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!
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