Bethany French

The END is Near!

2009-05-14T12:44:00.000-04:00

Today was the last day of nursing classes for this year!!! I also had my last nursing test for my NURS 209 class today. The only thing left is the NURS 209 Final next Tuesday. I’m almost completely done with my Associates Degree in Nursing! It seems like this last semester has flown by so fast. It’s amazing to look back and see how far I’ve come and how much I have learned. I can say with full confidence that the Lord has been faithful and brought me to where I am now. I have been so blessed and for that I am extremely grateful. My NURS 209 instructor, Mrs. Wines, has often expressed how proud she is of each and every one of us. Her support and encouragement throughout this last strenuous semester has been invaluable. She has been an awesome instructor, and I’m proud to be one of her students. We had our review for the final in class today, so I know that I will definitely be studying tomorrow on Reading Day. Thankfully, this is my LAST nursing final. Graduation is in 11 days!!!

NSNA Cords for Graduation

2009-05-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

The NSNA Cords for Graduation came in today!! After the Student Nurses Association Executive Board members voted yes on the graduation cords that I presented, the Treasurer and I placed the order for the cords from the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). We were so excited to find that they came in today! Our Dean for the GWU School of Nursing was there when we opened the package and she was just as excited as we were. Our SNA advisor was also very excited about the cords, and she will be the one presenting them to all NSNA members of SNA at the Academic Recognition Ceremony for all nursing graduates on May 10th. There will also be a note about the cord and why we are receiving it in the program for the ceremony. We will also be receiving our Nursing pins at that ceremony. I’m so happy and thankful that the graduating SNA members will be recognized and rewarded in this way for all their hard work this year. It’s only a couple days away!!

National Student Nurses Convention in Nashville, TN

2009-05-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

I just returned from the National Student Nurses Convention in Nashville (NSNA), TN! As part of the NC Association of Nursing Students Board of Directors, I went and represented NC with the rest of our board. It was a long 7 hours road trip to Nashville. I was allowed to be a delegate (voting member) in the House of Delegates that was held at the conference. During that time, different state boards presented resolutions that dealt with all sorts of issues that they wanted NSNA to support and advocate for in our government. Delegates could stand and speak pro or con to these resolutions. After all statements were made, it was time to vote. As a delegate, I was able to cast a vote for or against resolutions, and I was also able to vote for the new officers of next year’s NSNA Board of Directors. The President of the American Nurses Association also spoke during the conference, This conference concentrated more on the political and business side of NSNA, and it was a neat experience to see how that House of Delegates was run, and be able to participate in the voting process. It was quite an eye-opening experience to learn how involved nurses have become in the government and how much a voice nurses can have in the legislature.

Special Rewards for Hard Work

2009-05-14T12:38:00.000-04:00

Special Rewards for Hard Work

2009-04-06T16:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the Executive Board Members of the Student Nurses Association (SNA) met to discuss our plans for the next two months. All present members gave reports on past events, fundraising monies, and ideas for one last project for this year.

As Vice President, I had two new ideas I wanted to present to the board. For the past few months I have been working on securing graduation cords from the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) for graduating members of SNA who are also NSNA members. I feel that our graduating members deserve a special gift or token of appreciation for all their hard work this year. SNA was just getting started, and it took all of us to get it off the ground. All those who had an active part in it should be rewarded. These cords would be presented to us along with our nursing pin during our Academic Recognition Ceremony.

The SNA secretary and I also came up with a new program to promote and increase involvement in SNA for the coming years. Each year, the secretary would keep a record of all members who attend meetings, activities, and who donate items for SNA activities. At the end of the year, all those involved in a base line number of activities (decided by each board every year, depending on the number of activities, and events they plan), those members meeting the required attendances would receive a free gift/reward. Non-graduating students (pre, and 1st) would get something like free movie tickets, bowling tickets, key chain - just a little something like that. For graduating students, they would get the nursing metal. This would occur every year. Each year everyone would start with a new record and have the opportunities to get these gifts. It would be like a reward program for all active members, and encourage more activity from inactive students because they have an incentive for being involved. I also proposed that SNA pay for all or half of the cost of each gift, depending on our available funds.

I presented these new ideas to the SNA Executive Board and received positive votes from everyone. I will be consulting with the Treasurer to determine how much SNA can donate towards the cost of the cords and other gift. These new programs are scheduled to be presented at the next SNA meeting on April 2nd. It’s very exciting!

Big Test Day

2009-03-30T11:21:00.001-04:00

Tuesday…the day when everything is due! I presented my skills poster in my aerobics class this morning and had to teach my exercise skill to the class. Everything went well, and my teacher was pleased with my presentation. Today, I also took that nursing test I had been studying for over my whole Spring Break. It was over Gastrointestinal (GI), Renal (kidney) disorders, and everything in between the two. It was a huge amount of material. Glad to say, that I had my parents praying for me, and of course I was saying prayers of my own. I studied very diligently over Spring Break because I wanted me make a high grade on this test, and going in to take the test I felt like I knew what I needed to know. Now after taking the test, I can say that I feel good about it, and I feel like I did well. I am interested to see what my grade is! Only two more tests left! I wasn’t selected to present my quality improvement poster today, but I will on Thursday. It’s so nice not to have any tests or other big projects due in the next couple of days.

"Oh, You Go to Gardner-Webb"

2009-03-30T11:18:00.001-04:00

I spent this weekend at home. After returning from spring break, I realized that I had left my phone charger at home, along with a few other needed items. So, nothing left to do but head back home to get them. It was not a purely leisurely weekend. I was busy studying for a nursing test, and making a quality improvement poster for that same nursing class…all due on Tuesday!
Not to mention, I also had a skills poster due for my low impact aerobics class on Tuesday! I had already completed the skills poster, so I was thankful I didn’t have to worry about that.

