Finality

I gathered my belongings and took everything out of my locker, walked slowly down the hall with a tired back, feet, and eyes after my night shift. I looked back briefly and a smile came across my lips. I was walking off the floor as a student nurse for the last time ever, and would enter the hospital the next time as a Registered Nurse.

Four long years of nursing school have come to a close this past week as I completed the last of my clinical hours “working” on a surgical floor. The past four years have been some of the best and worst times of my life. The nursing program has been intense and challenging. But I was working hard toward my goal of becoming and RN. There were certainly days that I questioned my sanity for ever entering the nursing program, and times I seriously thought about giving up because the expectations were so intense and the reality that I could potentially harm someone was consuming.

It has barely sunk in for me that I am truly done my nursing degree and I am no longer a student nurse. My mom and some friends have told me that they can’t believe I am done and that it feels like just yesterday that I told them I had been accepted into the nursing program. I assure you I have not felt that this program has flown by. Each and every test, paper, group work, and clinical assignment has been pain staking and often extremely tedious. I only made it through the past four years of “hell” because of my wonderful family and friends. I could not have made it through the stressful times without loving people near me cheering me on every step of the way.

It is truly exciting, frightening, and nerve wracking all at the same time. I can no longer say to a patient, “hold on a minute, and let me get your nurse”….I AM THE NURSE!! I am excited to be closing the student nurse chapter of my life but I am also afraid. I am afraid of making mistakes. Afraid of not knowing the answers. Afraid of not being good enough. But I am also so excited to prove my knowledge, skills, and show my genuine love of my chosen profession to each and every patient I deal with.

There were many official events for me the past couple of days. I officially became an RN, officially became an emerg nurse, and officially started my critical care emergency course. Phew! What a week already!

So I will now introduce the new Stacey to you.

Stacey, the REGISTERED EMERGENCY NURSE!!!!!!