My Journey - Warts and All

I'm wondering if good luck comes in 3's? 1. I got my confirmed date for the my new job 2. I got my degree 3. .......... My third piece of good news came yesterday. The final part of our degree was an essay on a topic that we are passionate about and is current in nursing. So I did mine on nursing attitudes to obese patients. It's something that I've experienced from both sides of the fence. I enjoyed writing the essay (when I eventually got into it) and when I got my grade back for it, I was shocked. When we got our initial talk about the degree essay the lecturer told us about the possibility of getting our final work published so I went to speak to him yesterday about it. Anyway, by the end of the conversation, we had decided that we were going to undertake brand new research into the topic and not just publish my degree work!! I'm so excited. The lecturer at uni is going to help me look at grants, publishing etc etc. We haven't worked out all the deta...

Today I got some amazing news. I passed my final essay at Uni and now have a degree in Adult Nursing!! I can't believe it. I was hoping for a pass but I would never have guessed that I would have managed to get the mark that I did. I got an A2. I was speechless when I read it lol. I had to read it a few times o make sure it was right. So all there's left to do is pass my placement and I'll be Staff Nurse Chambers!! Aaaarrrrrgggghhh, that's a scary thought. The last 3 years have flown by. I owe a big thanks to the staff who have welcomed me into their workplace and the ones who wanted to give me all their knowledge. I couldn't have done it without the support of my family and closest friends. I owe them a huge thank you for accepting that I'm a hermit when I'm on placement and taking me out for a drink after an exam or essay. Thank you for the text messages asking how I am just when I need to speak to someone. Thanks for living with the tears when I c...

Well I have my start date confirmed for my new job. I'll be starting in Monday 7th January 2013. I'm really excited and nervous all at the same time. I'm excited to finally start my career and I'm nervous about going down on my own. I'm gutted that Matt isn't coming but we'll make it work. My family are already planning their visits down to see me and have been working out the logistics of it all ie hotels, hiring cars that will take all of them etc. With only 3 weeks to go until I qualify and 7 or 8 weeks until I start working, it got me thinking back to January 2010 when this all started. The nerves that I got before I started my first lecture, meeting new people and that first time I set foot in a ward as a worker rather than a visitor. I have had some amazing experiences and I have had some not so good. But I'm coming out of the last 3 years with some of the brilliant friends, people who'll continue to be in my life even with the distance s...

Things are starting to move along nicely. I have a provisional start date for my new job (depending on my security check coming through in time). They have my references so that's all I'm waiting for. They'll start me as a band lower than staff nurse and when all my nurses paperwork come through, I'll move up. I have my accommodation sorted, all my packing is done (except for the stuff I use on a daily basis) and most importantly my leaving party is organised!!! So for my leaving party, the date and time are set, the pub is booked and the dress is bought.  On the dress front, I tried it on in a size 16 and it fitted!! Woop woop! It wasn't quite right so went up a size but I could have worn it. I love the dress. It's the first time I've been able to get something out of Debenhams. The only thing that I have left to do it trying to organise transport from Fife to Edinburgh and back again. We were going to stay at my mum's but she's replaced some ...