Page 89 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

did not know what to think. I spent the ride home thinking about all the questions I
was not sure about and soon enough I was feeling anxiety about questions I thought
I should have answered differently. However, I knew at the end of the day I did the
best I could, and it was out of my hands now.
I took the NCLEX on Friday, and Sunday I had the option to view my exam results
early on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website for a
small fee. I remember entering my debit card information, and I had to have my
sister click submit because I could not bring myself to do it. I shut my eyes while the
screen loaded, and to my relief, it said I had passed! I was now a registered nurse. I
could not believe it. All of my hard work had brought me to this point, and since I
now had RN next to my name, the next task was to find a job to put my practice into
play. I went to a career fair for “Experienced RNs” with my two nursing school
friends, and all three of us got hired despite being new graduates. As a new graduate
RN, I learn something new every day at work and love the nursing profession. Now
that you are done, you will notice that even in regard to everyday matters, you will
be thinking like a nurse and you might not realize it. I have caught myself doing it
on multiple occasions and assessing random people I see in public.
A few important things to remember, both as a nursing student and as a new
graduate RN: Do tasks in a way that works best for you and stick with it, do not be
too hard on yourself, do not be afraid to ask questions (there is no stupid question),
and do not give up. I have had days both in nursing school and in my career where I
thought to myself, “Is this really worth it?” The answer is yes. You will grow
immensely as a human being. I remember being scared to even turn a patient or give
a bed bath in my fundamentals course, and now I have the strength to hold a
deteriorating patient’s hand and look in their eyes as they are rushed to the intensive
care unit after I assessed the patient was in distress. As a nurse, you are in the
position to care for sick people who will remember your face and the way you made
them feel for the rest of their lives. The impact you have as a nurse is bigger than you
realize. Nursing is not an easy profession, but your passion has brought you this far,
and it will bring you farther than you can imagine. Congratulations on making it this
far, and good luck on the NCLEX and your future career! As a nurse, you will make
a difference wherever you go!

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