As I prepare to transition from being a student nurse to a licensed registered nurse I am thrilled to become a part of an essential part of healthcare. I am excited to have the privilege of caring for patients in their most vulnerable state and take part in their journey to healing. Upon graduating I plan to celebrate with my family, husband and best friend whom also just graduated from nursing school. I remember when I decided to go back to school for nursing  my best friend and I discussed the joy we would feel working together in a hospital as we are both motivated, driven individuals who work well together in a team. I am most anxious about feeling unprepared and disappointing the nurses in the hospital I work for. However, it provides me comfort that I have a strong sense of self-confidence and am able to communicate effectively with others. I am confident that when beginning my first nursing job I will not hesitate to ask questions, speak up when I need help and offer my assistance in any way possible in order to be an active team member. I have always been a planner and in order to stay focused and on track I have created weekly goals to ensure my success in graduation and passing the NCLEX. To manage the large workload for my final semester of nursing school I have created a weekly checklist and study schedule that also includes personal time. Each week I will reassess this checklist and modify my study routine to accommodate for clinical rotations and personal life. My goal is to pass the NCLEX on my first attempt, in order to do so I have depicted specific days of the week to practice ATI tests, perform remediations and study for various clinical content. Despite nursing school being challenging and time consuming, I take the time each day to practice healthy habits and stress management. I set aside an hour each day to work out which truly helps to decrease my stress and anxiety. Additionally, I  allocate one day a week to meal and snack prep so I can keep my diet as healthy as possible. I have also implemented a sleep schedule to allow myself to be physically and emotionally rested so that I can approach each day feeling refreshed and motivated. 

After reviewing my initial posts of the NurseLogic modules I am surprised at the depth of learning I have gained over the past year. In the first module I identified my learning style as a visual learner, this has guided my study techniques throughout my nursing school career and has allowed me to be successful in my clinical courses. By utilizing concept maps to learn disease processes I have created a framework to better understand different disease processes in order to tailor care as the nurse and perform focused assessments.  In the second module I touched upon the importance of therapeutic communication, this is one of the foundational skills of nursing. I have strengthened my therapeutic communication skills throughout my nursing career thus far and will continue to do so daily in my practice. It is imperative as the nurse to remember that the patient is more than a list of symptoms so we are able to treat the patient holistically. In the third module I reflected on my techniques to interpret answers for exams and NCLEX practice tests. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) or CAB (Circulation, Airway, Breathing) approach have guided me in prioritizing nursing interventions and assessments when answering test questions. Lastly in the fourth module I reflected on my preparation techniques for the NCLEX. I have continued to set weekly goals to practice NCLEX style questions in order to assess my strengths and weaknesses. As well as allocating time for myself daily to engage in the things I enjoy to help manage my stress. As I progress closer graduation and taking the NCLEX I have devised a study schedule to break up the content by weeks so I am not overwhelmed by the amount of material needed to review prior to the NCLEX. By continuing to practice the study techniques and self-care strategies I have implemented over the past year of nursing school I am confident that I will be successful in achieving the goals I have set for myself.