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Life, Nursing, NYC

Reflections On My First Semester Of Nursing School

August 15, 2014 By Robyn 21 Comments

The past three months have flown by faster than I could have imagined.
The past three months living in NYC have been a bigger adjustment than I could have imagined.
But pursuing a career in nursing has felt more right and been more life-giving than I could have imagined.

When I decided I wanted to make a career change last August, I kind of just made up my mind one day and then went full speed ahead. God opened my heart to going back to school, I felt strongly compelled, and didn’t second guess much of my decision. Since starting school in May, I feel even more assured in my decision to go back to school. Even when finals week rolled around and I was studying nearly every waking second or when my heart ached because I missed my friends in Charlottesville so much or when I had to say no to fun things in the city because we had to study for an exam on Monday. I never thought “why did I do this?” I think that’s a really good thing. It feels reassuring.

As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve never felt more called to something. I know I’m only 3 months into this journey, but considering we are 1/3 of the way to a BSN, I’m really glad that I love this field so much. I thought I really loved my job as an RD, and I really do, but I don’t think I’ve been as passionate and excited about something as I am about becoming an RN and ultimately an NP. I feel so grateful to not only be pursing this, but to be in a field where you get to be part of the most intimate and vulnerable parts of people’s lives. I can only imagine what the next 9 months will bring. And that excites me.

But really, the one thing I know I’ve learned in the past 3 months is that nursing is hard. I didn’t expect it to be easy, but there were days when I thought, “How will I ever know all there is to know?” Columbia has been such an amazing experience. Every day I’m thankful that I get to learn here and have this opportunity.

We are learning so much. This past summer semester, we learned how to do a full physical assessment which seemed insane at first but now that the final for that is over, it feels so satisfying to know I can do that now. Essentially, we had to do a full head to toe physical exam on our lab partner that is best described as a 30-minute monologue. So much memorization.

Admist the overflowing about of information I learned in the classroom, I’ve also learned some other really valuable things.

Nursing school has taught me to really embrace my body.  Before school, I’d say that overall I had a pretty healthy relationship with my body. But I don’t think I had fully embraced my body. We took Advanced Physiology this summer and the more I learned about the intricate details of how the body works, the more I thought how ridiculous it was to focus on physical appearance. It is absolutely insane how the body works, and even more so how it works properly day in and day out- how everything just runs smoothly to keep us healthy. All the steps that have to go right for your heart to beat just once is so detailed, and then it beats again and again and agains for YEARS. That’s incredible to me.

In physical assessment lab we were half naked the majority of the time practicing on our partner. There’s something really beautiful about an “imperfect” [for lack of a better word] body. Gaining this perspective has been so refreshing and freeing for me. Throughout the semester I had this overwhelming peace and contentment with having a body that is just your average female body. A woman’s body with a healthy amount of fat and curves and cellulite. You learn to grow really comfortable in your skin when you and your partner are examining each other every day. I think that’s pretty awesome.

I’ve also learned that it’s okay to admit adjusting to NYC has been harder than I thought. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve got to see some pretty cool things. When I’m running through Central Park on a Saturday before I pick up some groceries at TJs I’m always blown away that this is just my Saturday morning. I use to run around Central Park while visiting thinking, “How do people LIVE here?!” Welp, I’ve learned it’s hard to adjust to living here. Everything takes longer, people are a wee bit [aka a lot] different than they are in Charlottesville, and even the simple tasks like grocery shopping are harder. And that was a difficult adjustment for me. It’s been really comforting to know that when I talk to other people about adjusting they say, “oh girl, it’s a huge learning curve and I went through the same thing.” But I’m so glad I’ve walked through that and I still am. It’s taught me SO much about myself, my lack of faith, and what faith actually looks like played out.

These first few months have been such an adventure! I am so excited to be refreshed and renewed after two weeks away and then to jump back into the city and back into school.

The fall will be what seems, much more manageable. Instead of 8 hours of class on Monday, 12 hours on Tuesday and the hospital all day on Wednesday- we will only be in 4 hours of class on M, T and F and then in the hospital all day on Wednesday and Thursday. And instead of having 6 different classes to keep up with, in the fall we are rotating through different specialties for 5 weeks each. So I will start with Psychiatry when we start in September and then move on to Pediatrics, Community Health, Labor and Delivery and then Med/Surg. Our class on M and F goes along with our clinical rotation in each speciality and then the only other class we have is Pathophysiology on Tuesdays. And all classes don’t start till 9am or later, wahoo!

