Tickle My Fancy Tuesday.

Friends remains one of my favorite TV shows and my friends and I often find ourselves quoting scenes. This Tuesday, I ran across this on Pinterest and couldn't help but laugh.

From Friends Season 5 Episode 16 "The One With The Cop"

Laughing still,

Pinning, pinning, pinning, graduation.

   The weekend of May 7th-10th was a busy one as I got to see Matthew John's pinning ceremony, Emily's pinning ceremony, Kalyn's pinning ceremony, and then two graduation ceremonies on Saturday. These days were also filled with lots of food, laughter, a few tears, not much sleep, and talking about old memories we have all shared together. Thursday night was Matthew John's nursing pinning. Friday morning Kalyn and I went to Emily's education pinning and went out for a quick bite to eat afterwards with her family for lunch. Kalyn had to leave lunch early because her social work  pinning was that afternoon. Both Emily and I went to it. Afterwards, they had cake and punch and we got to celebrate that with Kalyn's family afterwards.

      

  Then, that afternoon all of my friends were busy packing up their college dorm rooms while I waited for CJ, Matthew John's childhood best friend to arrive. He and I figured out that he would be able to attend Matthew John's graduation on Saturday and thought it would cool if he could surprise him. I told Matthew John earlier in the week I really wanted to take him out to dinner on Friday with everyone to celebrate his graduation. Little did I tell him that CJ would also be there to celebrate. Matthew John's face was priceless! 

Graduation day was absolutely crazy! With so many students graduating, CU had to split the services into two ceremonies and of course, I had friends in both.  That morning started at 6:20 for me as I quickly put on my makeup and lugged my dress, shoes, and graduation gifts on to campus to help curl Emily's hair before her ceremony. Kalyn went out and bought us McDonald's for breakfast (Sweet Tea and a Cinnamon Melt for me) to snack on with our pumped up playlist as we all did hair and makeup.
     After Emily's ceremony we rushed out to get pictures and then had to quickly rush back in to get seats for the next ceremony where we would see Kalyn and Matthew John graduate. We also had to get more seats because Matthew John's family would also be joining us. Below are some pictures from graduation.

 Emily Scott, first row left picture.

Katlin Weeks, first row right picture.

Jake Range, second row left picture.

Matthew John Marshall, Kalyn Barnett, second row right picture.  

Congratulations May 2015 graduates!!!

Matthew John's Nursing School Pinning.

     Nursing school may be one of the hardest things I have ever had the honor of going through in my life. Constant studying, stress, lack of sleep, overeating, lack of a social life, and trying to answer NCLEX style questions make nursing school a big struggle. This past week on May 7th I got the honor to watch my boyfriend, Matthew John, as well as other nursing friends and old classmates go through their nursing pinning ceremony. Now to those unfamiliar with the nursing field, the pinning ceremony can seem strange and unusual but it is very significant and is a "right of passage" ceremony to honor those who are graduating from nursing school. 

     In addition to awards, singing, a picture slideshow, and the actual pinning and blessing of the hands Campbellsville's pinning ceremony also includes other nursing pinning traditions such as reciting the Nightingale Pledge and lighting lamps. Nightingale Pledge is as follows:  

I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.

I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I aid the physician in his work, and as a missioner of health, I will dedicate myself to devoted service for human welfare

Unfortunately, I do not have any photos to post of the pinning ceremony because I took all the photos on Matthew John's parents and sisters' phones, but I do have some of the happiness after the ceremony was over.  The two photos  are of Matthew John and I afterwards at the banquet that had cake and punch. I also got to say a word of congratulations to other nursing students and even catch up with some of my old professors as well. After that, Matthew John's family invited all of us that were able to attend the pinning ceremony out to dinner at Colton's where he certainly made full use of the celebration in ordering a 12 oz steak! (He ate the majority of it too!) 

   I am so excited and proud of Matthew John and all he has accomplished. Nursing school sure is not easy and he's had some obstacles to overcome these last few years while completing this degree but he has done it! He is now a pinned nursing student graduate! I knew he could do it and I am just so happy I could celebrate this special night with him.

