Showing posts with label nuss twenny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuss twenny. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Back...
assalamu alaikum,
MashaAllah, I'm happy to see you, too! It's been a while, hasn't it?
Today in class we're talking about the CN*L role. CNL means Clin!cal Nur$e Le@der; the program for which I'm studying grants a Master of Science in Nursing degree at the end (please, Lord!), but we also have the option which is pretty strongly pushed to go for the CNL certification.
I was thinking this morning that I really (really) regret not blogging though the beginning of my nursing school career. This is why. I'd love to be able to look back and see how my thinking has changed.
I decided ultimately not to blog, though; partly because I didnt have time, and partly because I didn't want this to become a recording of teh negatives I'm feeling. I really need to be able to look back and remember my 'alhamdulillah' moments.
Next entry: CNM? CNL? MSN? OMG! GMOOH!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
wondering
assalamu alaikum
So what's new?
I had my first clinicals as a nursing student this week. That was interesting. I think the viewpoint of a nurse is very different from an EMT; EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians, those people who come with the ambulance) are a more quickly judging, not nearly as long-term, and more health maintenance and less life-saving. It's funny that I got so much out of my EMT courses; even now I still hear the voice of my teacher, Nurse Wanda, and the stuff I learned is instinctive though I didn't practice much.
I'm treading lightly so far on blogging the nurse thing; part of it is that I don't want to break any laws, and part is that I'm still getting sorted out in my head what I want to say. I do want to blog about it though, because I need to be able to look back on this. Kinda like portareeco.
So, right now the hardest things for me are Nursing Theory (which is so many words without clarity of ideas), and Nursing Research (wherein we learned first about qualitative research, which on the face is some nutty schtuff, lemme tell you). As a matter of fact, I'm off to go study them now.
I think the problem with Theory is that not only is it a bunch of new ideas, but I don't have a paradigm to fit them into right now. That, and the reading is insane.
Mind you, I'm a really good reader, always have been; but the readings for this class always seem to want to be impressive, and use 15 3-syllable words where they can explain the same thing in 5. And, the professor for the class annoys me because she doesn't give straight explanations for the concepts, so that now, at midterm, I feel frustrated and lost. I'm still doing the work for the class, but my feeling is totally making me lose any emotional (and thus motivational) investment in doing well. C=RN, yo.
Research at least is easier to understand; but I have the same issues with the readings. Because I'm a visual-spatial thinker the readings are frustrating to me; I'll read entire pages and not be able to put a single visualization or understanding to anything discussed. It makes me unpleasant to be around at times, I'm sure, because I want to whine.
Oh, do I want to whine.
On other fronts, nothing new with the man... and I refuse to think about it until there is, how'bout that? Really, theory and research and pathophysiology are enough to keep stuck in the back of my head.
Yeah.
There's more to say, but I don't feel the time to say it; it's interesting the pressure I feel to be studying right now. So here I go. Ttys.
bookwormily,
twenny
So what's new?
I had my first clinicals as a nursing student this week. That was interesting. I think the viewpoint of a nurse is very different from an EMT; EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians, those people who come with the ambulance) are a more quickly judging, not nearly as long-term, and more health maintenance and less life-saving. It's funny that I got so much out of my EMT courses; even now I still hear the voice of my teacher, Nurse Wanda, and the stuff I learned is instinctive though I didn't practice much.
I'm treading lightly so far on blogging the nurse thing; part of it is that I don't want to break any laws, and part is that I'm still getting sorted out in my head what I want to say. I do want to blog about it though, because I need to be able to look back on this. Kinda like portareeco.
So, right now the hardest things for me are Nursing Theory (which is so many words without clarity of ideas), and Nursing Research (wherein we learned first about qualitative research, which on the face is some nutty schtuff, lemme tell you). As a matter of fact, I'm off to go study them now.
I think the problem with Theory is that not only is it a bunch of new ideas, but I don't have a paradigm to fit them into right now. That, and the reading is insane.
Mind you, I'm a really good reader, always have been; but the readings for this class always seem to want to be impressive, and use 15 3-syllable words where they can explain the same thing in 5. And, the professor for the class annoys me because she doesn't give straight explanations for the concepts, so that now, at midterm, I feel frustrated and lost. I'm still doing the work for the class, but my feeling is totally making me lose any emotional (and thus motivational) investment in doing well. C=RN, yo.