My quality improvement poster is a presentation on how nurses can prevent specimen labeling errors. I was able to collect a few items from the nursing lab to glue on my poster. (i.e. biohazard bag, small collection container, gloves, wound culture set, etc) I wanted to use my creativity to make the poster interesting. My mom is also a very creative person, so I decided to get her to assist me in gluing all the items and information on the poster. We put our ideas together and created a very interesting poster. I expect to make a very good grade on it.

Besides working on the poster and studying, I also attended the Open House at NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. I got to go on a tour of various units in the hospital and even gave out a resume to the manager of a medical-surgical floor. I liked the atmosphere of the hospital and the nurse managers and recruiters that I spoke with were all very nice and helpful. I was surprised to find that the nurse recruiters and managers immediately recognized Gardner-Webb when they found out that I was a nursing student there. One recruiter had even gotten her Bachelor’s degree in nursing from GWU. When the nurse manager glanced over my resume, the first thing she said was “Oh, you go to Gardner-Webb; that’s great.” I think that speaks volumes about GWU and its nursing program. It’s awesome that Gardner-Webb is so well known at such a prestigious medical facility!

Now that's Expensive....

2009-03-30T11:15:00.001-04:00

Graduation is exciting, but it’s also EXPENSIVE! Today, it hit me just how expensive when I began to think of all the things I will need to purchase for Graduation and all the costs of registering and taking the NCLEX. Nursing pin, cap/gown, and invitations for graduation. Fingerprints, criminal background check, and registration fee for NCLEX. And that’s just what I can remember; I need to make a list. I am also looking at the cost of coming back and getting my bachelor’s degree in nursing next year. It’s pretty crazy the amount of money I will be spending within the next two months! At least all this money is going to a good cause…..To help with the all the costs of Graduation, my entire nursing class has been selling World Finest chocolate bars for a dollar as a fundraiser to raise money. Half of each box that we sell goes toward our individual costs. I am working on selling my last box, and I only have 15 bars left! All money and any unsold candy is due by next Thursday, I’m hoping it won’t be hard to get rid of those last few bars.

Forsyth Open House

2009-03-11T11:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Forsyth Medial Center’s New Graduate Open House. It was the first open house I have been able to attend so far. Business attire was required and resumes were strongly encouraged, but the event was not extremely formal. It was mainly a time for new grads to find out about Forsyth’s hiring process, talk with the nurse managers of the departments they are interested in working in, and possibly set up a few interviews.

I was surprised to find other students from my nursing class at GWU there at the event. One of the nurse recruiters opened up the event and went through the hiring process, salary, scholarship opportunities while working, and introduced all the departments that were present. Many of the departments were not currently hiring or scheduling interviews, but all were taking resumes. I spoke with the Med-Surg, and Renal, departments and handed out my resume because they currently did not have any positions open.

I ended up setting up an interview for this Friday with the Cardiac Telemetry Department. At this point, I’m not sure exactly what area I want to work in, so I would really like to have my first job be on a Med-Surg floor where I can see many different diagnosis and use a lot of my skills. But, I figure that interviewing with another department won’t hurt and will give me some interview experience.

NCANS Mid-Year Conference - Wilmington, NC

2009-03-11T11:22:00.004-04:00

This weekend was the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students (NCANS) Mid-Year Conference in Wilmington, NC. I, as the District I Director for NCANS, had been working with the other NCANS board members in planning and publicizing the event. Since this was an NCANS sponsored event, the NCANS board members were there to host and work the event.

Tiffani and I drove to Lincolnton early on Friday morning to meet up with another board member and rode with her the rest of the way to Wilmington. When we arrived in Wilmington, the weather was beautiful and it was in the 80’s the entire weekend! I had never been to Wilmington before, but I found that it was a place that I would like to visit again.

The event was held at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Hotel. It was a hotel with character and nice amenities. Friday was a day for the students attending to arrive and check-in at the NCANS registration table. We had a board meeting after registration hours and discussed the plans for the next day. Saturday was the main conference day. A complimentary breakfast began at 7:30am and sessions/ workshops began at 8am.

I was designated as the photographer for the event and had a great time going around getting pictures and talking with students. Each board member was assigned to introduce the speaker of each of the sessions. I introduced a flight nurse from Pitt County Memorial Hospital who gave a presentation on being a flight nurse and explained how to apply for the flight team at Pitt Memorial. Their program even offers the opportunity for students to go out on observational flight experience with the flight team!

Our Penny War and Silent Auction fundraisers went great and I heard good comments about all the sessions/workshops. Overall, I think all the students in attendance had a great time at our NCANS conference. Saturday night was a free night for board members. Lynn, the NCANS treasurer, and I went out and took a walk out on the Riverwalk and went downtown to see what it had to offer. We all headed back home after the NCLEX review on Sunday.

I finally made it home late that night and enjoyed an awesome home-cooked meal with my parents. It felt great to finally be home and on Spring Break!! Check out www.ncans.org to see pictures I took from the Wilmington conference and get an update on conference highlights.

Spring Break…..It’s FINALLY Here!!

2009-03-06T10:33:00.001-05:00

This is the last week of classes before the blessed Spring Break. I have had several projects and papers due, but thankfully no midterms. This weekend is also the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students (NCANS) Mid-Year Conference in Wilmington, NC. Tiffany and I are leaving early tomorrow (Friday) morning and catching a ride with one of the other board members to Wilmington. This is a conference hosted by our organization (NCANS) and we will be hosting and working at the conference. As District I Director, I am looking forward to meeting and interacting with students from my area.

