Thursday, January 8, 2009

Thank you

I graduated from nursing school!!!

As Frances wrote earlier, I graduated on December 19th. I took two weeks to enjoy a trip to Virginia to see Frances’ sister Beth and our new niece, Arianna. I also enjoyed spending time with Frances over the Christmas Octave. Over the last week or so I’ve continued studying for the NCLEX, the National Council Licensure Examination. It’s the test I need to pass in order to get my license. Along with my graduating classmates, I’m waiting to receive permission to schedule my test from the NCBON, North Carolina Board of Nursing. Once it's received, I’ll schedule my test as soon as possible, but I’ve decided not to reveal the test date to minimize anxiety.

As for the NCLEX, it’s what I call a smart test. Basically, before you answer the first question, you are standing on the pass/fail line. If you answer 10 questions correctly, then you move 10 steps over to the pass side of the line. If you get a question wrong, then you move back towards the line. If you get a lot wrong then you move over to the failing side of the line. The minimum amount of questions is 75 and the max is 265. So, if you get a lot correct, then you can pass in 75 questions. If you get a few right and then a few wrong, you could hover over the line until 265. You could also fail in 75 questions. Bottom line here is that you don’t know how you did until you see the results.

It’s a computer test, so the majority of questions will be multiple choice, but they have at least four other types of question formats. If you’re really interested in seeing them, click here.

No matter what happens, first and foremost, I wouldn’t be here without our Lord. Through Holy Mother Church, God has been there every step. When I felt like the ground slipped away, He lifted me up so I wouldn’t fall. Yet, when I did fall, He waited for me to ask for help and then He always picked me up. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting specific stories of how He used others to guide, lift, nourish, support, and help me get through. (Yes, I will be saving the best for last, Frances.) Though I won’t be able to thank every single person by name, I am grateful for everyone who did help, especially those who have been praying for me. There were plenty of hard moments when I could even feel that grace.

Praise be to the Lord and stay tuned…

1 comment:

Melissa said...

Congratulations, David!!! What a huge accomplishment! Don't worry about the NCLEX...after nursing school, it's a piece of cake!

I'll share this story, because I think it's hilarious now (although I didn't at the time): When I graduated with my BSN (7 years ago) I was 5 months pregnant with my son. I decided to wait and test after he was born, using that time to "study". (HA!) The nearest testing center was an hour away, and when my little man was only six weeks old, my dear husband drove us there with a couple bottles of expressed breast milk along for the ride. I was a nervous wreck. It was the first time I had been seperated from my son, and I worried the whole time. My friends, who had all tested already in the months before me, had scared me with tales of 265 questions and hours-long tests. When I finished in under an hour with only 75 questions, I just KNEW I had failed. I cried to my husband on the way home that the only reason it shut off after 75 was because I had missed every single one of them and there was no hope of me passing. Thankfully, that was not the case. :) I remember it took a few weeks to get my results (I was checking the NM Board of Nursing website every day!) but I was SO HAPPY when I saw that I had passed!!!

Sorry for the long comment, but I just want to encourage you to enter the test site with confidence and know that you WILL succeed!!! Have faith!!!

Congratulations again, and, I just have to say this, too: Frances looks absolutely beautiful in the previous post! :)

God bless you, David!