Back to School: A Gift to Myself

 

-By Holly Dzen ’12

As far back as I can remember I had always wanted to attend St. Joseph College. However, after high school life took me on a different path.

I became pregnant with my son and I began to focus on life as a mom, not as student. I went on to enjoy a successful career in advertising but I always knew I was “missing something.”

I came to realize that my desire to pursue a nursing career could wait no longer. In the spring of 2008, I began to take night classes so that I could get my feet wet (it had been a few years since school).

I always seem to be juggling my time and truthfully never have enough of it. I have a family and between work and school, there really isn’t any down time.

For those of you who have returned to school after a few years, I am sure you know what I mean.

So when do I have time for homework? Most of the time it is after dinner with my family for as long as I can keep my eyes open. There were two things that really helped me manage my time, a daily planner, and I began to tape a few of my classes. So whenever I found myself waiting, driving to and from school or when I went to the gym, I would listen to the lectures. That’s how I made it through Biochemistry!!

One of the most interesting things that I have noticed since my return to education is that I find every class that I have taken has a connection to every other.

At first I thought this was how the program at SJC worked, but then I realized it was me making the connections.

 For example, last fall, I took a Psychology class and a philosophy class; I remember have a discussion in my Philosophy class on the material we had just covered the day before in Psychology.  I often wonder if everyone is making these connections.  

I had never really realized learning could be so, dare I say, fun!

 If I could tell each student just one thing that I believe helped me grow, it would be to take a step out of your comfort zone – better yet, take a leap.

This is your chance to get involved, make mistakes and learn who you are and what you value.

Navy Looks Good on Me: Why I Chose to Set Sail As a Navy Nurse

By Danielle Baldino, ’11

In May of 2009, I was proudly accepted into the Navy Nurse Corps Candidate Program. The moment was both an honorable and relieving one – what, with all the mountains of paperwork, gathering of letters of recommendation, extensive physical exam, etc. all with their own deadlines, I might as well have been taking an additional class.

On that day that I was “sworn in,” sitting in my parents’ living room, I looked around. What I saw was a moment to be frozen in my mind forever; not only had my hermit of a sister decided to venture out of her lair of social networking for this event, but also that my mom’s eyes, welling up with emotion, reflected exactly what I felt inside: pride, excitement, fear, but most of all – uncertainty. I was careening into unknown territory. I am the first person in my family to attend college, and the first in my immediate family to join the military.

 Since I am often asked “why,” I now present to you the top 5 reasons why I decided to join the Nurse Candidate Program (NCP)  (in order of priority):

1. World travel
2. Humanitarian relief efforts
3. Earning/paying for my Master’s degree
4. The pride and distinction.
5. I look really, really good in dark blue & most earth tones.

As my graduation date of May 2011 closes in, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past year and a half since being accepted. Nearly everyone I tell about the program had no idea it existed, and many older nurses wish they had known about it when they were my age. My favorite reaction when I tell someone I am “in the Navy” is the “wow, I never would have guessed you were the military type!” I love it because, hey, neither would I!

Maybe it’s the passionate convictions I hold, the long hippie hair, the yoga classes, the blogging…or maybe it’s just the way I seem to march to the beat of a different (vegan, feminist) drummer in general. I was the girl who snidely walked past the Army recruitment tables in the high school cafeteria with “can’t touch this” playing in my head; I was the girl who thought the military was the place personality (and education) went to die. I press for equality, for peace, for individuality.

 What could the armed forces possibly have to offer me?

 Nonetheless, I was bombarded with mailings, brochures, e-mails pleading for my attention, demanding my interest. It was shred, delete, shred, hamster cage lining for these materials until one day, a small booklet came. On the front, a nurse reaching over a patient’s bedside to hang an IV. At the bottom, a statement: “It’s not just a job, it’s a renewed sense of purpose.” This stopped me dead in my self-righteous tracks. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for, I thought to myself. This is just what I’ve always wanted my “career” as a nurse to be, a full personification of my own values and dedication.