There is one student coming from GWU, which makes me very proud! Friday is registration day, and Saturday and Sunday will be filled with guest speakers, workshops, and an NCLEX review. Our board has worked hard and planned a lot of great stuff for the nursing students who attend, so I expect everyone to have a good time. I remember how much fun I had when I came for the first time last year. I am hoping that it will be warm enough to at least have a nice walk on the beach.

After the conference is over, I will be heading home to enjoy a hopefully restful spring break. I know that I will be doing some major studying, because I have a test after break. I will also be working on NCLEX questions and taking ATI tests to get a head start on all the studying I have to do from now until I take the NCLEX after graduation. But, on the bright side, I may be heading to Myrtle Beach with a few friends over the break. It’s still in the works, so I’m waiting to see if it’s all going to work out. If it doesn’t, we will still get together and do something fun. I’m excited about getting away from school for a bit, resting, clearing my head and coming back refreshed and ready to take on the rest of my last year of nursing school!

Snow, Snow, SNOW!

2009-03-06T09:34:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I went home to see my family for the first time since Christmas break. I had planned to spend the weekend at home, then head to Charlotte with my mom and a friend for a concert on Sunday night, and come back to campus after the concert. It had been very cold and the weatherman had been predicting snow, but this had been their prediction several other times with not a fleck of snow to be seen. Sunday afternoon rolled around and the sky got gray and cloudy.

While getting ready and packing my things, I suddenly heard my mom call out “It’s snowing!!” I went to the window and couldn’t believe it; white flakes of snow were flying around everywhere. My dad turned on the news and reported to me that they were predicting it to get worse. I called the music hall in Charlotte that was holding the concert to see if they were going to cancel it, but they said the concert would go on as scheduled. I said a quick prayer that the snow would not ruin my plans because I was excited about the concert and not to mention the tickets I bought were non-refundable. The flakes kept getting bigger and bigger with more snow covering the ground outside. As my Dad and I stood at the window watching the snow, he asked me if I was sure I wanted to travel to Charlotte with the weather getting worse, but I was determined to go. After my friend arrived at my house, we headed out for Charlotte.

We made it to Charlotte with no trouble and had an awesome time at the concert. Meanwhile outside, it had snowed like crazy during the entire concert and was still coming down when we walked outside afterwards. A major snowball fight ensued as we scraped the piles of snow off our cars. When we got onto interstate 85, we could only go about 35 mph because of all the snow on the road. The snow continued falling heavily as we drove. We finally made it onto highway 74 outside of Shelby, but the road was not salted so it made driving horrible and dangerous. We passed numerous cars ditched in the snow on the side of the road and at one point we almost got stuck ourselves.

Thankfully, we were able to make it to the Hampton Inn in Shelby where we stayed the night. Monday was a Snow Day so no classes, which meant more time to play in the snow. I finally made it back to campus late Monday afternoon. It was an awesome weekend to say the least. Who would have thought that we would have so much snow in this area in March! It ended up snowing a total of 7 inches in Boiling Springs and took all week to melt!

GWU’s Grad Finale

2009-02-24T14:09:00.003-05:00

The Office of Alumni Relations hosted the GWU Grad Finale this past Tuesday in Fireside Lounge. It was an event for this year’s graduates to come and get prepared for graduation and all that comes with it. There were different booths set up from various campus organizations like Career Services, Alumini Relations, Campus Shop, Goal Admissions (Bachelor’s and Masters Programs) and the Senior Class Booth. Jostens was also there taking orders for class rings, graduation announcements and nursing pins.

Even though I’m not technically a senior, I am graduating from Nursing School, so I’m considered a graduate. I ordered my nursing pin while I was there and visited all of the tables, getting information and signing up for things. At the Senior Class Booth, there was a huge banner that graduates could sign which will be hung up at Graduation. The Senior Class President was also there getting the word out about the Senior Class gift. The gift will be a bronze bulldog statue, which will be put in the brick circle outside of the LYCC (basketball stadium) on the parking lot side. Seniors who donate $20 or more will get their name engraved on the back of the bulldog’s 4ft tall stone stand. I thought it was a great idea, and a really cool way to leave your mark on the GWU campus. I definitely plan on making a donation!

After walking through all the booths, you could register to win one of the many prizes they were raffling away. I put my information in, but didn’t expect to actually get anything. But later that day I got a call saying I had won a $25 gift card from Old Navy!! I was so surprised, because I normally don’t win raffle items. I guess now I have an excuse to go shopping…..yay! All in all the Grad finale was a great event, and something that I hope they continue to offer for graduating GWU Seniors.

Taking A Break

2009-02-12T13:13:00.003-05:00

After the big Cardiac test in Nursing 209 on Tuesday, some friends and I decided to go out and do something fun to take a break. So yesterday, after lab Tiffani, Jessica, Rachel, and I went to the movies in Shelby. We went and saw the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” which ended up being pretty good. Afterwards, we went back to Jessica and Tiffani’s campus apartment and cooked dinner. Our meal included some organic, gluten free pasta, special sauce, and chicken; then, chocolate chip cookies for dessert. It was different, but not that bad. Although, we decided that next time we would nix the “special sauce” and just have the chicken and noodles. It was nice to get out and do something fun and relaxing. And we didn’t crack a book or look at notes the whole night!! We are always doing homework and studying – we deserved a break. I think that going out and doing something fun after every test will be our tradition from now until Graduation, which is in only 3 months away……….wow.

New Preceptor-Better Experience

2009-02-11T13:41:00.004-05:00

After all the trouble I had trying to get my first preceptor to get back in touch with me about changes in the schedule, I finally went and talked to my faculty advisers about the situation. I explained that my preceptor was not returning my phone calls about schedule changes or volunteering information to further my learning experience at clinical. I also explained that due to the schedule changing I had only done 2 of my required 8, 12-hour shifts that must be completed by the first week in March. They were very receptive to my dilemma and began working on getting me a new preceptor.

