A Nursing Student's Prayer

Dearest Father,

Our hearts are so full of gratitude today.

We are grateful to have made it to the completion of this program,

and for the careful guidance from our instructors along the way.

We are grateful for Mrs. K who answered every question,

patiently listened to every concern, and always offered encouragement.

She is an amazing cheerleader and first year instructor.

We are grateful for Mrs. Yarrish, she has been the perfect second year instructor.

She pushed us to go farther than we ever thought we could

and was always there with a smile to praise us for a job well done.

We are grateful for the countless lessons we have learned

about bodies, processes, and most importantly—relationships.

We are grateful for the friendships we have made,

and the unforgettable memories we have shared.

We pray that we can pay it forward to those who come behind us.

As we begin our journey into this field of nursing,

we pray that we can listen to everyone who needs to be heard,

notice everything that needs to be seen,

and speak clearly everything that needs to be communicated.

We pray that we can be compassionate with others,

even when they test our patience.

We pray for safety for ourselves and all we come in contact with--

especially those we have the privilege of caring for.

We pray for strength to continue on through

shifts to come that will be physically and emotionally draining.

We pray to have the ability to let go and forgive ourselves

when a patient outcome is not what we anticipated.

We pray to remember we have a voice,

when we see that something needs to be said.

We pray for perseverance when we are faced with great challenges at work,

and for careful hands when performing intricate tasks that have life-saving potential.

We pray to listen with openness of mind and thoughtful consideration

when others offer advice for our improvement.

Most importantly, we pray to never forget the reason why we chose this profession;

to have gratitude and show respect for life,

to be observant of our surroundings,

and always offer help when we see a need,

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nursing School

Well, I am one week, two assignments and two finals away from finishing a Registered Nurse Program. It has been a LONG road. I decided I wanted to be a nurse in the fall of 2002, yes, that was almost 17 years ago! Then, life happened and just kept going. I put school on hold for so many other things--saving money to go back, getting married, changing jobs, and most importantly--having four darling children.

Three years ago, I felt strongly that it was time to go back to school. It has been an emotional roller coaster, for sure! I am so grateful to be this close to the finish line! I feel I am now walking proof that if you keep doing your best and never give up on your dreams--eventually they do come true. You just have to be patient and keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

My pinning is in a week and a couple days. My class wants a prayer, so I get to be the one to offer the prayer. I feel weird about pre-preparing a prayer to offer... but I have written down what is in my heart. Now I just need to edit it and shorten it a little. I will share my nursing student prayer in a separate post.

Less Personal Philosophy, more life experiences...

This post was a long detailed explanation about a very small experience. I think I want to utilize this blog more as a record of joys that happen in my life. ill try and add pictures with events too. :)

The Power of Prayer

This evening Ryan and I took the kids to move 16 large metal panels (they kind of make a quick, easy, and mobile fence wherever you align and build them...) from one location to another. We had all of them loaded in a trailer, them preceded to set them tightly side by side. This way, Ryan could use a fork lift attachment on a tractor to pick up all of them and move them at one time. That was the original plan... So, we put them all nicely together, then Ryan turned to me and said, "Hun, can you hold these while I go and grab the tractor?"
I replied, "sure!"
I proceeded to the center of the stack of panels, got what I thought was a good hold, then Ryan let go and walked off. As he let go, the weight forced me into a sitting position on the side of the dump trailer. After a few minutes my arms started shaking because the weight was so great, and Ryan still had not yet started the tracter. Around the time I heard the tractor finally start, I started really wondering if I would be able to hold the load until he got there, because I could hear him having tracter issues. Well, I bent one arm and started using my back, but it didn't last long. I started praying at the beginning of this experience, and asking for additional strength to hold this. I kept telling myself I am strong, I can do this, Ryan will be here soon! After a while I realized I would not be able to hold the weight because the tracter was taking too long. I just prayed that I would be okay... I knew I could not bail out of the dump trailer and the only option was to let them crash on my pregnant body. I am still not sure how it happened, but as I felt my body give out totally, my left arm got pinched/caught between a couple of the top panels, and the panels firmly pinned me to the side of the trailer right between my lower hips... Just below where my baby is. I don't think it could have landed any lower than it did because I was so far down holding the panels to being with. If it had been any higher, it would have hurt my baby. If my arm had not been caught in the upper panels, I would have been hanging off the side so much that I would have pulled muscles. I screamed for Ryan and he came running over. He lifted up the panels and helped me out, then made sure I was okay. I was startled, but I know that Heavenly Father heard my prayers and somehow helped me tangle up just right to keep myself and my little baby safe in that situation tonight. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of prayer. I find great peace of mind in my life knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who knows me, listens to me, and loves me! Thank you dear Lord for helping me so much tonight!

Just an annoyance...or Drive me Crazy?!

I think I have discovered the most annoying thing in the world. . . I just hope it does not drive me crazy. My fingers have started occassionally itching on the inside. I cannot scratch for relief when they do that. I can hold, rub, and squeeze, but it does not relieve. i just tell myself I need to be grateful for this sensation--it means something is healing.

I have read several blog posts of gratefulness, for the month of November. I have decided to join the club and post something I am grateful for with each post I make.

I am grateful for life experiences that teach us lessons. I am grateful I worked at scout camp and taught various merit badges, one of which was Wilderness Survival. The most important thing to remember in a survival situation is to have a positive mental attitude. That thought went through my head a lot after I cut off my fingers. (I should be getting my pins out in a few more weeks. When that happens I will work on typing faster, then I will type the whole story of my fingers...according to me.) So, I am thankful for lessons we learn in life to help prepare us to handle other experiences and lessons. :)