Building Your Portfolio

The process of building your portfolio can start when you are in nursing school. Participation in extracurricular service activities, especially when they are related to nursing, is one way to boost your marketability after graduation. Community service activities (CSER), for example, is a great opportunity to use your skills to benefit others as well as a great addition to your resume. When I was sophomore nursing student, I taught a class on the effects of drug addiction on the brain to a group of women recovering from various addictions at a local Teen Challenge. Other great opportunities to serve and simultaneously hone nursing skills and expand your knowledge base is volunteering in the nursing skills lab and tutoring student nurses in nursing courses, such as Patho, Med/Surg, and pharmacology. I did both of these when I was an upperclassman, and there is so much truth in the old adage that the teacher learns more than the student.

You also don't have to wait until you pass your boards to start attending continuing education (CE) activities such as professional conferences. There are usually plenty of offerings for local CE opportunities. Honors students might be interested in petitioning critical care as this involved attending a single critical care conference when I attended LUSON. See your instructor for current petitioning requirements.

NCLEX Scheduling Information

When you schedule your NCLEX, there are three main steps you need to take (possibly more depending on the state). The three steps are register online with the State Board of Nursing with which you wish to be licensed, register with Pearson, and get fingerprinted. In North Carolina the cost of registering to be considered eligible to sit for boards was $75 and is done through Nurse Gateway, which is the portal used to register and check the status of your application to become an RN. The cost to actually take the test at one of Pearson's testing centers was $200. For the background check, the cost of the background investigation was $38, and the cost to have my fingerprints taken with the LiveScan (a requirement of the NC state board of nursing [NCBON]) was $10 at the nearest LiveScan equipped police department in NC. For more information about testing in North Carolina, see the NCBON website and check out the information listed under the licensure/listing tab.

Once you have filled out all your information online or on paper forms (depending on your state protocol), routed your official transcript electronically or through the mail (NC requires electronic for out of state school applicants such as Liberty), registered with Pearson Vue, and submitted your fingerprints and release of personal information, you will await the approval to test (ATT). Once you receive your ATT, schedule your test RIGHT AWAY! I, unfortunately, waited about 30 hours to schedule my test after receiving my ATT because I wanted to take more practice quizzes and see how I was doing before scheduling my test  date. I had no idea that test dates were filling up quickly, and I was forced to wait several more weeks than I would have liked to test.

The story of my NCLEX is to be continued...I test on June 16th.

Perfect Peace

How many of us wish we lived in "perfect peace" all the time? I know I do. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Now that's a promise! Over the past few days the Lord has been convicting me that I often allow myself to become distracted by the "cares of this world" (Mark 4:19) that easily crowd out thoughts of my Savior. Instead of continually renewing my focus on Him and devoting myself to Him "in body and spirit" (1 Cor. 7:34), I all too easily allow my focus to drift away from Him to things like homework, clinicals, and grades. 

I know that it the middle of the semester, and that this can be a difficult time with Mid-Terms and exams that just don't seem to end in Nursing School, but I want to challenge you, as I am challenging myself, to remain focused on the Lord. I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers this morning, and Chambers challenged his readers to "use your imagination to put yourself before God" (p. 42). What he meant by that was to use your imagination (your thoughts) in a way worthy of the Lord (Phil. 4:8-9). Instead of our imagination living in a starved state because it is set on thinking about whatever our empty impulses desire, we can instead set our thoughts to contemplate the majesty and the wonder of God. Where can we look for our inspiration? The beauty of sunsets artfully painted by God, the trickling or thundering waterfall pouring over the side of a cliff, the majestic scene of mountains overlaid with clouds of water vapor, the starry host of heaven twinkling in an inky sky--these are all launching boards for our imaginations to imagine God--to consider and meditate on His power, majesty, and grace in saving us mere humans. 

When setting our mind on Christ our King and Creator, we have no reason to fear the future, to worry about what will come our way, or to think for a moment that He might not come through for us this time. Instead we can rejoice with the psalmist who realized the majesty and the wonder of God and found "perfect peace" in Him. Psalm 8:1-4, 9: "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? . . . O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

 

Relationships in Nursing School

I often am asked by other nursing students my opinion on relationships in nursing school and whether it’s possible to have a boyfriend while in enrolled in such a rigorous program such as Liberty’s. My response in the past was to smile and remind the nursing student who asked the question that God is in control of everything, including her love story. While I used to point out that I knew several nursing students who had boyfriends, were engaged or even married, now I can testify from personal experience that it is possible to have a boyfriend and still be a successful nursing student, which was the real issue my nursing friends were getting at with their questions.