   The weekend in Campbellsville was a busy one with my friend Emily getting pinned for education and my other friend Kalyn getting pinned for social work. After that on Saturday, two graduation ceremonies. I'll be making a post about graduation shortly but it was a great weekend of reunions and celebration! I'm very thankful that my schedule worked out where I was able to be in Campbellsville for everybody's big day to celebrate that they have worked hard these past 4-5 years to complete their goal and get their degree! I will always remember this weekend and the amount of happiness and smiles that everyone shared.

May 6th-May 12th 2015

Happy Nurses Week! 

   I am so excited to be able to celebrate my first nurses week as a Registered Nurse. I have been able to experience the last few as a CNA and a nursing student. Although those both count and there is even a specific day during the week to honor nursing students... it really feels great to be able to hold the title RN and celebrate nurses week this year.

For those who may not know here is a small blurb from Wikipedia (I know... not a 100% creditable source.. but they got this information right :) ) about Nurses Week and how it came about:

In the U.S., National Nurses Week was first observed from October 11–16, 1954 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea. President Nixon later proclaimed a "National Nurse Week" in 1974. In 1982, President Reagan signed a proposal officially designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses," now known as National Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day. In 1990, the American Nurses Association (ANA) expanded the holiday into the current National Nurses Week celebrated from 6 May to 12 May (the birthday of Florence Nightingale). 

   This week my hospital is doing something daily to celebrate which is super nice! After my shift on Sunday night, my director gave me these gifts (pictured below). A really cute travel thermos and a pen that also has a pen light on one end and a stylist on the other. Tuesday morning, there was free breakfast down in the cafeteria.  The rest of the week has fun activities ahead such as an ice cream social, free massages, and one day where your unit gets to pick a restaurant of your choice to order out from (our unit picked Cheddar's)! I'm so thankful to be employed at a place that shows love and appreciation to the staff in such a tremendous way.

   





















On top of it being a week to celebrate nurses, the celebration will continue as it is Matthew John's nursing pinning ceremony on Thursday. He gets to be pinned during nurses week which I think is pretty cool and something he will always remember.  This week is definitely an exciting time full of big transitions for everyone!

   Nursing truly has been such a blessing to me. Throughout this journey of nursing school, striving to pass NCLEX, becoming an RN, and now working as a Medical/Surgical Night Shift Nurse I have learned so much about myself and have grown so much in various areas. Nursing truly is a calling.  

I'm so glad that God called me to be a nurse. 

Scripture Sunday.

Is anyone else feeling a little bit tired or run down this Sunday? I know I sure am. So far, I'm halfway through my working weekend, I'll be going into shift #3 tonight and #4 on Monday. I've just started my orientation by working night shifts this past week and so far it's been an adjustment.  I only worked Tuesday evening, then had an IV therapy class from 8-4 on Thursday and Friday then it was my weekend off prior to switching over full time to night shift. I had the weekend to try to adjust my sleep schedule which I did fairly well because I handled the Monday night shift well. Then, I had Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off before working four 12 hour shifts in a row. I've never done four 12 hour shifts in a row, so this has been a new experience. 

Although, I've slept away most of my Sunday before heading into my shift tonight, I can still rest in the goodness that Christ provides for us. It is okay to feel tired. It is okay to feel overwhelmed by the tasks in front of us. It is okay to feel like there is too much going on for us to handle.  This morning (or afternoon, rather) I woke up realizing I'm only halfway through this long weekend. Although I've fully enjoyed learning and transitioning into a role of a nurse with orientation, I would be lying if I said I wasn't beginning to feel a bit tired and unsure of how my body and mind would hold up. Then, this afternoon, I was stumbled upon this scripture.

“For who is God besides the Lord?  And who is the Rock except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” - Psalm 18:31-32  

It is okay that I feel tired because God is providing me with strength. It is okay that I feel overwhelmed by all the tasks lurking in the future because God is there besides me. It is okay that I feel there is too much for me to handle because God can handle all of my problems, stress, and worries that plague my mind. He is God and I am not. He is made to handle all while I'm built to handle situations by relying on Him. We must remember to not take on any task without trusting in the Lord. If we try to handle it all by ourselves, we will feel the all too familiar emotions of stress and endless worrying. Today, as I head into work I'm thankful I serve a God who "arms me with strength." May you each feel the strength He so willingly provides for us today!