I soon received her contact information and schedule. I gave her a call and planned to work with her for the first time this past Friday on the Ortho/Neuro floor. I arrived before my new preceptor did, so I put my belongings in the break room and took a seat out at the front desk with the night nurses. When she came to the front desk and saw me she asked “Are you Bethany?” I said yes, and she then introduced herself as Cindy and made me feel welcome. I was surprised that she had remembered my name and we had only talked on the phone once!

After getting report, she took be around and oriented me to the unit. She showed me where all the supplies were and told me the codes to locked doors. She also sat down with me and explained their paper charting system. Throughout the day, she allowed me to take assessments on patients, and give medications. If I have a question she would answer it thoroughly or if she didn’t know the answer she would go and find it out. She also got me a copy of her schedule for the next work period so that I could start planning my work schedule. At the end of that fist day, I knew that my preceptor experience was going to be much better with my new preceptor, Cindy. I thanked her for being so welcoming and doing such a good job of accommodating me on my first day with her. She told me that she had enjoyed working with me. When I woke up the following Sunday to go for my next preceptor day, I realized that I actually looked forward to it, which is a very good thing.

Critical Care

2009-01-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had my Critical Care Observation at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, in Spartanburg, SC. I was so tired when I woke up. I rode with a group of people who were also going to Critical Care and we had to leave campus at 5:15 AM to be there by 6:15 AM! Spartanburg Regional is a huge facility. Our clinical instructor told us that they have never torn any buildings down, they have just kept adding and updating over the years. I was assigned to do my observation in the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit (CVRU). I shadowed a nurse named Cindy, and she was awesome. She had worked on that unit for 19 years and had been preceptor before. She was very friendly and outgoing, and introduced me to all the nurses on the unit. I helped her take care of two patients, both of whom had had heart surgery. After her initial assessment, she let me assess them and listen to heart, lung, and bowel sounds. One was still highly medicated and had to be fed through an NG tube. I had never really worked with an NG tube, except for in lab. She allowed me to give him his feeding and medications through his NG tube, things I had never done before. The other patient was fully awake, but had three chest tubes draining fluid, he also had severe edema or swelling all over his body which made it difficult for him to move. I was able to give him his medications through his IV and monitor his chest tube. She volunteered all kinds of information on both patients’ medications and the skills we were performing for their care. She also asked me questions that made me think and allowed me to learn through my right and wrong answers. I was able to learn so much, and I was only there for 4 hours! I really enjoyed my observation in critical care, and I made sure to thank Cindy for being such an awesome nurse to shadow. I honestly wish that she could be my preceptor! It’s amazing how much the nurse you shadow can affect your whole experience.

Nursing Career Fair

2009-01-27T15:15:00.002-05:00

I attended the Nursing Career Fair this past Wednesday. I dressed professionally and brought my resume. There were a good number of hospitals represented there, some from around this area and others farther away. I talked to the representatives from Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Medical in Winston-Salem, and Gaston Memorial in Gastonia. I determined that these hospitals had good orientation programs, which is very important when looking at employment options as a new graduate nurse. I also talked to the representative from the Navy Nurse Corps, which offers money to help pay for school and a guaranteed job after graduation. I was able to get a lot of information concerning different programs, which will be helpful. Finding a job is one of the next big things on my to-do list besides graduating, and taking NCLEX. It is a little overwhelming to think about finding and getting the right job when I’m not totally sure where I want to work. For now, my plan is to apply to a number of different places, seek God, and trust that He will bring me the right one.

Preceptorship – Day 1

2009-01-19T16:32:00.002-05:00

Today was my first preceptorship day. I was nervous about my first day and did not sleep well at all last night. The day went better than I thought it would and I am so thankful. I had called my preceptor two days before, and the day before I was going to come in to work with her, but I never heard back from her with any kind of confirmation that she had gotten my messages. I came onto the unit this morning before my preceptor got there. One of the night nurses was very friendly to me and made me feel welcome. When my preceptor got there, she did not introduce herself to me – she only said a vague hello because the night nurse said I was her preceptor student. I was a little annoyed by the way she ignored me, but soon I decided that I was not going to be afraid to talk to her, because we had 12 hours to spend together. After I saw that she was settled and waiting on report, I went up to her and introduced myself. She was still a little cold towards me, but I didn’t let that bother me. I got report on our patients with her and asked her what her normal morning routine was and how I could help her. As we went around greeting the patients, I continued to make myself useful and asked her questions showing my interest in the work. Before long, she began to open up to me and get more comfortable around me. Throughout the day, she continued to become more open and friendly, and would volunteer information on the patients and show me where supplies were located. I found out during the shift, that my preceptor had previously had a bad experience with a student nurse who did not want to help her and who sat around at the desk all day talking and texting on her phone! That may explain why she was a little cold towards me at first. My parents were praying for me today all along, and I’m so glad that the Lord allowed her to change her attitude about me. It was an answer to prayer.

It ended up being a pretty good first day. I got to insert a foley catheter into one of the patients for the first time! My preceptor was there with me while I performed the insertion, but she never made me feel nervous or like I didn’t know what I was doing. I will be going for my second preceptorship day tomorrow. I think that my preceptor and I are going to get along fine, and that this will be a good experience for me. I know that the more I go and work the more comfortable I will feel about taking care of patients on my own and that encourages me.

New semester…………New Year!

2009-01-19T16:29:00.004-05:00

New semester……..New Year! Wow, I can’t believe I’m already back and juggling a million schedules again so soon! My Christmas break was great. I got to relax and spend a lot of time with family and friends. I was able to let my brain rest and have some fun.

