It's Official...I'm employed!

I start my orientation week at Providence on June 9th. I'm alternately feeling excited and anxious...like I did before every clinical in nursing school. I'm ready to work. It's been a long time since I've made any money! Becoming a missionary seven years ago taught me the value of many things, especially money and how to live with it or without it. I have to say that God has supplied me with all that I need financially over the last few years and although I have technically lived below what is considered poverty level, I have not gone without anything. How awesome is that!!!!!

Well, I did it! I'm a Nurse!

As of April 18, 2008, I can officially put the initials "RN" after my name. Pretty cool. Only 3 1/2 years of school, countless hours of studying, stupid exams, and days, weeks, months of anxiety...all to have those initials! I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking it out...it's one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. A group of strangers sitting in a room 2 years ago became family and that is a miracle and a blessing.

I also turned 40 recently and wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. I went through a similar thing when I turned 30...where was my life going, what was I doing, and a million other questions went through my mind. I did alot of growing up in the last decade and change has been a constant element. I spent my actual birthday in Las Vegas with my sisters and their husbands. It's the first time we had all been together in many years and it was awesome. We ate, sat in the sun, played in the pool, gambled a little, ate again, saw a show, went for a gondola ride...and I was sick and barking like a seal through most of it!

Better news is that I was offered a job at a local hospital here in Seattle and I'm going through the HR process right now. Hope to start sometime in early June on a Medical/Telemetry floor where patients are being monitored for cardiac problems, and other ailments. I'm going to be on night shift which will be a first for me, but I'm looking forward to it. I've always been a night owl and only gave it up because of having to work in the corporate world for so long. It'll be interesting to see how my body handles the change.

I also am going back to school in June to get my Bachelor's in Nursing. It's the one thing I've wanted to accomplish since I decided to change careers. Everyone says it will be easier than nursing school...but then, anything would be easier! :-)

That's it for now.