And the Math was way more advanced that I would have figured and it was brutal. The reading, writing and oral was easy, and I got 100%, but the math not so much. She told us no one ever finishes and yea no where close to finishing here. I also found out that because I am going into the weekend program I have to pass at high standards than the day program since they have less time to go over math stuff. So I was one question away from "passing" for the weekend program, the program recruiter said I could go back and fix one or do another one, but she said we will get to that after the interview. Well once she found out I have a B.A. and have Masters level course work under my belt she said the math was fine and to just brush up on the stuff I missed.
Whew! I was a little worried there for a minute once I got into her office. I would have been way more prepared if their Secretary would have given the correct information to me when I asked, but oh well, they know I am fully capable so it wasn't an issue thankfully (oh and one mistake I made in my rush to get through the math was saying that 6 to the second power was 12...duh! so I said to her, "Oh that should be 36 right?" So I did fix one technically for her, but still, if I knew I had to brush up on high school math, not middle school like I was told I would have been better prepared that's for sure! Math and I didn't get along in high school, but I did great in college and masters level statistics...go figure.
Anyway after the interview she said I was in, they didn't have the packets yet for the January program (the other people there I think were all going for the October day program) so she said they would mail it out at the beginning of October. I have to go get a physical (haven't had one of those since college) and a TB test, proof of immunizations, etc. and once that is handed in I will get cleared for when clinical start. I also have to actually apply to the college as well, so now I have to get my transcripts from Elmhurst College. So I have plenty to keep me busy. I register November 15th and classes start January 21st I believe it was. The first week of class they do the background checks and fingerprinting and they have people come in to measure us for our scrub tops and smocks (we have to buy our own white scrub pants and white leather shoes...(yes nurse shoes, but they have come a long way from what you're thinking).
Once you pass the course and clinical, then you have to sit for the state exam in order to be certified. They do this right at the college which is nice.
This program also does a mini program on job training, getting a resume ready, interview skills, etc and then they have a job fair at the end of the program for ONLY the BNAT program students, with all the area hospitals and LTC (long term care or nursing homes), and home health care agencies. She said most graduates find employment that day or shortly after with one of the companies at the job fair...awesome!
I ultimately want to end up as a patient care tech (PCT) on a L&D/mother baby unit or a OB tech on L&D/mother baby (I would get to scrub in on c-sections and assist with vaginal births) but the first step is becoming a certified nurse assistant (CNA), then getting hired on to one of those floors and then they train you in house for those roles. Once the kids are older I can then go on into the colleges LPN/RN program, but that will be down the road a bit, but in order to go into their nursing program (or most now for that matter) you have to go through their BNAT program, so I will at least have that out of the way and a good amount of experience which will be very beneficial as well.
I am so, so, very excited to finally be getting started on my career. If you would have asked me in high school or college if I was going to be in the nursing field, I would have died laughing at you. It wasn't until college was done and over and grad school was less than full filling, that I figured out what I wanted to do when I grew up. What I have been through since giving birth to Logan has probably been the biggest factor and motivator, but really I have been apart of the nursing world my whole life dealing with my Dad's health.
I have been kind of a CNA my whole life in helping take care of my Dad. I know how to use various glucose machines, I know how to fill a needle with insulin, I know how to use auto blood pressure machines (I will get to learn how to take vitals in class the old fashion way, but most hospitals use the auto machines). I know what to do when someones blood sugar crashes, I have fed my dad when he was hospitalized and too weak to do it himself. Then there are all the duties I do because he is blind. Medication ordering, daily life stuff and what not. Really, I would make a great nurse with a certificate in diabetic patients because I know a lot about that subject already. There have also been two kidney transplants (although I only remember the one) and a third looking very likely unfortunately. So as you can see nursing has always been apart of my life, but I never though of it as a career until I had my babies and suffered a miscarriage.
I guess I always associated anything hospital, nursing, doctor etc. as bad and when you have watched your Dad go through all that, and brush very close to death a few times that would be understandable. But when I had Logan and again very difficult delivery and of course the NICU stay, something changed and I saw these nurses in a whole new light. I had one CNA that was so sweet, she went above and beyond while she took care of me, even kept my meals warm and from being taken away while Matt and I were down in the NICU with Logan and wouldn't you know I had her again when I had Ava. Watching these nurses and CNA's take care of me and Logan just really opened my eyes.
Once things settled down with Logan, I started looking into what was involved for becoming a CNA. I wanted to have another baby first I decided and would start after that baby was a year old, of course that road to baby number two was a very long one, but was the final push I needed. I have talked all that out here before, but losing Peanut and the good and bad care I received during that difficult time was the final push. I wanted this, and all these experiences I have had since I was so very little with nurses in particular, were meant to lead me here. It all feels so right now.
So here I am at 29, finally starting my career!
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