But it ended all too soon, of course, and now it’s time to get back into the swing of things. All my nursing classes for spring semester are in the afternoon starting at 1pm and ending at 6pm! Yea, that’s 6 PM…… I also have two work schedules and a clinical schedule to contended with. This semester my clinical will be a preceptorship. I will be paired with a nurse at a hospital and I will work her schedule on 12 hours shifts. Yet another schedule that I have to make time for. I am looking forward to my preceptorship, but I’m also kinda nervous. I will be able to use and practice many of my skills while learning how to manage and care for a group of patients instead of just one. It should prove to be a good learning experience. This semester is also going to be full of preparation for the NCLEX exam, the national test I have to take to receive my RN license. I will be graduating in May with my ADN degree, doing the Kaplan Review for NCLEX, and then taking the NCLEX soon after. It’s exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.

As Vice President of the Student Nurses Association here at GWU, I will be busy planning events and continuing to organize and grow our new chapter. I will also be traveling and promoting the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students as the District I Director. There will be so much going on I pray I can keep my head on straight. Yet, I have a feeling that this semester holds a lot of fun and memorable experiences for me and that makes it all worth it!

TGIF

2008-12-05T15:31:00.003-05:00

The semester is coming to an end! It’s Friday, officially the last day of classes! My morning was awesome – no nursing class. My nursing professor was kind enough to give us a study day. I still had my American Literature class at 11 though. Review for the exam of course. But, I also found out that my professor has written two books about the author John Kerouac and will be flying to England to speak at a conference honoring the author. Pretty cool - I had no idea. You learn new things every day.

Next week is exam week. . . . .

I only have two exams, which is a blessing. One on Tuesday and one on Thursday. My nursing pediatrics final is on Tuesday. I will need all the prayers I can get! After that exam, my first semester of my 2nd year of nursing school will be over. . . . .it’s crazy how fast it went! Yet, there are fun things to look forward to during exam week like the Pancake Supper and end of the year parties. Speaking of which, last night was the SRA/SAA Admission Christmas Party. All the counselors made different kinds of homemade soups for us to enjoy. I must say that they chicken chili soup was amazing. There were also some delicious desserts like cup cakes and Fruity Pebbles krispie treats (like rice krispie treats). I really enjoyed hanging out and sharing laughs with my fellow co-workers. It was the best meal I’ve had since Thanksgiving Break!

Thanksgiving Break

2008-12-02T12:49:00.003-05:00

Yes, finally a break! Thanksgiving break. Time to recoup and recharge – two things I really needed. The day before Thanksgiving I helped my mom prepare the turkey and helped her mix up her famous apple crisp and pumpkin pies. But, believe it or not, later that day my mom, my brother, and I decorated our Christmas tree in the living room! We had Christmas music booming through the house while Thanksgiving food cooked in the kitchen. With two holidays being only a month apart, it makes this an exciting time of year at my house.

On Thanksgiving Day we had family over at our house for a delicious meal. One of the things I was really looking forward to at Thanksgiving was getting to enjoy an amazing home cooked meal, which I haven’t had in months. I ate so much food, and enjoyed every bite of it! Of course, I brought back some pumpkin pie to school with me when I came back. It was also nice to spend time with family I hadn’t seen in a while. I love it when my family gets together for the holidays.

Now, I’m counting down the days until Christmas break. I just have to get through the last week of school, take my exams and then I’m done! Only 11 more days. . . . . . .

On My Way to RENO, NV!

2008-12-01T10:13:00.002-05:00

Exploring Downtown Reno at Night

2008-11-21T17:14:00.003-05:00

We were in sessions during most of our time at the Conference. We went to workshops on everything from tips to consider when choosing a school to earn your masters or Doctorate in Nursing Practice to increasing membership at your local SNA. The exhibit hall was filled with hospitals and nursing schools from all around the country. I got tons of information on orientation programs at different hospitals and information concerning admission and incentives for continuing my nursing education through various masters degree programs. It was not only a fruitful first traveling experience for me, but it was also a great learning experience as well. I was able to present myself professionally and hand out my business card to NSNA board members, and hospital exhibitors. The opportunities I got to meet and speak event speakers and National board members allowed me to network and make connections with people from all over the U.S.

After all the conference sessions on Saturday, our group of board members decided to go and check out downtown Reno. We all walked from our hotel, John Ascuago’s Nugget, to the bus station across the street, to catch bus 11 to downtown Reno. We entertained ourselves while we waited for the bus by taking funny pictures. When it arrived, we paid our $2 fairs and headed downtown. We decided to explore a little and then find a good place to eat for dinner. The lights from the hotels were awesome! Donna and I took so many pictures. I got my picture taken with the famous Reno sign in the background (one of my favorites). We walked all along the downtown Reno strip, making sure that we stayed together. I’m glad we had three guys in our group because downtown Reno didn’t look like a place you wanted to be at night by yourself. I’m also glad that we were in a big group; I would never venture out down there by myself. We finally decided to eat at a restaurant inside the Silver Legacy Hotel called the Smokin’ Gecko BBQ. (I felt safer when we were inside the hotels.) The food there was delicious. Tiffani and I split a pizza – half pepperoni and half pineapple and cheese. Neither of us normally orders pizza at restaurants, but as we were walking in to be seated we saw someone else’s order of pizza and decided to get it because it looked so good. And believe me it was!

On My Way to RENO, NV!

