This week has been really intense for me. I have had two competency tests. luckily, I managed to fit in numerous practice sessions before my final assessment. Then I went for my exams and passed it. one of my instructors was curious about how the semester was going. My friend and I mentioned casually that we had passed our competency testing. And she looked at us and said, “you should say it with a smile. This semester is really hard and you need to celebrate every little win. It would help you build your confidence.” So inspired by her comments, I have decided to start celebrating every little win during nursing school.
This week, I am celebrating passing my competency testings. On Wednesday, I had to demonstrate that I could efficiently do a physical assessment on a person. It was done in a random fashion. I had to pick the system I was assessing from a hat and then demonstrate it immediately. Of course, I was filled with dread. I had my favorite and worst option. Luckily, I got my favorite option to exam the Head, Neck, Nose, and Mouth. I aced it! Getting that “You Passed” email at night from my instructor was the best feeling to get me set for my next test.
The next morning, I had to get in my scrubs to demonstrate my sterile technique and catheter insertion skills. This particular skill set I have been practicing for a few weeks. I was confident that I knew what I was doing so it made it easier to get into the exam room. As soon as I realized that I was going to be getting gloves in my hand size, I knew it was going to be okay. I made one tiny error that I corrected immediately during my demonstration. And I passed.
This week has probably been one of the least stressful weeks I have had recently. But I still felt so tired throughout the whole week. I feel like I slept more this week because I just felt exhausted all the time. But now that the weekend is here, I am looking forward to getting ready for next week. I have two written exams on consecutive days in the upcoming week. I will have to master a few concepts and learn how to think critically. This weekend, I have to carve out time for both work and studying. Hopefully, I’ll squeeze in some me-time in there as well.