Research at least is easier to understand; but I have the same issues with the readings. Because I'm a visual-spatial thinker the readings are frustrating to me; I'll read entire pages and not be able to put a single visualization or understanding to anything discussed. It makes me unpleasant to be around at times, I'm sure, because I want to whine.
Oh, do I want to whine.
On other fronts, nothing new with the man... and I refuse to think about it until there is, how'bout that? Really, theory and research and pathophysiology are enough to keep stuck in the back of my head.
Yeah.
There's more to say, but I don't feel the time to say it; it's interesting the pressure I feel to be studying right now. So here I go. Ttys.
bookwormily,
twenny
Sunday, May 09, 2010
hijabi meets a girl wearing tzit tzit and other mysteries
assalamu alaikum
Life continues to be surprising. I'm glad I'm still around.
Today I was in one of my favorite restaurants, one where the people at the service counter do not look twice, but instead love to tease me
"que tipo de frijoles quiere?"
"negros... pero, son habichuelas!"
"quien te dijo? Son frijoles, claro..."
about beans in Spanish.
So anyway, today I stand for several minutes next to a rather overweight person in a baseball cap. Wearing tzit-tzit. And so naturally I thought it was a guy until
she
started talking with a friend about how she was saving to fly to her best friend's wedding in CA this October.
And I just had to ask. I've had enough people ask about my hijab to have a crazy religion question card in my wallet, thanks.
So I did:
"Excuse me... can I ask you a silly question?"
"... Yeah, sure."
"Are those... tzit-tzis you're wearing?"
"Yes, they are!"
"But.. I mean, I've never seen a girl wearing them!"
"I know."
"I just... wow, that's awesome, I don't even know where to start."
"It's pretty cool that you know what they are. I mean, are you Jewish?"
"Nope, I'm Muslim."
"You don't even find many Jews who know what they are."
"I just don't know even where to start! How did you come to wear them?"
And she proceeds to explain that they're a mitzvah that she's always been tied to; and that no, she doesn't attend a Conservative temple; she's Reform.
MashaAllah. In spite of the differences, what I felt was the connection: another woman willingly reaching to take charge of her own spirit and how she shows it.
*****
I'm still excited to be in nursing school; but the last two courses required before I can enter will be trying to kill. me. I KNEW I'd decided never to work and go to school full time again for a reason! Although technically I'm not in school full time (only 8 credits, which means 2 classes and 2 labs, so I'm lucky enough to have Fridays after work free), it FEELS that way. Yesterday afternoon I fell asleep after Asr prayer in the middle of a friend's carpeted floor. I slept for 3 hours right there, past Maghrib. She returned to find me still in the floor. I remarked that I couldn't imagine why I was so tired, and she said, "I know why! You're working and going to school full time, dummy!"
Wait, that makes you tired?!
hee hee.
******
We are officially counting the days until the end of the school year. I know I will miss my students- but we have to finish the year, first. I want to teach Calligraphy and Islamic history in the language arts and Social studies classes, fun stuff that will hold their attention and get me through.
OH SHOOT. I forgot my grades were due today. Oh well, they'll wait until tomorrow.
Ideas welcome.
----------
Lastly, the marriage search is still on, albeit in low-key format. I'm still stewing at Sh. Yaser Birjas and the Practimate team; as far as I'm concerned, they owe me $400. Ask me if you want to know more about that.
SafiyaOutlines has a new post up about Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men; I'm sure she'd appreciate your comments. All 2 of you who still hold out for my blog posts. Bless you both.
peace
twennytwo
Life continues to be surprising. I'm glad I'm still around.
Today I was in one of my favorite restaurants, one where the people at the service counter do not look twice, but instead love to tease me
"que tipo de frijoles quiere?"
"negros... pero, son habichuelas!"
"quien te dijo? Son frijoles, claro..."
about beans in Spanish.
So anyway, today I stand for several minutes next to a rather overweight person in a baseball cap. Wearing tzit-tzit. And so naturally I thought it was a guy until
she
started talking with a friend about how she was saving to fly to her best friend's wedding in CA this October.
And I just had to ask. I've had enough people ask about my hijab to have a crazy religion question card in my wallet, thanks.
So I did:
"Excuse me... can I ask you a silly question?"