All that to say, I think getting back into a regular blogging schedule will be doable and I’m so excited to be back into the swing of things! If you have something you’d like me to write about- please email me! And I think I’m going to still do Q & A videos on Fridays so if you have a question you can email me about that too.

And just to clarify since I’ve got questions about this, I am most definitely still taking new Nutshell clients and will continue to take new clients. Instead of blogging these past few weeks, I focused #1 on school and #2 on continuing to see current clients and take new clients so if that’s of interest to you or somebody you know- email me about that too 🙂

Cheers to more adventures in school and NYC!


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Filed Under: Life, Nursing, NYC Tagged With: nyc, school

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

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A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years o A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years of getting to spend so much time with my kids: aka another way I’m discovering some pockets of peace so my heart & mind & soul don’t crumble under the reality of dependent & emotionally dysregulated tiny humans.  About once a week we go somewhere for baked goods. We drive or walk, buy something buttery & then find a beautiful, relatively quiet outdoor spot where the boys can romp and I can sit and think my thoughts while I watch them play. This past week we were found ourselves at the Wool Factory where the boys threw rocks & whatever else off the bridge while I ate 90% of this almond 🥐 from @coucourachou that will blow your mind. Boys ate the other 10% bc they were busy playing and didn’t ask for more quickly enough 😜  I’m finding *for me* playgrounds have a time & place but they aren’t where I enjoy motherhood & my two toddlers the most. Baked goods & a pretty outdoor spot without high drops my 15 month old could launch himself off of…I’m here for it.
I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the boys to hike out at one of our favorite spots last week and when I ripped it open I was regretting my choice to share them with my kids. @baresnacks randomly sent me a box of snacks and I usually eat free food we receive or give it to a friend/neighbor and move on. But I felt it my duty to tell you about these bc they are THAT GOOD. I’m not getting paid and this isn’t sponsored - I was just shocked at how tasty these were and felt you needed to know. We ate them with some buttery roasted nuts and the combo was 👌🏻 but they are good just on their own.  The boys climbed rocks and swam in the reservoir - leave it to my almost 3 year old to want to strip down naked and fully submerge himself in chilly water on a sixty degree morning. “Mama can I get super nakey?” Sure baby. Sure. This is your childhood.
It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of extended alone time away from the babies to just be. And that isn’t something that’s best for me, it’s an area I gotta grow in. So this afternoon when Nick pushed me out the door and was like - get out of here plzzzz - I walked to my favorite cafe and ordered a thick pastrami sandwich and sat there for a good LONG while before taking a long, peaceful walk in the rain to wrap up the afternoon. Note to self: stop being such a control freak and go be by yourself sometimes.
a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face from @mariebettecafe this morning when she came to get her toddler who played with us all morning and it is v good. even better when paired with an iced latte 😍
#AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing a #AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing about how taking @alignprobiotic regularly has improved my digestive regularity.  And I’m still taking them! I’ve permanently added Align 24/7 Digestive Support* into the roundup of supplements I take before bed (prenatal, vitamin D, choline & DHA - all which help keep me healthy while breastfeeding) so I can keep seeing the benefits.  Just because you see benefits, doesn’t mean you should stop taking your probiotic. Keep taking Align daily (under the supervision and recommendation of your health care provider of course) to keep seeing the benefits!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of my favorite parts of Align probiotics is that they don’t need refrigeration AND they come in a convenient little blister pack that has the days labeled. It’s the little things people! #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoo I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoon (91 and muggy in MAY 🤯) when a toddler nap was refused and a baby nap was cut wildly short ....so my tired mom brain pulled out two plastic storage bins, filled them up with soap & hose water and striped ‘em down naked in the yard. Two hours later, it was almost time for an early dinner and I had magically been able to sit for most of that time and we already had baths checked off the list. 👍🏻 I’m archiving this idea for my future self, hope it helps another tired mama out.
#AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about #AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about getting better at doing the basics to care for myself which included taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic regularly.  Probiotics take time to work so I wanted to give it a full month to see the full effects of @alignprobiotic. So here are my honest thoughts: it took a few weeks to notice any differences, but near the end of the month I did notice some changes in my digestive balance - even while traveling! I’m not someone who experiences occasional gas, bloating or abdominal discomfort frequently enough to notice a difference, so I don’t feel like I can comment on how well Align works for those benefits.  All in all though, taking @alignprobiotic was a positive experience and I really appreciated how the capsules don’t need to be stored in the fridge, making it convenient to take them with me anywhere #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Because the swampy VA summer has already begun (it’s in the low 90s today 🥵 lord help) and creeks are our retreat - not only from the heat but also from the noisy world. I need this just (if not more) than they do! We’ll be at the splash pads and pools too, but the quietness of the creek...my mental health is so about it. And it’s hours of play for them! Win win.  A couple things to note: this scene also included a few toddler reminders on finding another direction to throw rocks instead of at his brother - so not all is serene 🤪 and also, yes I am now that mom who buys the same clothing for both kids bc it keeps things simple & i think i kinda like it too 🤷🏻‍♀️
Things I love about midwifery among many: the appo Things I love about midwifery among many: the appointments, no matter how long, feel so unhurried. 
Just walked in from an appointment with my midwife because I was due for a Pap test + an overall wellness visit. My last pap was during my first trimester with Cal which feels like a jillion years ago, but it’s only actually been three years. Life changes so fast! Pre-baby life feels like a whole other life.  I’m wayyyy overdue for a visit to my PCP bc I’ve been under OBGYN or midwifery care for the majority of the past three years while having babies, but I am pretty good with keeping up with my paps. It seems women often think they need pap and/or HPV testing way more frequently than they do (and providers sometimes perform these tests more frequently than necessary - remember more testing doesn’t always mean better outcomes!)  So if you need it, here’s a quick little reminder on this chilly spring Friday afternoon on how often you need this testing (these are the recommendations from ACOG)  Women aged 21–29 years should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing is not recommended.  Women aged 30–65 years should have a Pap test and an HPV test (aka co-testing) every 5 years (preferred). It also is acceptable to have a Pap test alone every 3 years.  If you get abnormal results, this testing frequency could change - but for healthy women with normal results, you actually don’t need testing as frequently as you might think. Which is great news for those of you who hate the speculum.  Ok, off to finish up some things on the to-do list (including cleaning this kitchen) during nap time and then come 5 o’clock, crack an IPA with our neighbors 🍻
#AlignPartner Over the past seven months since bec #AlignPartner Over the past seven months since becoming a mom of two, caring for myself has gotten shoved to the back burner. And it's been a challenge to make it a priority. My routine-resistant personality has upsides and downsides when it comes to motherhood. So I'm starting small this year with a consistent bedtime routine that includes taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic and hoping as that becomes consistent, my mornings will naturally shift too.  In short my bedtime currently goes like this….jammies & face care when putting the babies to bed. Before I go to bed (anytime between 9pm and 12am...) I’ll pump, take my supplements and fill my water. Then I go upstairs and brush my teeth. And then get in bed. The kicker: 70% of the time I find myself finishing up tasks on my phone IN BED. I hate this habit.  Back to supplements. This is something I have been able to stick with. On top of fish oil, my prenatal, choline and vitamin D, I recently added @AlignProbiotic 24/7 Digestive Support*§ to see if it helps with abdominal discomfort and regularity because when I don’t drink coffee or am traveling that can get thrown off.  I’ll be taking it every day for the next 28 days since it takes TIME for our bodies to adjust to probiotics - and I'll be taking you guys along with me as I share my honest thoughts. Many people think if they don’t see changes within the first 7-10 days then the probiotic isn’t working, but that’s not the case. I’m giving myself more than just a week or two and instead a full month to see the full benefits. I’ll keep you posted over the next month. Check out my stories to learn more! #MyAlignGutJourney #guthealth
 
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care f We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care for a nap. Putting baby down was harder than I wanted it to be. Miraculously, I had a moment of clarity as I was covered in tiny humans and decided I wasn’t doing the nap battle thing a on 60 degree, gorgeous, sunny spring day 🙅🏻‍♀️ so I piled both babies into the car half naked, opened the sun roof, put on white noise for them and an audio book for me and drank a kombucha as I drove a meal to a postpartum mama. Thirty five minutes later we had a sleeping baby and a toddler who at least had a rest. Baby transferred without waking HALLELUJAH and although my toddler didn’t nap today (lord help) at least we got soaked in breezy sunshine 😎🤘🏻💆🏻‍♀️
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!

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