Desire for companionship and love is a natural longing deep-seated within the heart of a woman; nevertheless, it is dangerous to want a boyfriend just for the sake of having one. One of my friends told me recently that her goal for the year was to “get a boyfriend”. The problem with this thinking is that if you seek to make something happen—like getting a boyfriend—you may miss out on a better plan that God has for you. Solomon shares some insight into this in Ecclesiastes; “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . . a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose; . . . a time to love, and a time to hate” (3:1, 5b, 6a, & 8a). The Song of  Solomon also speaks about waiting on God’s timing in your life; “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (3:5).

To all the single nursing students, guys and girls, this is just a reminder to let God write your love story. Seek the Lord in prayer before entering any romantic relationship—just like I hope you do with every other decision you make. If there is no one in your life right now, do not be discouraged. Jesus is your Bridegroom King (Isaiah 54:5, 10), and He loves you with a love no other human being on this planet could ever match (Jeremiah 31:3). Rejoice in His love for you, and be content in waiting (Phil 4:4, 12).

When that special person does come into your life, be sure to have good time management. I used to joke before I was courting that I was dating my textbooks—not really an exaggeration for how much time I spent with them. Since I still study a lot, I have to be intentional about taking time to just be with my boyfriend and talk or do something fun. (Yes, having fun is important for single nursing students too! You should try it sometime). When the time comes, remember you can—and I often do—spend time with your significant other while studying. You both have to be able to stay focused, but it is possible to get a lot done and still be in the same room.

On a final note, I want to remind you all not to fall for the nasty Liberty rumor that you have to meet your spouse at Liberty University or you will never find anybody. One of my friends graduated from the nursing program single and unattached over a year ago...she's getting married this Saturday to the man of her dreams, who she met after graduation! So, if you graduate with no one in the romantic sphere of your life, trust the Lord. He may have a surprise waiting on the other side of graduation.

   

Join the Liberty Nursing Journal Club

As many of you know a few senior nursing students founded the first Liberty Nursing Journal Club for our Department last semester. As the Club's President, I would like to invite you all to join the Liberty Nursing Journal Club for an exciting time of learning from each other about the latest research in fields like Cardiology, Neurology, Trauma Nursing, and Critical Care. Participating in this student-led group will give you the opportunity to explore ground-breaking research in nursing and discuss how this information applies to you and your future practice with your peers.

The LU Nursing Journal Club meets once monthly for about one hour. Dates will be advertised in the Nursing Department Office on the Department's kiosk. You can also check out the Liberty Nursing Journal Club Facebook page. 

I Shall Fear No Evil

This morning I undertook the task of re-memorizing Psalm 23, a chapter I learned when I was 6. After reading it a few times, I decided to turn it into a prayer of thanksgiving to God. It was only after doing this that my heart was impacted by the magnitude of His love and grace toward me, His child.

The LORD, the Great I AM, the Lord of Angel Armies, is my Shepherd, and He takes care of my needs so that I do not lack anything (Psalm 23:1). He not only gives me the peace I need to rest (John 14:27), but He makes me take a break and lie down like sheep in green pastures (Psalm 23:2a). He leads His sheep, His Church, by still waters--waters I can drink from and not be swept away (Psalm 23:2b). He again is protecting me from danger as a Good Shepherd would. He restores my soul when my spirit is weak and exhausted (Psalm 23:3a); He imparts new joy. I am continually able to rejoice in His mercies, which are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24)! 

Even though I do not know the future or the path that my feet will take, I can trust that God will lead me in the path of righteousness in order to bring His name honor and glory (Psalm 23:3b). And even if the path I take brings me right into the valley of death, I shall fear no evil because my God--who created the valley--is with me and will lead me through to the other side in safety (Psalm 23:4). I know that God is my Salvation; I will trust Him (Isaiah 12:2) and not fear the enemy who stalks in darkness (Psalm 91:6). In fact, the Lord blesses me even when I am in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23:5).