"... Yeah, sure."
"Are those... tzit-tzis you're wearing?"
"Yes, they are!"
"But.. I mean, I've never seen a girl wearing them!"
"I know."
"I just... wow, that's awesome, I don't even know where to start."
"It's pretty cool that you know what they are. I mean, are you Jewish?"
"Nope, I'm Muslim."
"You don't even find many Jews who know what they are."
"I just don't know even where to start! How did you come to wear them?"
And she proceeds to explain that they're a mitzvah that she's always been tied to; and that no, she doesn't attend a Conservative temple; she's Reform.
MashaAllah. In spite of the differences, what I felt was the connection: another woman willingly reaching to take charge of her own spirit and how she shows it.
*****
I'm still excited to be in nursing school; but the last two courses required before I can enter will be trying to kill. me. I KNEW I'd decided never to work and go to school full time again for a reason! Although technically I'm not in school full time (only 8 credits, which means 2 classes and 2 labs, so I'm lucky enough to have Fridays after work free), it FEELS that way. Yesterday afternoon I fell asleep after Asr prayer in the middle of a friend's carpeted floor. I slept for 3 hours right there, past Maghrib. She returned to find me still in the floor. I remarked that I couldn't imagine why I was so tired, and she said, "I know why! You're working and going to school full time, dummy!"
Wait, that makes you tired?!
hee hee.
******
We are officially counting the days until the end of the school year. I know I will miss my students- but we have to finish the year, first. I want to teach Calligraphy and Islamic history in the language arts and Social studies classes, fun stuff that will hold their attention and get me through.
OH SHOOT. I forgot my grades were due today. Oh well, they'll wait until tomorrow.
Ideas welcome.
----------
Lastly, the marriage search is still on, albeit in low-key format. I'm still stewing at Sh. Yaser Birjas and the Practimate team; as far as I'm concerned, they owe me $400. Ask me if you want to know more about that.
SafiyaOutlines has a new post up about Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men; I'm sure she'd appreciate your comments. All 2 of you who still hold out for my blog posts. Bless you both.
peace
twennytwo
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Marching on
assalamu alaikum,
ALHAMDULILLAH!
I got into nursing school!
:oD
Yes, that's a bigole grin on my face. So much has been going on that the actual acceptnce was a relief. I'll be doing my master's in nursing at the local Catholic university.
I have wanted this for SO long. It's truly terrifying to be without income (except loans) for 2 years. Y'all know me; I never have just one job.
Still, I promised myself I'd never work and do school again. Right now I'm focusing on scholarships and grants. If I have to take loans, then... Allah knows best. I've busted my backside to get my loans as low as they are now. I suppose I need to take Spring Break and find a summer tutoring position. Or something. If I could clean my credit card completely by the end of the summer I'd feel a lot better. I already have some babysitting/tutoring lined up; it's going to be a full summer! Ramadhan- and the start of school- will feel like a relief.
I turned in my letter of resignation last week; it followed some drama. As one of the other staff members told me, "Girl, you have impeccable timing." I haven't been writing about it, but I put up with a lot of shtuff off of the administrators- either bad management and manners, or complete lack of leadership which is worse in one or two ways- and I did it with the view of school firmly in front of me. The principal took it into his head to yell at me in front of people a few times, and made his apologies as quiet as a mouse. I think for me that's what made my application seriously. I made istikhara on it. I'm not saying it's okay for me to be wrong, and I certainly accept a reprimand when it's due. What's not okay is you losing your professionalism or behaving as if you own me. Which this school certainly does not- they're losing another teacher this year to a $10K raise in salary, in a nicer climate. I'm very happy for everyone who has what they want.
Speaking of which, BAM just had the 'inlaws' walima. I'm really excited for him; can't wait to meet his wife. I wondered, when the healthcare bill passed, if it would have affected whether or not they married; but the fact is, I saw it in his eyes when he talked about his now-wife. He's crazy 'bout that girl. So it's good they're together, for whatever reason.
Which leads me to April being a very busy month, in part because we're going to a matrimonial session in DC. Imam Magid is running it; and a group of us are 'tripping it. That's the third weekend in April; this weekend I'm headed to see my great-grandmother with my sister. That won't be as fun a trip as I'd hoped; we'll be cooking for my grandfather and great-grandmother and making sure they're comfortable... G'mama is nearly 100 years old. Even two or three days with her are precious.
