Now that I am entering the fourth and final semester of this nursing program, I am able to reflect on the feelings I had at the beginning and compare them to how I am feeling now. On the first day excited to finally be starting and I was really looking forward to gaining the knowledge that was needed in order to become a licensed nurse. Although I was excited, I was also nervous and a bit concerned that I could not possibly learn everything that a nurse needs to know in the span of 16 months. Looking back now at those feelings, I can confirm that I am still both excited and nervous, but in a different way. I am most excited to be graduating and finally starting a career I know I want to be a part of. My nervousness has shifted from a concern of not knowing the information but more towards being nervous that I am now going to be responsible for keeping patients alive. However, I find myself knowing answers and being able to prioritize and rationalize treatment, so I do have a higher degree of confidence than I did one year ago.

After graduation, my form of celebration is to put in all my effort and energy into studying for NCLEX and applying for jobs – I want to start working ASAP. With the current hiring environment, I don’t think that I will have a problem with getting a job, however I am anxious I will be hired into a role that I don’t have the typical experience for. However, I think that studying for the NCLEX will refresh my memory of everything I learned during this program and getting a passing grade will help alleviate some anxiety. My plan is to take the licensure exam as soon as I can so that way the information is as fresh in my mind as possible. I have worked as a per-diem CNA throughout this program and during breaks I picked up more shifts, so I plan to work full time during the days while studying for the test in the evenings. I will also utilize the ATI resources when studying for the NCLEX because I feel as though the style of questions will help prepare me for how the licensure exam will present the questions as well. Overall, I hope that a good study schedule and not taking too long of a break between graduation and taking the NCLEX will help me achieve my goal of starting my nursing career as quick as possible!