Truly, it is good to follow the Lord! He takes such great care of His people, the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). He causes us to experience His goodness and mercy every day of our lives (Psalm 23:6). And when our time on earth is fulfilled, we will dwell with Christ in the house He has prepared for us forever (John 14:3). Praise the Lord for His continual faithfulness and mercy!    

Seek 1st

Over and over again in both the New and the Old Testament the Lord emphasizes the need for us to make Him our first priority. We all understand why it's important to place Christ at the center of our lives (because He is God and is worthy of our all), but how many times do we push Him to the background of our attentions? I know I am guilty of allowing other things (grades, work, people, even family) to become such a focus of mine that I lose sight of what is really important—Christ and Him only. This is the point when I allow things to become idols in my life.

The only way I have found to keep competing attentions from stealing away my focus on the Lord is putting Him first in my life. It takes intentionality. For me I know this summer I allowed myself to get in a morning routine of checking my Facebook before I had my devotions. The problem I found was that I would get engrossed in Facebook and would forget until later that I still hadn’t spent time with God. The time I had wasted on Facebook forced me to cut short the time I would have liked to spend with the Lord.  

The solution I found for my predicament is not getting on my computer until after I’ve spent time with the Lord. The Old Testament speaks of offering the Lord the first fruits of the harvest (Nehemiah 10:35), but couldn’t we apply the same principle of offering the Lord the BEST of our time? Whether your best time is early in the morning or late at night, let’s all choose to give the Lord our best.   

“But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, emphasis mine).

God Our Provider Will Meet All Our Needs

Recently I’ve allowed myself to worry about life after college, paying off my loans, taking care of all my own bills, buying a car, and providing for myself. Even though I was fully aware of Who my God is—that He is Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord will provide”—and that He is faithful to His Word, I still allowed myself to worry about the things Jesus says in Matthew 6 only the Gentiles worry about (vv. 31-32).

This morning as I was giving God all my anxieties in prayer (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22), the Lord reminded me of His promise in Matthew 6: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (vv. 26-30).

As I read the whole sixth chapter of Matthew and looked at these verses in their context, the Lord dissipated my fears and anxieties that I had allowed to creep into my mind. Over and over again, Jesus speaks of our “Father” in this chapter of Matthew, conveying the message that I have a “Father” in Heaven who cares for me and wants me to ask for Him to meet my needs and then trust Him that He will take care of me (Matthew 6:11, 25, 31-34).

I have discovered that worries about the future not only rob me of my joy from the Lord but also distract me from the real task at hand—seeking first the kingdom of God. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

Will I consider myself a living sacrifice unto the Lord and give my life to Him, allowing my time and resources to be spent for Him as I seek first His kingdom and His righteousness? Will I choose to be broken bread and poured out wine for my King’s glory? Will I cast all my cares on Him knowing that He cares for me and will meet all of my needs as He promised? 

Official NCLEX Test Map

To those of you who've wondered what is actually on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), here’s a PDF from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing that provides both a broad as well as detailed description of the test content for 2013. The broad description is found on pages five through eight whereas the detailed description is found on pages nine through 43. 

Happy studying! 

Books on Facebook?

As the fall semester draws close, we all start looking for the textbooks we'll need to succeed in our nursing classes.

I would like to spread the word about two sites on Facebook which will help connect you with buyers and sellers of nursing books. The first is the "Liberty Book Exchange", which is a venue for Liberty students to sell their books to other LU students. It allows you to get the most out of your books by cutting out the middle guy.

"Nursing" is another page within Facebook Groups at Liberty that serves the same function while catering to specific nursing classes. The Nursing page also allows students to post questions about classes and get advice from fellow classmates as well as upperclassmen, even LU nursing graduates.  

Work Experience Builds Confidence

I cannot overemphasize how important it is to gain experience in healthcare before graduating from nursing school. Many nursing schools require some sort of experience as a nurse's aide (NA) at either a I or II level. These schools require this experience from their students because they know that students will learn lessons at work that they may not learn while in nursing school.

