The past week has been one of the longest and most stressful week of 2017. As most of you know by now, Hurricane Irma made her appearance and came with a vengeance. While we know it’s hurricane season many of us never thought that we’ll see another hurricane let alone the size of Irma. Week’s before, our attention was on Houston after the destruction hurricane Harvey caused.
As you know I’m from the beautiful twin Island state of Antigua and Barbuda. I grew up on the island of Antigua, Barbuda however is our sister island. Hurricane Irma first made landfall on September 4th over both of the Islands. However, the island of Barbuda was heavily impacted. Approximately 95% of our precious sister isle was devastated, leaving almost 70% of the population homeless. She continued her journey through the Leeward islands( the British and US virgin islands, Puerto Rico, St. Martin and Anguilla). Irma also destroyed these islands leaving many homeless.
This week caused many to have anxiety attacks for a lot of people, including myself. Heck I stressed myself into getting a cold. Being up here in the US and seeing your loved ones suffer and the fear of not knowing if some loved ones made it, is not something I’d wish on anybody. The wait to hear from loved ones felt like an eternity and still does for the many who have yet to hear from their family members and friends.
Hey guys! It’s been a hot minute since my first “In the Kitchen” post. Now this doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating lol, I’ve just been a bit busy juggling school and work. Most days I’ve just been eating leftovers or eating out which costs way too much!. If I’m serious about gaining the 10lbs I so desire I gotta make sure I’m eating right.
Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes which is also my go to recipe for when I am: 1) feeling a bit lazy, 2) too tired from work/ school and 3) just want a quick meal. My friend who was in law school at the time introduced me to this meal a little over a year ago and since then it has been a staple in my life. The good thing about this recipe is that you can get all the ingredients for under $20 and it takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Check out the ingredients and how to prepare this meal below ⬇️
Can you believe summer is almost over already? I don’t know where this summer went, I had all these great plans for the summer but only ended up doing two or three things on my list which I’m a bit disappointed with ( blaming it on school and work). However, my summer wasn’t all bad, I was able to spend some time with my family who came to visit me ( nothing makes my heart full more than this), I visited the Georgia aquarium, World of Coca-Cola just to name a few.
By now, many of you are about to start your first semester of nursing school and let me tell you freedom as you know it won’t be the same. This is an exciting yet nerve wracking time. I remember my first day of nursing school, from the orientation to the very first day of class. I appeared calm on the outside but boy oh boy I was a nervous wreck! Getting into any nursing program or any program for that matter is an accomplishment in itself but what you do to be successful in your program is the ultimate achievement.
Like I said I was going crazy almost had a nervous breakdown all because I didn’t know what to expect. I had to get it together real quick as this wasn’t going to help with me reaching the goal I had set out for myself.
Summer is out and school is in, and the goal is to stay focused on how to be successful in nursing school. Although, this can be applied to any area of study, as the end goal is to be successful in your field of study. My first semester I thought I had it all figured out but in reality, I didn’t. As much as I thought I had nursing school all figured out, there were some things I wished I knew or did better from the beginning AND I am still learning to do.
Staying organized while in nursing school is very important, in the words of DJ Khalid it’s a “major key”. I’ll share some of what I do to stay organized so that I can be successful. My list isn’t long as it doesn’t take too much, it’s pretty simple but requires discipline.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Nothing happens before its time” or “the race is not for the swift?” These are phrases I would constantly recite to myself whenever things didn’t work out or go my way.
Sometime last year, around fall I made a promise to myself to be a better person. I do believe I am a good person, but there’s always room for growth and just like you I make mistakes and have made mistakes.
I told myself I’d go on a self cleanse which for me consisted of finding my true self and purpose, doing more of what makes me happy and saying no to things and people who weren’t adding value to my life, literally.
I was so serious about this cleanse that when one of my friends from China who’s into everything natural came to visit me, she motivated me to try something new. I went and got some natural deodorants, soaps and scrubs all of which I still use to this day. I started eating differently(surely I fell off the wagon with this). I was serious about my version of a self cleanse. As one of my friend Alyssa puts it I was on my “Erykah Badu” ish lol.Read More »
Can you believe it’s been a month since I’ve started blogging??? (yasssssss) Like who would have thought cause I sure didn’t. Like I said in my first blog post I’ve had this idea for almost 2 years now and to finally be doing it is a dream come true. I am going to be honest, I still get nervous whenever I’m about to upload a post.