Still skeptical, I sat down and flipped open the book, and there it was: The USNS Mercy, a massive hospital ship (it has its own laundry department!), forging ahead through the bluest, widest ocean I’d ever seen. My heart expanded, exploded in tune with that picture, that sea, that first quote. I read through the pamphlet for more details, and after hashing it over with my parents for a few weeks, sought out this area’s recruiting officer (who is in Boston, MA). Within a month, I met up with her for the first time at a Barnes & Noble Café, we set everything in motion, and the rest is history!

My purpose here today is to let nursing students at St. Joe’s know about this program, particularly the sophomores and juniors. The main requirements to begin the program are (1) to be officially “accepted” into the nursing program and (2) to have 2 years (or less) left until graduation. However, it’s never too soon to begin the application process, since it will most likely take a few months.

 A few FAQ’s:
How is the Navy Nurse Corps different from the “regular” Navy?
The major difference here is rank, which also makes the Nurse Candidate Program (NCP) more difficult to get into. It’s for this reason that I had to apply (“build a package”) rather than simply sign up (or enlist). You are also not in the reserve (“2 weekends a month, 2 weeks a year”); you have no obligation to the navy from the time you are accepted until you graduate. Since you will already have your Bachelor’s upon entering the Navy, you become an officer (rather than a medical corpsman, a lower rank).

A few FAQ’s:
How is the Navy Nurse Corps different from the “regular” Navy?
The major difference here is rank, which also makes the Nurse Candidate Program (NCP) more difficult to get into. It’s for this reason that I had to apply (“build a package”) rather than simply sign up (or enlist). You are also not in the reserve (“2 weekends a month, 2 weeks a year”); you have no obligation to the navy from the time you are accepted until you graduate. Since you will already have your Bachelor’s upon entering the Navy, you become an officer (rather than a medical corpsman, a lower rank).

How does it work?

1.     Starting ASAP, you build your package. This can take months, since besides all the Navy paperwork and applications, you will need to undergo a background check, probably need to make a doctor appointment or two, gather letters of recommendation, write up a resume, and organize a whole bunch of academic documents. Don’t worry – the recruiter is available through phone or e-mail all the time and has done this a million times before! They are so friendly, supportive and have a wealth of knowledge (I mean, after all, they are nurses).

2.     You participate in two telephone interviews with current Navy Nurse Lieutenants (not as bad as it sounds!).

3.     Once accepted, there is no obligation to the Navy while you are in school.

4.     You will receive an initial bonus of $10,000 (split up into 2 payments, one upon acceptance and the other after 6 months). You also receive a $1,000 monthly stipend (paid out in 2 checks roughly every 2 weeks) for the remainder of your college education – if you start right at the beginning of junior year, that’s a total of $34,000!

5.     At the beginning of Senior year Fall semester, you submit your top 3 Navy hospital stationing preferences – new nurses are typically placed at one of “the big three” hospitals: San Diego, CA, Bethesda, MD or Portsmouth, VA for at least the first year. You do have some say in where you get to be stationed, and you can even request to be with a friend through the Buddy Program.

6.     After graduation, you attend a 6-week ODS (Officer Development School) in Newport, RI. After graduating ODS, you come home for a little while until the end of summer, at which time you will ship out to wherever you are stationed.

What is my obligation to them once I graduate?
If you were in the NCP for 1 year or less (meaning you were accepted and receiving money for only the last year of your education), you are obligated to 4 years active duty. If you were in the NCP for 13 months – 2 years, you are obligated to 5 years active duty.

Besides my monthly stipend & bonus, do they pay for my tuition?
Technically, no. However, after graduation you can also look into the Navy’s tuition reimbursement program, where they can pay off your student loans up to a certain amount (depending on the budget that year). They will, however, pay for your Master’s degree in full (without you dedicating any additional years of service) should you decide to earn it while enlisted.