2008-11-21T16:06:00.003-05:00

To bed at 1 am last night, up at 5 am this morning. I arrived at the Charlotte/Douglas airport by 7:30 am to catch my 9 am flight out to Reno, NV for the National Student Nurses Association Mid-Year Conference. My friend, Ariel, was graciously willing to drive me to the airport so I wouldn’t have to pay to park my car at the airport while I was gone. I was glad to get there an hour and a half before my flight left so I could have plenty of time to get my bag checked, get through security and to my gate. The lady at the ticket counter was nice enough to upgrade my seat to a window seat after I told her it was my first time flying since I was 12. I met up with Donna, the District II Director for NC, at the gate. We had the same flights and decided to be travel buddies. Donna told me that her number one rule was to never sit in the back of the plane (if she could help it). We went together to the service counter at the gate and she got our seats up graded to seats right behind 1st class! And, I still got my window seat. I took tons of great pictures of the view outside my window. Our connecting flight in Dallas, TX was delayed for almost 2 hours, so we had a chance to grab some lunch in the airport. We also met up with 4 of the other members on the NCANS Board of Directors who were taking the same flight in to Reno. After lunch, four gate changes, and a 30 minute wait later, we finally boarded our Boeing 757, 3hr flight to Reno, NV!

When we finally arrived at our hotel on Friday night, we had just enough time to get our bags into the room, change clothes and meet in the Rose Ballroom of our hotel, John Ascuaga’s Nugget Resort, for the Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speaker Event. The keynote speaker was Dr. Patrick Hickey, a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, College of Nursing in Columbia, SC. He is an experienced nurse and an avid mountain climber. In an effort to raise money for nursing scholarships, he became the first nurse to climb the world’s seven summits including Mt. Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mt. McKinley just to name a few. He performed all of these climbs and made it to the summit of each in spite of his extreme fear of heights!! He continues to teach nursing students, climb and travel around the world. His presentation was titled: “Conquering Your Own Everest: Do You Have What It Takes?” He related his experience of pushing to the top of each mountain despite his fear of height back to the challenges we face as students in nursing school. Nursing school is like our Everest and when we finally reach the top and graduate we will look back over our experience and know it was all worth it. He had a slide show presentation of pictures from his travels and summits. Hearing him tell of his experiences and instances where he used his nursing skill on climbs was fascinating to me. He kept the attention of the audience throughout the entire session and his presentation left me feeling inspired and motivated to continue on my track to the completion of my nursing degree.

10 DAYS

2008-11-04T11:42:00.001-05:00

The countdown has begun. . . . . .

I fly out to Reno, Nevada for the National Student Nurses Association Convention in 10 DAYS!!

I can’t believe it is this close already! I’m very excited; I know it’s going to be a great experience. For the last couple days I have been getting all my flight information in order. I printed off my itinerary today. I will leave the Charlotte/Douglas airport on Thursday morning, land and switch planes in Dallas, TX, and then fly out to Reno. There’s just a twinge of apprehension though. I’m not afraid of flying - I’ve flown twice in my life, and I loved it. What I am a little anxious about is checking my bags in and getting through security. I want to make extra sure that I have everything packed right and that I have all my information in order. I would hate to get there and have forgotten something or miss my flight! What a nightmare……
But, I haven’t let those anxieties get the best of me. Tiffani, who is also going to Reno, flies all the time and she has agreed to help me pack my suitcase. That takes a load off my mind because she’ll be there to help me make sure I’m packing correctly. I am thrilled about this trip! This is my first trip to the western U.S. – I mean I’ll be crossing over three time zones! I’ve wanted to travel ever since I was 12 years old, so I’m looking forward to Reno being my first stop on an extensive list of travel destinations. I can’t wait!!

October Fest

2008-11-04T09:14:00.002-05:00

Halloween is near! Every year Gardner-Webb puts on an event called October Fest. This is an event open to the kids and parents in the community to come and trick or treat in a safe, fun environment. This year it was on Thursday, October 30th – the day before Halloween.

For the past few weeks, the Student Nurses Association (SNA) has been hard at work planning the decorations and activities for our booth at October Fest. Our SNA booth at October Fest had a skeleton theme. There were two activities going on at our booth. At one end of the table, the kids got to “listen” to their own heart, lung, and bowel sounds with a stethoscope, and at the other end they got to play a game of “Pin the Bone on the Skeleton”. There was a great turn out at October Fest. We had hundreds of kids come by our booth and we had enough candy to feed an army! I really enjoyed working and talking with the kids. I loved seeing their eyes light up when they heard their own heartbeat or heard their own lung sounds for the first time. They loved playing around with the stethoscopes and a few kids even tried finding their parents heartbeats. Our “Pin the Bone on the Skeleton” game was a big hit too. We blind folded the kids, spun them around and let them blindly put the bone where they guessed it was supposed to go. And, of course they got loads of candy for participating. It was a lot of fun for the kids and for us! I’m very pleased that our first service learning activity for SNA went so well.

2008-11-04T09:09:00.007-05:00

Weekend in Boone, NC

2008-10-29T14:43:00.002-04:00

This Friday was a cold and rainy one. I left Gardner-Webb and headed up to Mooresville to pick up my brother. We were driving to meet my parents in Boone, NC for a little family vacation! When my brother and I arrived at our room at the resort, my mom and dad met us at the door with warm hugs. As I walked into the living room, I discovered it was decorated with streamers, balloons and a Happy Birthday banner. My parents had prepared a birthday dinner of ham, cream potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, steamed vegetables, and homemade biscuits. Afterwards came a delicious chocolate birthday cake, baked by my mom, and birthday presents! I loved every minute of it – my family always knows how to make my birthdays special.

Saturday morning we all got up early and went to breakfast at the Dan’l Boone Restaurant. It serves a country style breakfast with free refills of anything you want - and you pay one price. It was delicious! Afterwards, we went shopping in Boone. Later that afternoon, we played games, watched movies and relaxed at the resort.