I have learned a lot and I have plenty more to learn which I’m very excited about. Since I’ve started blogging I feel like I’ve found a sense of purpose( I am still working on this). Having a blog is not all about acquiring a big following, something I had to learn quickly. This is a form of therapy for me and an outlet for me to express myself freely. As I said in my earlier post The Beginning… my goal is to create an environment where like minded individuals can come together and discuss various topics.
I’ll be honest I got in my feelings about a week ago because the people I thought or expected to support my blog were not, but I had to give myself a pep talk and reassured myself that I am doing this for me and not others. If I can get one person to read my blog that in itself is an accomplishment for me.
I would like to thank everyone who have taken the time out to read, like, comment and share my posts thus far. You guys have really helped with boosting my confidence. I know they are many other blogs out there so I’m very appreciative of those who take the time to read and support. I have made some great connections and I’m thankful for my blogging friends who have been constantly encouraging and supporting. I do hope the support continues. I am excited to see what else is in store.
I have often been asked the question, “What made you want to become a nurse” and I often would stumble to think of the “right” answer to this question. As I grew, I came to the realization that there is no correct answer to this question; it is a personal question and my answer tends to vary based on the individual asking.
As a young girl growing up, I had dreams of becoming either a Lawyer, Doctor or Business Woman. After much contemplation, I was able narrow down the list when I first realized I wanted to be in the field of nursing. As you may know, or will come to know I am a TV lover. There isn’t a TV show that I haven’t seen or isn’t on my watch list. I first took interest in wanting to become a Nurse after watching the show ER where I fell in love with Julianna Margulies’ character, nurse Carol. Nurse Carol stood up for her nurses and was not afraid to tell it like it is. That character showed the importance of a nurse and how compassionate, strong and loving nurses are. Since seeing the show, I developed a strong liking for watching medical TV shows. Read More »
I know summer is officially about to be here and many of us who are in school are more focused on enjoying our break from school. It is always a joy knowing that you don’t have to worry about studying for an exam, reading material for the next class or even making notes for class etc. I woke up today and I was talking to my sister who recently got into Spelman (go sissy!). Like most of our conversation it became about her and her obsession and excitement to start school in the fall. We were on face-time and I said to her “all this talk about going to Spelman, are you even prepared to take on this task?” I made a joke and told her we are Girl Guides we need to always be prepared. Shortly after, I was talking to a friend of mine and we are always talking about many random things throughout the day, she is also a pursuing a degree in nursing we just happened to start talking about our experiences in nursing school. A light bulb went off in my head and it prompted me to write this post.
Keep in mind these things I am about to list are based from my experience.
Stethoscope
Having a Stethoscope is essential. Having a Stethoscope is an integral part of nursing school. Now while having a good Stethoscope is essential it is VERY important to know that you DO NOT need to break the bank buying one. You are a student on a budget, they are plenty of stethoscopes out there that are under $200. The key is to make sure you can pick up the sounds loud and clear. You can also request one as a gift from your family and friends, they will be excited about your new journey and probably won’t hesitate to get you one. You can also ask other nursing students or an experience nurse and find out what is a good stethoscope to get without spending too much. I swear by amazon and they usually have cheaper and efficient ones.
2. Manual Blood Pressure Cuff
Having a manual BP cuff is another essential. As a nurse, it is important that you know how to take blood pressures manually and not to always rely on the electrical ones that are usually in the hospitals or doctor’s office. The key to being a good nurse is not to rely solely on a machine, now while it makes the work easier it is also good to know how to do the basics. You just never know what may happen. You can practice on your friends and family. As funny as it may sound, learning to take blood pressure manually actually improved my listening skills.