I know for me personally working as a nurse extern at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has been a great opportunity to learn many skills that are vital to success as a nurse. Working in a hospital as a nurse extern (NA I and II) has taught me time management skills, prioritization, effective communication, and people skills.

My responsibilities do not end with the basic duties I perform as a NA; they go much farther and encompass communicating patient and family concerns with nurses, doctors, nutritionists, medical and PA students, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists.

These are life experiences for which I wouldn't trade the whole world because they have prepared me for my future vocation as a nurse, a job that will put me in the position to deal with issues with both people and equipment. I now have confidence when I walk into a patient's room--confidence that I can get the job done in a timely manner and take care of all the patients I am assigned. This confidence was born first in the amazing clinical experiences we have at Liberty University, but it has matured and grown as I have worked in the hospital setting as an employee with coworkers I have an opportunity to get to know and patients I get to see more than one day a week.

Guide to Writing an Integrative Review

I know that recently the Nursing Department has shifted their research focus for Honors Theses toward Integrative Reviews. If you're like me, you only vaguely remember all the different types of research we learned about in Nursing Research (NURS 225). So, if you're writing your thesis following an integrative review model, The integrative review: Updated methodology by Whittemore and Knafl is a great resource to help you understand what an integrative review is and how to write one. The article is available free through LU's library website.

Nurse Aide Level I

If you live in North Carolina and have completed the Fundamentals of Nursing class at Liberty University, you have the skills and knowledge necessary to challenge the Nurse Aide I test proctored by Pearson Education. For information about testing sites and what information you should study for your written and skills tests, click on the following link: http://www.pearsonvue.com/nc/nurseaides/

I took my CNA examination last year after studying the booklet provided online and reviewing the skills we were taught in "Fundies". Becoming Nursing Aide I certified was very advantageous for me because it allowed me to become Nurse Aide II certified half-way through my first semester of Junior year. In addition, having these two certifications qualified me to apply to the nursing externship I am now participating in her in NC.

If you have any questions about how to become Nurse Aide I or II certified, feel free to leave a comment. I will do my best to direct you to the resources best suited to meet your needs.

Email Subscription Box Fixed

It was recently brought to my attention that the email subscription box on the left-hand side of the screen was not enabled. The problem has been fixed, and those who are interested should be able to sign up for email notification of new posts. If there are any more difficulties, feel free to leave a comment, and the problem should be rectified as soon as possible.

Liberty University Career Center Resume Services

My exhortation to participate in a nursing externship would be only partly helpful if I did not also tell you about the tools at your disposal to aid you in your efforts to secure your dream summer job.

In today's world, numerous resumes come across a manager's desk and only a couple of the applicants are selected for the limited number of positions available. That being the case, it is imperative that you make an exceptional first impression by putting together a resume that is clearly laid out and succinct while displaying the great individual that you are. I do not claim to be an expert in the art of resume building, but Liberty University's Career Center offers many resources that will aid you in your efforts to write an outstanding resume and cover letter.

One resource that I have found particularly helpful is their sample resume for nurses. Another is their resume critique option. There tends to be a bit of a time lag between submission and the feedback you receive from the Career Center, so be sure to submit your resume for critiquing well in advance so that you do not miss any important deadlines. I have also learned from my nursing friends that the Career Center also offers opportunities to meet with their staff. To set up an appointment, you can follow this link to the appointment request form. Happy resume writing!

The Call to Care for the Lost and Lonely Around the World

Recently I've been reading Rolland and Heidi Baker's book Always Enough: God's Miraculous Provision Among the Poorest Children on Earth. While reading this book, my heart has been impacted by the great need for missionary nurses around the world. As the Bakers tell of their experience in Mozambique, Africa, my heart ached every time I read of them coming to yet another village filled with men, women, and children all without medical care or knowledge of the Gospel. A few times they told of a doctor and a nurse who came with them on the trips to the remotest parts of Mozambique, but the need was always overwhelming, more than could be met by a single doctor or nurse.

My question to myself and to you, is “Will you have compassion on these broken and forsaken people who are dying without hope of life after death?” Will we—can we—stay aloof from their needs in good conscience? Or will we say "Yes" to the call of God to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel? Will we live our lives as though they were not our own but Christ’s? Will we go, saying “Thy will be done, Lord, not mine”?

