A Cricut Vinyl Project

I received this cup from a Baptist Nursing Fellowship conference I attended, and I knew I wanted to Cricut something onto it to make it into something special.  After a little creativity and time with the Cricut, this is what I came up with!  Fun!

Nursing School Tips for Success

Hello again, Friends!  Below I have compiled some tips that have helped me out over four years of nursing school - I hope they do the same for you!

1. Use a planner.  It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive - just something to keep everything on track.  Write down all assignment dates, test dates, and clinical dates, and even schedule in time for homework/assignments if needed. 

2.  Form study groups.  Studying with others can bring to light concepts you may have not understood. It's easy to just chat and not get work done though, so make sure you set aside time for productive studying, and then time for chatting. 

3. Teach your materials to others.  Did you know that teaching your material to others actually helps you learn it better?  It makes you think through it and condense it into something you can then relate to another person. This process actually helps YOU!  My friends and I would teach each other the concepts and in turn, it helped us to understand them better.  Teach anyone - a parent, your roommate, your pet, or even a stuffed animal - you will be pleasantly surprised!  

4. Ask for help early.  If there is anything you are struggling with while learning, don't wait until you are drowning before asking for help.  Strong, smart people ask for help before everything is too overwhelming to recover from. 

5. Take time for yourself.  This is so hard but SO important!!  If you aren't taking care of yourself, you can't effectively care for others or be at your best for learning. 

6. Study the material you're not solid on.  Oftentimes our study time is very limited. Make the most out of it by spending the time on the material you feel you don't have a good grasp on, rather than re-studying things that you already understand well. 

7.  Write down questions that arise.  Anytime you come across a question you can't find the answer to, write it down. You may find the answer to your question the farther you study, or if not you already have the question in an easily accessible place so you can email your teacher or ask in class. 

8. Read efficiently.  There is often not enough time to read every page or even every paragraph that is assigned.  Read headers, titles, and topic sentences, and pay very special attention to any boxes, charts, or diagrams. 

9. Make concept maps.  This can help you to see how topics are related, as well as another great way to reinforce or learn the material. 

10. Remember that you are doing amazing!

What I Am Up to These Days

Why, hello there!  It has been a little while!  Life has been bursting at the seams with busyness, but I have missed writing here and have decided I need to do something to change that.  A little update is in order first though.  In December of 2021, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.  Praise the Lord! He carried me through the toughest 4.5-year program with such grace and mercy that I am still astounded at all He has done for me. After several job interviews and offers, I accepted a job at a hospital on a Mother/Baby floor where I care for postpartum mothers and infants.  Life has been very busy since then. I have worked at the hospital, as well as part-time as a camp nurse, and taught CPR classes all at the same time while keeping up with everyday life, church activities, and family.  Additionally, last fall I started a graduate program to become a nurse practitioner. It has been a wild ride but I have learned and grown so much.  I have missed this blog though and I hope to post more over the next few weeks!  

Surviving a Secular College as a Christian

Being a Christian while attending a secular college can sound like a daunting experience.  I know I had my hesitations about the environment I would be entering.  These are a few thoughts I have compiled below as I begin my eighth semester of college classes at a secular public university. 

Remember you are not alone.  Though they may be hard to find, there are people on campus who share your Christian beliefs.  I remember my first semester thinking I was literally the only person on campus who had a Christian worldview.  Fortunately, I was wrong. You may not meet every Christian student within the first week, month, or maybe even year.   It can feel very isolating, especially if you don't know anyone at first, but refuse to give up hope!  It may take time, but they are out there somewhere!   

Find a religious group to plug into.  I cannot emphasize this enough!  Look to see what type of Christian organizations are on your campus!  I was blessed enough to find TWO Christian groups that are full of loving, Godly people.  If there is not a Christian group already established, maybe God will lead you to start one.

Rely on relationships from your family, friends, and church.  If you're attending college away from home, find a church home for the time you're there.  Someone from the church will likely be willing to pick you up and drop you off if you don't have transportation. 

