Then And Now

Three years ago, I started a journey. It was a journey that involved scrubs and stethoscopes, and I was SO VERY excited about that fact. Remember? I even blogged about it here. I had just started my first semester of nursing school and didn't even have clinicals yet. I had never so much as touched a real patient, but I was just giddy about the fact that I got to wear my scrubs to campus to do free blood pressure screenings. 

That was then.

Now, I am nearing the end of this journey, and I am SO VERY excited about that fact. I am finishing my last semester of nursing school this month. I have completed hundreds of clinical hours in too many different places to count and i've had my fair share of torturous early mornings and extremely late nights. I have given shots, drawn blood, and started (and messed up) a lot of IVs. I have taken vital signs, stood for hours on end in freezing ORs, and assessed patients from the very top of their head to the very tips of their toes. I have sat in on psych therapy groups and assisted in showering a burn victim. I have helped bring lives into the world as well as held the hands of those departing from it. (... And yeah, i've seen a lot of butts). My scrubs are worn out and stained and begging to be retired. And yet, I still get stoked to put them on. My patch and name tag have travelled across the world and back with me, and it has always been an honor to represent BYU in all that I do as a nursing student. 

Last night, I put on my scrubs and donned my stethoscope one final time as I completed my very last shift as a BYU nursing student. 

This is now.

THEN

NOW

I'll be honest, it doesn't quite feel real yet. I'm still feeling like come next fall i'll be assigned a clinical group and we'll be meeting at the crack of dawn in the Brick Oven parking lot to carpool to Primary Children's or the U of U hospital for a day full of learning and being terrified/excited/eager/hesitant as we try new things and cross our fingers for a good preceptor. But in reality, come next fall i'll be in Texas where I will (hopefully!!) be waking up at the crack of dawn to drive to a hospital where i'll have new scrubs, a new name tag, and a position as an RN where i'll actually get paid (*gasp!*) for my hard work. My journey as a nursing student may be drawing to a close, but my life as a nurse is just beginning!

Seriously, i'm one lucky blessed girl.