Here we are. We are going to be nurses. No matter where we are—whether we’re in the remotest part of Africa or the biggest city in America—we have an opportunity. We are surrounded by people—people who don’t know the Lord—people like those Mozambicans the Bakers met who need someone to share with them the TRUTH. God’s TRUTH. His Word is TRUTH. Let us be ready, wherever we are—in season and out of season—to be witnesses for Christ, in the way we live, in what we say, and in who we are.

May we not live for our own comfort but for much greater aim—Christ’s glory. May we be willing to pour out our lives that the lost might be saved. May we be willing to do whatever it takes—even to the point of laying down our lives—for the sake of Jesus Christ’s precious Gospel. I pray that God would give us the opportunity to share Him this summer with the people we encounter and that we would be unashamed as Paul was, for the Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Pressing on Toward the Goal

To all my peers in the nursing program who are (like me) growing weary in this last push before the end of the semester:

Keep pressing on! We are rounding the corner...we've almost reached the finish line. Keep up the pace. Don't lose heart. The race is almost over. The end is in sight. You can do it!

Keep up the good work! The reward is worth it :)

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).  

End of Semester Jitters

I know that as the end of the semester approaches, final exams begin to become less of a distant idea and more of a very present reality. I know that, for me at least, it’s easy to become overwhelmed as I focus on all the things I have to do before the semester ends. Focusing on uncompleted tasks is not helpful, though, if we allow it to consume us and take our focus off the Lord and Who He is.  Listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 103:11-21,

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on [his] children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are [but] dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!  Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.

Who are we that the Lord is mindful of us? We are mere men, yet the Lord is faithful and is abundant in lovingkindness toward us. He is compassionate with us like a father with his child. Therefore, we have no need to worry, for our God will take care of us (Matthew 6:25-34).

Lessons from Psalm 27: Encouragement for the Discouraged

Feeling discouraged about all you left to do this semester and the little amount of time left to do it in...? Here's some encouragement from King David:

I would have despaired unless I had believed that

I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14, NASB

Today, the Lord has been using Psalm 27 to remind me that He is my light and my salvation (Ps. 27:1). When troubles surround me, He is the lifter of my head (Ps. 27:6). He is my fortress—my place of safety (Ps. 27:5). I have no need to fear or worry because the Lord’s plans for me are good, and He is faithful to accomplish them (Ps. 27:3; Jer. 29:11; Phil. 1:6). 

Our God Cares

Today as I was reading Isaiah 40, my mind was blown by the awesomeness of our God and the fact that, even though He is God, He still cares about little ol' me. In chapter 40, Isaiah talks about the God who created the stars and knows them all by name—the God who measures the water of the sea in the palm of His hand. This God, whom we serve, cares about us. 

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read further in the chapter about just how much He cares for His people. The Lord says, ''Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God'? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 27-31). 

Sometimes I feel as if God is far removed from my circumstances or He doesn't know what I am going through. But this passage is a testimony to the truth—He cares for us, so much so that, even though we are like grasshoppers in His sight and like grass that quickly withers, He watches over us. Jesus understands what we are going through. He is a High Priest who can sympathize with us in our weakness because He took on human flesh and became like one of us, experiencing some of the same trials and temptations that we experience (Hebrews 4:15).     

Not only does the Lord understand our weakness, but He also provides us with the strength we need. It's natural for us to become weary and tired. But God never gets tired; more than that He gives strength to us when we have none. On Saturday morning when my alarm went off at 5:25 AM, I did not want to get up. After sleeping for only 6 hours, I did not think I physically could get up. I had been at the hospital for 16 hours the previous day for clinical and leadership. As I laid in bed, I pleaded with the Lord to give me the strength that I really did not have, and.....He did. I had a great day in the hospital that day by God's amazing grace.  

I wonder how many times the Lord is just waiting to give me that same grace to not just get through the day, but live for Him throughout my day. I know I probably miss out on it quite often because I forget to ask for it. Sometimes it takes me coming to the end of myself to realize that I NEED God. I am completely dependent on Him.

He has promised us new mercies every morning. Will we accept His offer and ask for new strength every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24)? I pray that He would be the first thought in our heads as we awaken in the morning and our last thought as we lie down at night.