March is here!

I have to say, this quarter has not flown by as quickly as I expected, hoped, or would have liked. But we're finally getting to the end. I have two days left this week of 6am clinicals at Tacoma Lutheran Home, and then just two more Thursday lectures before finals. I will be unbelievably relieved to be done with the bulk of my coursework in the nursing program.

It's been tough deciding what I want to do with my career. I think I've decided to go ahead and apply for the critical care residency program at St. Joseph Medical Center, where I've been working since November. They keep asking me for my application, but I'm still scared I'm committing to something just because it's familiar. And there are nights at work when I think, "Who in their right mind would ever do this job?" But I've always thought that about my jobs. The nice thing about critical care is that it is a good jumping off place for anywhere else I might want to work later. I'm still very interested in oncology, hospice, and eventually being a nursing instructor. All of those things need more experience on my part.

Overall, I'm still glad I chose this career. It has been a very good fit so far for my personality, gifts, and knowledge base. I am looking forward to moving from the nurse tech role to the registered nurse role, even with all of the responsibility that comes with it. And I'm looking forward to a more balanced life once school is over.