It's beginning to look a lot like the end of the year....

Welcome to the second week in December. Wow! Christmas and 2015 will be here before we know it!!

Maybe you are getting ready to reflect over the past year. I am. How I have been successful this year? How can I continue improving on those successes?

What areas did I struggle in this year or did I fail at something? I have some failures to claim for this year. Good for me...

Failure does not mean the end, rather room for improvement. If you did fail at something this year...no need to get down about it. First, take time to grieve your failure. When we take the time to grieve we are able to move forward without the baggage or weight of the failure in our spirit.
I have failed at many things in life. I expect this failure will continue with the more tasks I take. I'm okay with failure in most circumstances because I have learned that failure doesn't mean the end. Failure means progress. I tried something and it didn't work so I try it again or I try something different.

Michael Jordan, my favorite NBA basketball player and superstar who has 6 NBA championship rings among numerous other achievements, is quoted for the following quote...

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

My mother is a drug addict and alcoholic. I did not have the childhood predestined for success as some may have been given. Even though my likelihood for failure was much greater than my likelihood for success, I continued to keep trying. I never gave up and I will not let failure keep from moving forward. Failure is an opportunity to get up and try again.

So reflect over this year and learn from your successes and your failures. Make 2015 a better year than this and accept your successes AND your failures as opportunities to improve! You got this...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Nursing Students.....

Hello there....

I hope your Thanksgiving Holiday was spent with those you love even if you spent the day in a Hospital caring for others....know that you are valued.

Now that the Holiday is over and winding down some of you may be getting ready to head back to nursing school for final exams. I know...I know....way to spoil the mood. Ha.

I don't want to be mood spoiler but I do want to provide you with some tips for preparing for those finals. For some of you this is your last final in nursing school....congratulations. Some of you are just getting started. I have here some tips for making nursing school exams less traumatic.

1. Study and review notes a little everyday. 
Cramming is not effective unless the information you are cramming for is not important later. Nursing school knowledge must carry throughout nursing school and throughout your career as a nurse. What you learn in first semester you will be utilizing in second, third and so on. The goal is to retain and keep the information not just memorize it.

2. If you know it don't dwell on it.
If you know the material and are confident in the concepts then move on to the next subject, concept, or chapter. There will always be subjects that you know better than others...awesome! The goal is to focus on those areas you may be weak in....conquer those weak areas and then move on to the next. This type of studying is a continuous practice.

3. Reflect.
Learn to reflect on the past. What have you learned? What do remember most? What did you completely forget? Can you tell where I'm going with this? Yep, you guessed it.....focus on those areas that left your mind. Refresh your memory. There is a lot to learn and you can do it!!

These three tips should get you started as you get ready for the final days of your semester.....happy studying!

Tuesday November 25, 2014

The sun is shining and the day is beautiful. A day to reflect on the things I am grateful for everyday such as sunshine and beautifully colored leaves falling to the ground all around.

I hope you can find things to be grateful for on this lovely day approaching an American gathering holiday. What are you grateful for?

Beginning January 1st, NurseNicelyRN, will begin tutoring services for nursing students. Stay tuned for the details.

Be back soon.