3.Comfortable Scrubs
Being comfortable will always be key. I recommend getting scrubs that fit comfortably, you need scrubs that gives you enough wiggle room but not overly big. When I first went to get my scrubs, I ordered small cause I figured I am a pretty slim person and small is usually my size when it comes to everything so I got me a size small. Little did I know that a size small in scrubs is basically a large for me, I ended up having to get a size XXS in tops and XS in bottoms. Before you go ordering online I suggest going to a uniform store to try your scrubs on before purchasing. small notepad, penlight and all the other little accessories that you will need while working on the floor. While you are scrub shopping make sure it complies with your school requirements. Fitscrubs are known for their Athleisure medical apparel you can check out some of their apparels here www.fitscrubs.com
Great Shoes
Shoes need to be as comfortable as possible. Those hours at clinical are no joke and from experience it is very rare that you sit during your shift especially as a student nurse. You want to get shoes that can support your back and won’t affect you during those long periods of being on your feet. Memory foam shoes are also a good option. While you are shoe shopping make sure it complies with your school requirements, because most school require either a black or white shoe.
5. A Good Watch
I happen to own 2 watches both of which I hardly ever wear, how ironic of me to tell you to get a watch lol. Pretty much EVERY nursing school require that we have one for clinical, it must be a watch with a second hand. Can you guess why it is a requirement to wear a watch to clinical? Well as nurses we may have to measure the time when it comes to administering certain meds, or if we have to check the vital signs of our patient. Now you don’t want to be out here rocking your Michael Kors or Fossil watches, while it looks all fancy and what not, fancy is not going to work in the hospital setting and especially as a student. So many mishaps could happen so save yourself the stress and get you a cheap second hand watch.
NCLEX review book
In life, we never stop learning and that’s a fact. Getting the NCLEX review will be an asset throughout your school life. The book will have helpful tips for studying as well as prepare you to take the board exams. Someone recently recommended getting the Saunders’s RN examination book there is also a PDF version. This book breaks pretty much break things down into bullet points for almost every topic you will cover in school, it also has NCLEX style questions. In nursing school, you will learn that for every multiple-choice question there is no wrong question, it is just a matter of choosing the right answer. Now this may seem somewhat overwhelming but do not let it be that way. I encourage you to use it as a tool to help with you throughout your school journey.
Support system
Now in everything that we do having a good support system is extremely important. Align yourself with at least five of your classmates, that way you guys can have study sessions and whatever you may fall short on a particular topic your classmate/study buddy will be able to help you. Having a good support system also means that your friends and family will understand that you will not be able to hang out with them as often as you used to in the past. Your school work is your number one priority. And also, it is ok to lean on your family for financial support because having a job especially in your first year will be extremely challenging.
Quick makeup look
These 6 o’clock am clinical are no joke. By the time, you are done your nightly reading for your other classes it will be time to take a quick nap before your clinical in the morning. I am not one who is big on makeup, I have only been trying to get into the makeup game recently. You don’t want to be rolling up to clinical looking like you just got out of bed or coming from the club. A little foundation or BB cream, mascara and a minimal lip gloss goes a long way. Nude lippies are also a good option but please I am begging you, do NOT show up with any drastic wing eyeliners or extremely long lashes (YOU WILL BE SENT HOME). Less is more when it comes to makeup and clinical, we are nursing students and need to look and act the part, when we become RN’s we might have a little wiggle room to do more makeup wise. Here is a quick makeup tutorial from one of my favorite YouTuber https://youtu.be/HUMolJdAjSs
Comfy underwear
Yes, you saw right. You need to be wearing the right underwear under your scrubs. You don’t want to wearing white scrubs with red underwear under them, that is a big no, please use your discretion. Also, please wear undies that are comfortable, I can vividly remember the times when I would wear underwear that were not the most comfortable and let me tell you those six hours or twelve hour clinical shifts were not my best. I vowed from then on, I would make sure I wear comfortable ones.
Planner
When you get to nursing school, your life will not be the same. I can’t tell you the many times I cried because I wanted my old life back. I am one to write Everything down, it is my way of remembering things. The key to being a successful student is to be organized, once you have everything written in your planner the chances of you forgetting things will be slim to none.
I hope at least one of these tips will be able to help you. How do you prepare yourself for school or any task? Even if you are not a nursing student some of these can apply to you. I would like to hear how you get yourself organized, let me know in the comments section below.