How do I get started?

Contact the recruiting officer for our area here:

495 Summer St
Boston, MA
800-792-9099

Or visit: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/NurseCandidateProgram_Prospective.aspx

Or feel free to e-mail me, dbaldino@sjc.edu with any questions!

In short, besides my father’s insistence on serenading me with the Village’s People’s “In the Navy” (and, occasionally – for some unexplicable reason – “YMCA”), I have never looked back or questioned my decision to join the Navy Nurse Corps. More than ever before, I am confident in myself and nearly jumping out of skin with anticipation at beginning my new life in less than 9 months. As I am watching other nursing students job hunt, attend career fairs and pine over hiring freezes, my only anxiety comes from counting the seconds until my new life can officially set sail… and if that’s not peaceful and fulfilling, than I don’t know what is.

Cute video on Nursing…

Getting through those nursing readings. . .

-By Katherine Reina, Nursing Content Tutor

This is a handout designed to help you set the pace for getting through those exhausting readings in your nursing classes. As you go through the list check off the items until you have completed the entire handout and have gotten through the reading. You can make copies of this to keep yourself in check until you get the hang of things.

___ Reading about Location, Location, Location- Find a place where you will be free from interruptions and distractions as much as possible. You may want to change locations often such as in the library, outside, or in a lounge-this will keep you from becoming too bored in the same environment.

___ Set a Time!- Set about an hour to two each day which you will allot to reading only.

___ Skim. Go through the chapter briefly paying attention to bolded words, text boxes, and author’s questions. You may want to write these down for later reference.

___ Note it. Make notes along the side of passages which you find interesting. Any questions you may have should also be printed neatly on the side of these passages.

___ Highlighting. This technique has worked for me. Instead of just highlighting everything that seems important, I choose a different color for each type of structure. For example: Nursing Interventions=Blue, Disease effects=Purple, and so on. The colors actually help me visualize the text in exams.

___ Before class. Reread your notes, pay attention to your questions and if they are unanswered make sure you ask in class.

___ After Class. Compile class notes and text notes into one. I usually type my notes and use them for exam studying.

___ Before exams. It is worthwhile to look over notes and charts of reference in the text.

___ Practice. Now that you have gained a new body of knowledge put it to use! You can practice via questions, clinical, and study sessions with your peers.

 

 

Nursing Students– Tips on Navigating Textbooks

By Alex Morse, Nursing Content Tutor There are many “helpful hints” for reading that I have learned myself or have learned from other people that really do work!  Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your reading, speed reading and skim reading.  Below is a list of things that I find to be helpful, when I am reading my Nursing textbooks. 1) Break up the information.  During my first semester of nursing classes, I didn’t know any better so I left all of my reading assignments to the last minute, which did not go over well.  Now, I try to read at least a chapter a night, so that way I am not cramming and I can really think about what I am reading. 2) Use the Powerpoints as a guide.  When I go back and read the chapters and take my notes, I use the powerpoints as a guide for my reading.  With nursing textbooks there can be so much information that makes it really overwhelming..by using the powerpoints to guide me through the text, this allevates the issue. 3) “Think like a nurse.”  When I am reading I always tell myself to “think like a nurse.”  I hear my nursing instructors saying it over and over and now I try and incorporate it into my reading.  As I am reading I think, “how can I keep my patients safe,” “what do I need to teach my patient about” “what are the strange side effects I need to know about before giving my patient a medication,” “how will the medical diagnosis affect the patient and their family” ”what is the most important thing to consider first.”  These are the broad questions I ask myself when I am studying, because these are usually the types of questions that appear on the exam..along with the knowledge questions. 4) Practice NCLEX questions.  I immediately started doing better on my nursing exams when I practiced with NCLEX questions.  When you learn the style that nursing test writers use to ask questions, it makes it easier to answer the questions.