Hello lovelies. It’s been a while. Life has been… well… nursing school.

This past weekend has been the first weekend I’ve had reprieve since August 25th. This semester has been tough. To be quite honest, it feels like I’m a hamster on one of those wheels except I can’t ever get off. I just run, run, run my little legs trying not to get flung off like a rag doll.

Okay I’m being dramatic but it’s been rough out here y’all. If you are one of the brave souls who has graduated from nursing school or is currently in the thick of it, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a lot. Like really a lot. It’s like being thrown into a fiery incinerator and being told to climb out unscathed. Okay that’s my last dramatic comment I promise.

Semester Highlights Thus Far

• I learned how to insert an I.V.! I have yet to insert one into a real human, but so far I have pricked and prodded about 100 fake arms so that’s pretty cool. I also learned how to administer I.V. medications and set up pump systems. Those things sure do love to beep. My ICU people know this all too well.
• Labor and delivery clinical has been absolutely amazing. I have fallen even more deeply in love with women’s health and obstetrics. My heart is in this work and I cannot imagine myself in any other speciality at the moment. However, I will be spending the day in the NICU next week and I have a strong feeling that my heart may be pulled in two directions after that. We will see.
• I celebrated my 5 year anniversary on October 1st. Wow. 5 years. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Time flies.
• I was given the opportunity to speak to senior CNA students at my high school a few weeks ago about my experience as a nursing student at UT. Stepping back into that building I left 3 years ago brought up a lot of feelings. Nostalgia. Empathy. Gratitude. I’ve changed drastically from the person I was when I graduated back in 2018. I know that some of the students whom I spoke to probably don’t know what they are doing or who they really are yet. I understand them, I know them – I was them. I feel grateful for where I am today and every challenge I’ve overcome to be here.
• Even though I’ve been bogged down with assignments every single day since the start of the semester, I still made time to do things outside of nursing. I went to ACL and had a blast with all of my friends. I went to OU weekend up in Dallas, which was a fever dream to say the least. No sleep took place that weekend. I had the time of my life making memories with some of my best friends even though we lost… but let’s not talk about that part.

Some Reflection

This semester has been a whirlwind filled with never-ending assignments, quizzes, exams, projects and more, but also with laughter, joy, excitement, and memories that’ll last a lifetime. I’ve only just been able to sit down and reflect on it all this weekend. No matter how much I, excuse my language, bitch and complain about nursing school, I’m going to miss it a lot when I graduate next December. This semester has gone by so fast. Lightning fast. We only have 5 weeks of actual school left. Someone please explain to me how that is possible. How is it that I only have one semester left with some of best friends who are going to graduate in the spring? Time needs to slow down.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to be present in the moment. I am a chronic planner and guilty of always thinking of what’s next. But life is not meant to be lived always in anticipation of what’s coming. Sometimes we need to slow down and absorb the blessings around us now. Live in the presence of the gifts of today. Tomorrow they may not be anymore.

The holiday season is approaching soon. What a great time to start living in the now. I hope you take time this week to appreciate the now – the little moments in each day that make life worth living. Let’s practice true mindfulness.

We’ll talk soon.

Lovisa Kay