everything that falls in between it all. If you enjoy reading this, great, I'm happy that I could occupy a small part of your day and if you don't enjoy it, well...feel free to stop reading I guess.
Anyway, until next time,
Josh
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