nurse on the run

Yikes, I'm really bad at this whole blog thing! I've been running (a little), but with the freezing temperatures (high of 16?? what??) and two jobs where I spend all my time on my feet...I've been slacking a little. I'm currently at the end of my nursing program, which means that I spend three weeks following a nurse and working her schedule. Mine happens to work on the weekends (plus a couple shifts during the week), so I spend 7a-7p every Saturday and Sunday at the hospital. Those days are so long! I don't understand how people do three 12 hour shifts in a row because I am exhausted after the two shifts. I'm still working at my part time job (server at a breakfast/lunch restaurant), so I'm keeping busy without all the studying.

That being said, only three more 12 hour shifts at the hospital, and I'm DONE with nursing school! This has been a long, long year, and I'm excited for it to come to a close. The job search isn't going so well. Most people tell me I'll get a job fairly easily because of the "nursing shortage," but let me be the first to tell you that the nursing shortage isn't what people think it is! I'm looking for a job in a big city that is saturated with nurses, and therefore looking to hire people with experience (because they can be picky about who they hire). New grad nurses go through anywhere from a six to twelve (or more!) week orientation, which is not cost-effective for hospitals, so of course they would take someone with experience over a new grad. That doesn't work so well for me! Luckily I can't really start working until March-ish (thanks to the need to have a license to practice, of course), so I still have time to find a job.

Christmas is coming up so soon! I've barely started shopping, which could spell trouble since I wanted to do a lot of it online...shipping might be troublesome at this point! One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the cookies...every year my friends all get together and we decorate sugar cookies, and I'm really excited to continue the tradition this year. Some people are more creative than others, which makes for a good time. I can't wait to see the creations that we have this year!

Alright, time to browse the internet for some Christmas shopping...hopefully I find some good presents!