Be the one to reach out to others.  It is more blessed to give than to receive, and truly he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.  The world is full of broken souls who need to be reminded that they are valued, loved, and needed.  

Be confident in your faith.  Read an apologetics book if it'll help you be more comfortable with your responses to tough questions.  I really liked "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel.  Never apologize or be embarrassed to confess your faith.  Your beliefs are just as valid as anyone else's, and you have every right to them.  

Keep up your Bible reading and prayer time. Life gets super busy with college classes, so keep your time with God a priority.  As Corrie ten Boom says, "Don't pray when you feel like it.  Rather, have an appointment with the Lord, and keep it!" Pencil it in your schedule if it'll help you keep your appointment.  As wonderful as outside Christian friends, groups, and churches are, they cannot take the place of your personal time alone with the Lord.  

Be rooted in your beliefs, but have an open mind.  I started college with the mindset that I had to shield and protect myself from everyone and everything that I might come into contact with because it would go against my beliefs.  I am blessed to say this has not been my experience.  I've had my share of outspoken atheistic professors, but the good far outweighs the bad and they did not succeed in pushing their beliefs on me. 

Remember God is with you ALWAYS (Matthew 28:20).  You are never alone because God is with you and has gone before you.  He is the One who will give you strength and keep you safe in His loving arms.  Rest in the promise that He will never leave you or forsake you.  

Blessings,

Emily

What College Has Taught Me

Three years of college have taught me a lot of book knowledge, but possibly the most important lessons it has taught me are those regarding life.  I hope these lessons will stick with me long graduation fades into a distant memory. 

The world is full of hurting, broken people.

So be that listening ear.  Be the one that walks the long way to your car because someone is pouring out their life story to you.  Be the shoulder to cry on when life is tough for your fellow classmate.  Be the one that shares class notes with the person who missed a class when they were without childcare.  Smile kindly at the person who took your favorite seat.  Everyone is fighting their own often unseen battles, so spread God's love and grace when and where you can. 

Not everyone believes the way I do, and that's okay too.

They are still precious in God's sight and I should treat them as such.  I don't condone hanging out with bad influences, but you may be the light God intentionally sets in someone's path.  We can agree to disagree and still have respect for each other and our differences. 

You don't have to believe everything someone tells you.  

I was taught things in class that are contrary to the beliefs I hold.  But you know what?  It is so freeing to know I don't have to believe it just because they say it is true! What is true for someone else doesn't automatically have to be true for me too.  Others are entitled to their beliefs and I'm entitled to mine as well.  If that means remembering something only long enough to regurgitate it on a test, so be it.  Recognize it for what it is and then move on.  

Grades are important, but they do not define you.  Many grades are not representative of what you know.  You can be taught how to be a safe nurse, but you can't be taught how to be a caring nurse.  School can teach you how to start an intravenous line, but it can't teach you how to listen compassionately to a patient's fears surrounding the placement of one.   

Enjoy the journey.  Like everything else, "this too shall pass," so make the most of it through the joyful and the difficult seasons.  

"Time-Out"

In the Medical-Surgical nursing class I’m taking this semester, we are each assigned a day to observe in the operating room.  It was an interesting experience and I got to see an intense surgical procedure.  One thing in particular that I saw stood out to me: before the first tool was touched or the first incision made, the nurse called what they identified as a “Time-Out.” This involved ensuring they were operating on the right patient, performing the right procedure at the right site, and identified allergies and other important data. It was a moment to pause and receive affirmation they were doing the right thing before proceeding on.  Of course, you know I love finding parallels.  So here it is: in our fast-paced, goal-oriented lifestyles today, we seldom take the time to pause and ensure we are doing the right thing and making the right decisions.  I for sure am guilty of this!  This OR experience made me ponder: Do I call my own “time-out” and seek God’s wisdom before I plunge ahead with something important or risky?  Or do I blindly trust my own knowledge, experience, emotions, and understanding of the situation?  Unfortunately, I often pick the latter.  How many mistakes would we save ourselves from if we paused for a moment before acting?  Probably quite a few.  With this “time-out” in mind, I am reminded of Corrie ten Boom’s wise words: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”