Just sweet...

Just as a treat and a break for myself, I went with my friend to the nail salon for a mani/pedi. The last time I went was like 6 months ago! (In nursing school, they'd chastise us if we had our nails done and plus, I barely had time for it.) It was really relaxing and I'm glad I just took some time off to get pampered. When I was leaving the salon, the owners asked how I was doing and such (I've known them since I was in grade school) and they asked what I graduated as. When they heard I became a nurse, the customer sitting in front of the owner was just so pleased! She was glad I was going into the city to work because hospitals around here aren't as great anymore. She also told me "Don't allow yourself to be eaten alive by the older nurses...they need to learn to accomodate you and you need to learn...I'm just so happy to see younger people going into the profession. It always warms my heart. Best of luck and God bless you..." I thought that was so sweet. It made me feel really great about the profession--she made it seem more like a calling than just "work" (as a few jaded people in nursing see it these days, unfortunately).

I figured I wouldn't get any studying done immediately after as I had just taken a 3 hour/180 question Kaplan NCLEX Readyness Test this morning. This time, I was able to sit there without fidgeting or getting bleary eyed for the entire 3 hours. Mind you, the NCLEX is a max of 6 hours, but at least I can sit for 3 so far. I still have to work my way up. I've been practicing questions everyday since I started Kaplan last week and my endurance has definitely gone up. The price you pay is still a rip-off, but I just wanted the extra confidence boost that I knew the course would offer me. The test is a month away (Feb 19) but I'm still a tad nervous! I think it's because of all that passing can do for me--I can finally work in a hospital as a nurse (can't work as a GN without a license here), I won't have to pay a ridiculous amount every month for insurance (cause I'm on Cobra right now since I graduated), and I can just stop stressing out about this test and do things without worrying about studying. (I.E.: I go to a movie or out for dinner with some people and I stilll have the test on the back of my mind.) It's been driving me insane! My fiance knows and unfortunately, I took out some of the stress on him earlier this week. But, he gets why I'm so crazed. I did find out that working out more often definitely helps me cope with stress

Boards Drama

Soooo today, after the Kaplan class, a couple of people from my school showed up at the center to take the diagnostic test. I found out from them that they received their ATT (Authorization To Test) from the State this morning at like 9 AM. When I heard that, I was so eager to just go home and check my email, but I first had lunch with some of my nursing girls then sped home and checked...

of course there was NOTHING about ATT in my inbox...and that really threw me off!


I immediately sent text messages to friends asking if they had gotten their ATTs and some had and some hadn't. I just found it odd because I had sent in my paperwork last month, well in advance in order to be on top of things.

I called Pearson Vue (the test people) asking if they got anything from the state board, but they didn't, so the lady was kind enough to give me NYS Board's number and extension. I called NYS Board and the lady almost made my heart stop beating. She said that she only had received my college's verification that I graduated from the nursing program, but not the payment or application. So, I explained how I mailed it in last month with a certified receipt and this information made her check again. Fortunately, she found it and explained that they had mixed up my files and separated them, so she put me on hold while she combined the files. Then, she told me she would email the Pearson people so that I had an ATT in 24-48 hours.

All I can say is, WHEWWWW. THANK GOD I CLEARED THAT UP!

I sent in my paperwork a month ago, hoping to be ahead and have my stuff processed fast, but that totally did not happen!

I'm already stressed with studying for this board and to have someone say they have none of your payment/application (which was notarized and has a picture of me for ID purposes) would just not help things...

Anyway, back to studying...