It was so cold up in Boone! It was raining when we got there on Friday afternoon, and it was misty and foggy on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon the sky cleared up and it was clear and sunny on Sunday. The leaves were so beautiful! It is peak time for the leaves to change, and that’s always something I enjoy about having a birthday in October. The burst of orange, red, and yellow color on the mountains is breathtakingly beautiful. I like to think of that as one of God’s birthday presents to me.

It was a fun and relaxing weekend. Mind you, I did do some homework while I was there, but no more than I had to. The time with my family was priceless, and I’m so glad we got to share that time together.

Boone

2008-10-29T14:36:00.004-04:00

It's My Birthday!

2008-10-24T14:35:00.003-04:00

Today was my BIRTHDAY!
My roommate, Christa, made it special for me. She made me a homemade birthday card in the shape of a sunflower (which is one of my favorite flowers). She also took me out to eat at Georgio’s Italian Restaurant and paid for my meal. She told our waitress it was my birthday and I got a free piece of chocolate peanut butter cake. Midterm Munchies was also tonight. This is an event that Campus Ministries sponsors every year during Midterm week. They set up out on the quad and provide Krispy Kreme doughnuts, hot chocolate, cookies, soft drinks – basically anything sweet. It’s a chance for everyone to take a break from studying and refuel with sugar. I went to mingle and enjoy some of the goodies, then headed back to the dorm with my roommate and a group of girls from my hall. I had no idea, but I had a surprise waiting on my when I got back to my room. When I opened my door, I had streamers hanging everywhere, happy birthday signs on wall, and a huge cookie cake on my dresser! That whole group of girls piled into my room and began singing Happy Birthday to me. I loved the surprise and it made my night! I got so many calls from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday. My dad told me that this weekend we would celebrate my birthday as a family in Boone, NC. I can’t wait to celebrate with my family – they always make my birthdays awesome!

2008-10-24T14:29:00.003-04:00

It's going to be a crazy Monday

2008-10-24T14:26:00.001-04:00

From now to Thanksgiving Break – the busiest time of the whole semester. We are nearing the end and everything is coming due. I have so many projects due in my classes within the next couple weeks – it’s ridiculous. Not to mention, there are extra things outside of class that are vying for my attention, like SNA, NCANS, and family. This coming weekend I am going with my family (Mom, Dad, and Brother) to Boone, NC. I’m really looking forward to the time with my family because this is the first time in a couple months that scheduling has allowed all four of us to get together. Yet, the ending of the semester has struck once again and loaded me down with homework. So now, during my weekend in the mountains with my family, I’ll have to finish an assessment project for clinical, and work on a group presentation for my American Literature class – both of which are due Monday. Registration for juniors is also on Monday so I will have to get my schedule together so I’ll know which classes I need to take during spring semester. A busy weekend for sure. What a crazy Monday it’s going to be when I get back! But what can you do – that’s the life of a nursing student.

Nursing Conference in Durham, NC

2008-10-20T09:55:00.002-04:00

WOW, this weekend has been amazing! I’m still trying to take it all in. The North Carolina Association of Student Nurses (NCANS) Annual Convention in Durham, NC was awesome. This was our (Melia, Tiffani, and I) first time at an NCANS conference. It was also the first time that Gardner-Webb had been represented at an NCANS conference in years. Each day we went to sessions where nursing professors and educators spoke about different fields of nursing and did NCLEX reviews. (NCLEX is the national test we have to take to get our RN license.) There were also representatives from the National Bone Marrow Donation Registry there signing individuals up for the national registry. A sample has to be taken so that they can identify what type you are, and all you have to do is swab the inside of your mouth with a sterile cotton swab. There is usually a fee for this registration, but at this conference they were offering it for free. All of us signed up to be on the registry.

NCANS has a State Board of Directors that serves for the year. The Executive Board includes: the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. NCANS has divided North Carolina up into 5 districts and one person from each district can serve as a District Director. There is also a Publications Director that edits the NCANS website and journal, The Hypodermic. Any nursing student in North Carolina can apply for one of these positions. Students at the NCANS conference will vote and elect new officers for the upcoming year. We didn't know anything about this until our second day at the conference. Tiffani and I talked with a lady who had been President a year ago and was now the Executive Consultant for this past year’s board. She was very helpful in giving us information about it and in motivating us to seriously consider running. I ran as a write-in candidate for the District I Director, and Tiffani ran as a write-in candidate for the Publications Director. Everyone voted and we were elected for those positions on this year’s board!

I am now the 2008-2009 District I Director for the North Carolina Association of Student Nurses!! I can't believe that I'm serving on a State Board of Directors! God has truly had a hand in all that has happened – from making a way for us to come to the conference virtually free to allowing Tiffani and I to participate in nursing on a state level. I'm so thankful and so excited about all the new opportunities and experiences coming up this year!

One more thing. . . .
Since we are on the Board of Directors, Tiffani and I get to go to the National Convention in November – in Reno, Nevada!!!!

Melia, Tiffani, Bethany

2008-10-20T09:52:00.001-04:00

NCLEX Review Session

2008-10-20T09:50:00.001-04:00

Signing up for Bone Marrow Donation

2008-10-20T09:49:00.002-04:00

The 2008-2009 NCANS Board of Directors

2008-10-20T09:45:00.003-04:00

Fun Times in Durham!

2008-10-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

Nursing Road Trip

2008-10-10T15:37:00.002-04:00

Today is a full and exciting day for me.

The Student Nurses Association (SNA) had its monthly meeting at noon. We discussed some service learning projects planned for the coming months (October and November) and a new fundraising opportunity. We took suggestions and got some feedback from members on what fun activities should be planned for October. There are some great events and activities coming up. I’m excited about getting those going and also participating in them.

