Jul 05 2007
About Me
(Apologies in advance for any grandiosity.)
I’m making preparations for a long exotic journey, and like trips I’ve taken before, I’m excited, I’m anxious and I’m swearing that I’ll keep a travel journal. The whole way.
The trip this year is into the field of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, Master’s Entry Nursing Program (MEPN), and this blog is my travel journal. My previous travels were into the realms of journalism, publishing and social work.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a great track record with travel journals. By day four, my handwriting always gets messier and the details peter out. But this time I intend to try harder. This time I’m keeping this journal for some important reasons:
- For community. I know there are current and prospective nursing students who are just as excited, anxious and maybe as idealistic as I am. I read some of their blogs when I was thinking about this profession. I found motivation, inspiration and sustenance in some of their stories when I was freaking out about the difficult aspects of nursing.
- For sanity. Nursing school for someone like me who is switching careers and moving into a discipline unlike anything I know is going to be hard. If you make the program an accelerated one, like the one I’m in, at least one person will tell you it’s suicide. I think the person who told me that was being a little grim. But in case she’s not far off the mark, I hope this blog, among other nursing student blogs, will allow for cathartic release and perspective.
- For balance. Most people have multiple identities. One of mine is as a humanitarian. The other is as a writer. When I’m in this intensive accelerated program, I’m not supposed to have any time to work, eat or breathe, let alone write. But that, too, is a bit grim to me. I hope this blog will keep me writing something, even if it’s unpolished or uncreative. I need to keep alive my writing soul, or I will not be true to myself and I will probably not be a good nurse.
But first a qualification: I need to be semi-anonymous for now. My last stab at blogging failed miserably because I was too self-conscious and self-censoring. I don’t want to be constrained by who reads this and what they might think.
A few promises:
- I will write freely.
- I will post pictures and stories.
- I will sustain a life outside of nursing school and I’ll share it here sometimes.
- I won’t take this whole thing too seriously.
Dear NurseSF!
Thanks so much for writing this blog! I am currently applying to the MEPN program for Summer 2008, and reading your blog has been really informative.
Thanks again, and I look forward to reading future entries!
-Christine
Hi NurseSF,
I too am applying to UCSF for MEPN ‘08 (how funny - two Ch/Kristines have discovered your blog) and really appreciate reading it. Thanks for giving us an inside look - I’ve had a hard time finding student feedback online about UCSF…
I came up with my blog name and just googled zen and nursing and up came your site. I really like your blog. I’m just starting mine. It’s my first blog!
I too am going to enter an accelerated program.
You truely are a brilliant writter. Thank you for such an informative and real aspect of nursing and school. I have read your entries. It seemed you have grown each day and enjoying the best of your experience.
In someways, I think you’re living my life a year from now on the West Coast. I just read your blog from start to finish.
I majored in journalism as my first undergrad degree. Right out of college, I worked in news, and then for 5 years, I worked as an editor in medical publishing.
Then something just snapped in me. I needed to stop working in a cubical. I needed more action. I was sick of reading about people who work in the medical field, and I wanted to work in the field. I started taking my pre-requisite classes …
In May, I’m beginning a one-year accelerated program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. I’m so nervous, excited, and thrilled about the change. Today, I decided to search blogs to see if there’s anyone out there like me—someone who loves literature and writing, but someone who also loves science, medicine, and new crazy experiences.
I’m so glad that I found your blog. I book marked it and I really hope to keep reading about your interesting life!
@ KAREN: Thank you for your comment. I wish you the best and hope you’ll also consider keeping a journal about becoming a nurse. I haven’t been keeping it up or as deeply as I want to, but your message helps motivate me. -NurseSF