Then, the next week is the Conservopolis version of the Amazing Race. This year we want to win it!
And then the last weekend... well, the last weekend is the weekend before May, when the kids will have Field Day, the last Field Trip, and the annual school fund raiser. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
The hardest part for me- beyond cleaning out that classroom- will be the 4th quarter push. I need to take Spring Break and rest, so I can push through it. The last quarter of the year has always been about yearning for Summer for me, and my birthday, and just generally not wanting to teach. After the 1st week of May it's really over. I'm planning on teaching calligraphy- a few of my kids have terrible handwriting, but most of them are artistic and will enjoy that as much as I do- and doing a lot of reading discussion. They've got to study grammar, too. It's hard to fight my own attitude and realize that this one year is all I've had with them. Just like my years with my kids in PR, and VA. I know I will be asked about what I taught, and what they learned. I can only make dua'a that it's enough.
*sigh* I'm ti-yeerd. iA I'll get back to y'all later...
peace
twennytwo
ALHAMDULILLAH!
I got into nursing school!
:oD
Yes, that's a bigole grin on my face. So much has been going on that the actual acceptnce was a relief. I'll be doing my master's in nursing at the local Catholic university.
I have wanted this for SO long. It's truly terrifying to be without income (except loans) for 2 years. Y'all know me; I never have just one job.
Still, I promised myself I'd never work and do school again. Right now I'm focusing on scholarships and grants. If I have to take loans, then... Allah knows best. I've busted my backside to get my loans as low as they are now. I suppose I need to take Spring Break and find a summer tutoring position. Or something. If I could clean my credit card completely by the end of the summer I'd feel a lot better. I already have some babysitting/tutoring lined up; it's going to be a full summer! Ramadhan- and the start of school- will feel like a relief.
I turned in my letter of resignation last week; it followed some drama. As one of the other staff members told me, "Girl, you have impeccable timing." I haven't been writing about it, but I put up with a lot of shtuff off of the administrators- either bad management and manners, or complete lack of leadership which is worse in one or two ways- and I did it with the view of school firmly in front of me. The principal took it into his head to yell at me in front of people a few times, and made his apologies as quiet as a mouse. I think for me that's what made my application seriously. I made istikhara on it. I'm not saying it's okay for me to be wrong, and I certainly accept a reprimand when it's due. What's not okay is you losing your professionalism or behaving as if you own me. Which this school certainly does not- they're losing another teacher this year to a $10K raise in salary, in a nicer climate. I'm very happy for everyone who has what they want.
Speaking of which, BAM just had the 'inlaws' walima. I'm really excited for him; can't wait to meet his wife. I wondered, when the healthcare bill passed, if it would have affected whether or not they married; but the fact is, I saw it in his eyes when he talked about his now-wife. He's crazy 'bout that girl. So it's good they're together, for whatever reason.
Which leads me to April being a very busy month, in part because we're going to a matrimonial session in DC. Imam Magid is running it; and a group of us are 'tripping it. That's the third weekend in April; this weekend I'm headed to see my great-grandmother with my sister. That won't be as fun a trip as I'd hoped; we'll be cooking for my grandfather and great-grandmother and making sure they're comfortable... G'mama is nearly 100 years old. Even two or three days with her are precious.
Then, the next week is the Conservopolis version of the Amazing Race. This year we want to win it!
And then the last weekend... well, the last weekend is the weekend before May, when the kids will have Field Day, the last Field Trip, and the annual school fund raiser. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
The hardest part for me- beyond cleaning out that classroom- will be the 4th quarter push. I need to take Spring Break and rest, so I can push through it. The last quarter of the year has always been about yearning for Summer for me, and my birthday, and just generally not wanting to teach. After the 1st week of May it's really over. I'm planning on teaching calligraphy- a few of my kids have terrible handwriting, but most of them are artistic and will enjoy that as much as I do- and doing a lot of reading discussion. They've got to study grammar, too. It's hard to fight my own attitude and realize that this one year is all I've had with them. Just like my years with my kids in PR, and VA. I know I will be asked about what I taught, and what they learned. I can only make dua'a that it's enough.
*sigh* I'm ti-yeerd. iA I'll get back to y'all later...
peace
twennytwo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)