But, there’s something that makes this day even more awesome. . . . .
A couple of weeks ago, I was on the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) website and saw some information about the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students (NCANS). I made a note, and planned to look into it more later. The next day during my nursing class, my professor talked about that same organization, saying that they were have an annual conference in Durham, NC on October 2-5th. I went to her office after class and picked up some more information she had found on the internet. I called a meeting with the rest of the Executive Officers of SNA to tell them about it. They were all very interested. But none of us were sure if we would be able to go, because the registration paperwork and fees where due the next day!! We all decided to go and ask our SNA advisor about it. The next day, our advisor took our proposal for going to the conference to the GWU Board of Nursing. The board approved it that day and decided to pay our registration, hotel fee, and give us transportation there!! I was shocked and thrilled at what an amazing opportunity God had given us.

So today, right after the SNA meeting, I (SNA Vice President), along with the SNA secretary - Melia, treasurer - Tiffani, and a nursing professor (Mrs. Walker) loaded up the GWU car and headed off to the NCANS Annual Conference in Durham, NC!

Why I Love Nursing

2008-10-10T15:34:00.003-04:00

For this week’s clinical, I was assigned to work in the nursery. There were three babies in the nursery: two girls, and a boy. The baby boy was being given up for adoption in the morning. He had to stay in the nursery at all times with the blinds closed, because adoption babies can’t be shown to the public. My clinical instructor said that he needed a lot of love and that I could give him some extra attention throughout the shift. He was a preterm baby and weighed only 5 lbs and 8 oz. He was precious and had the cutest little face. I fed him his bottle and changed his diaper. He loved being held and rocked. I had the best time taking care of him. It is sad that he was being given up for adoption. Yet, I had to remind myself that if being adopted meant that he would have a better, happier life with a family who would love and take care of him – that, in the end, would be the best thing for him. I have great respect for his mom because she chose to do what was best for her baby. Selfless acts are usually the hardest, but have the best rewards. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I was able to share some warmth and affection with him during his stay in the hospital. Having opportunities like that is one of the reasons why I love nursing.

The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience

2008-09-26T16:27:00.002-04:00

COLDSTONE Excursion

2008-09-26T16:06:00.001-04:00

If you hear Coldstone, does it make your mouth water? It should, because it’s only the best place to get the most delicious ice cream creations in the world! They have so many different flavors and every kind of mix-in you can think of. My friend Mandy, who is a Coldstone connoisseur, introduced me to the deliciousness at Coldstone my freshman year. After my first bite of the Founder’s Favorite creation, I realized I had found my favorite place to get ice cream! Since then, we [Mandy, her apartment mates, and I] have had Coldstone Dates where we go off campus and enjoy some amazing ice cream.

Today was one of those long awaited days, and we all piled into the car and headed off to the Coldstone Creamery in Charlotte. I got one of the new creations called Jack’s Creation. It was made of Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge. It was heavenly! Nothing makes your day like a big bowl of ice creamy goodness from Coldstone!

Dessert: My Favorite Word

2008-09-26T15:50:00.001-04:00

This is for all of you who have a sweet tooth and believe that there is always room for dessert. Tonight was DESSERT NIGHT on Spangler 2nd Floor. On the menu: Oreo pie, chocolate chip cookies, M&M cookies, and homemade brownies! Everything was delicious. . . .
After getting our sugar fix, we started a game of Taboo. Many very colorful descriptions went around our Taboo circle, and the guesses were just as entertaining. In the 3rd round, I got some really hard words like Monica Lewinski, revolution, and .com. I didn’t realize .com was a word. . . . . and trying to describe Monica Lewinski . . . .would have just been too much. Nevertheless, my team ended up winning. Go Team 1! After a hard day of classes, all you need is a bunch of sugar!

Spangler 2nd Rocks!

2008-09-26T15:49:00.001-04:00

The Votes Are In!

2008-09-26T15:38:00.001-04:00

The Student Nurses Association (SNA) had a meeting today at noon to vote on officers. As a nominee for Vice President, I had to give a little speech about myself and why I’d be a good choice. After all the speeches, everyone voted.
As of today, I am Vice President of the Student Nurses Association for 2008-2009! I am thrilled about being an executive officer! I have been looking forward to getting involved with this organization since summer. SNA is an organization specifically for all Pre-Nursing, 1st Year, and 2nd Year nursing students at GWU. It gives nursing students the opportunity to use their skills to give back to the community through service learning projects and fundraisers. SNA also hosts fun non-nursing activities where members can hang out and relax. I have so many great ideas for this year, and I can’t wait to get started. It’s going to be an amazing year!!

The Birthday Girl

2008-09-26T15:37:00.001-04:00

2008-09-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

Nothing Says “Happy Birthday” Like Pancakes

2008-09-26T15:32:00.001-04:00

Wow, so another year has begun and already I’m super busy! Working two jobs and being a nursing student definitely calls upon your time management skills. Yet, there is always room for some fun. Last Wednesday was my friend, Melia’s birthday. She decided that she wanted to have her birthday dinner at IHOP, which is great for two reasons. First, the chocolate chip pancakes at IHOP are awesome, and second on Wednesday’s GWU students get a 50% discount off their meal! At 8:30 pm, a huge group of us converged on the breezeway in between Spangler and Myers residence halls, and then carpooled our way to IHOP. We got there around 9 and didn’t leave till 11:30pm. There were about 20 in our group and only ONE waiter! Yet, I have to give him props because he served us well. He even got the cooks in the back to come sing Happy Birthday to my friend. Oh and of course, she got a free ice cream Sunday out of it! Enjoying a night filled with laughs and delicious pancakes, is a great way to relax!