Erin goes into L&D!!!

I did it!!! I finally did it! I just accepted a full-time RN job at Saint Alphonsus hospital here in Boise on their Women's Health unit. That means I'll be doing Mother/Baby post-partum care, Labor & Delivery & NICU.

For many years now I have waned to get into OB & this is the exact unit & hospital that I was aiming for as my long-term goal. I interviewed with them last year & did well but they decided to go with an RN who had OB experience. That is when I started looking elsewhere to get into hospital nursing to gain a few years of experience before reapplying. That is how I got to be where I am now at St. Luke's & I have been very happy there, it is an amazing hospital system.

Well, a few weeks ago the director of the unit called me and told me that she had kept my application from our interview & that she had another spot open & asked if I would come in and apply for it. I was very flattered that they remembered me & had called. I went ahead & applied & interviewed...and then Thursday morning I got the call telling me that they chose me for the spot!

I start June 6th & will be working nights. I LOVE this field, I found that it is truly where my passion in medicine lies & this unit is simply amazing. (it's also where I had Aiden, I'd already decided that I wouldn't ever go anywhere else for the rest of my babies). I am so excited & nervous to finally be at this point in my career.

Sianara sucker!

Only 17.5 more hours left on call....ever for this job. No more carting this dang stinkin' bloody phone around with me 24/7.

Bring it ON, baby!!!

Erin's new job!

As many of you may know, Erin accepted a new job. Woohoo! We're all happy & she's totally stoaked. She begins training the RN taking her place tomorrow & will start at St. Luke's Medical Center, Meridian on October 25th. She will be working day shift in the Medical/Surgical Unit, doing three 12 hour shifts a week....translation = WAY more time home with the kids!

Officially official: Erin H Davis, RN-BSN

So, my Mother's Day present this year was Rick allowing me to travel to Pocatello 1 week before the baby is born to attend my graduation from ISU.
Thank you honey!

As you know, I was one of 29 students to graduate from my RN class in December, the other 40 in our class didn't graduate until spring. Since ISU doesn't have a winter graduation ceremony this was my only chance to walk & I didn't want to miss it.

So, we decided early Friday morning that we were going, loaded up the kids & the car & headed across the state. Poor Rick, he was so nervous something would go wrong across all that farmland.

I am so glad that I went, I had a blast & it was great to see all the friends that I've spent so much time with over the past 5 years.
As hard as I worked for this degree, my family was there behind me all the way cheering me on & putting up with me being gone so much all the time. I could never have done this without the support of them or my friends.

Thank you all so very much.

Hard-working, swollen pregnant graduate...

Right after we walked off the stage from getting our "diplomas"..... & right before we kept walking right off the field.

We had a BBQ at our previous Bishop's house after the ceremony, it was so great to see everyone again:

We stayed with Ryan & Jacqui at their new place/ our old place... the kids were sooo excited to see them & Brynnah.

A couple of pics from my Nursing School's pinning ceremony the night before

Boards results......

I PASSED!!!!!
I'm a full-fledged RN now, friggin' wahoo!

The NCLEX-RN

Ewwww.

I just took my NCLEX (boards) exam this morning. No idea how I did, could take a few weeks to get the official results.

Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick....

Erin has a job..... now in BOISE!

Ok, so I got another job offer this afternoon from a facility in Boise who is willing to match my current pay but put me on salary. Since we were wanting to move to the Boise area anyways we decided to take it.

So.... we are moving to Boise!
As soon as the next 2 weeks in fact, they want me to start next Wednesday or Thursday.

It is a RN manager position at a Long-Term care facility. I will be overseeing the care of all the residents by the LPN's, CNA's, & med techs at the facility in addition to doing the assessments on new/ changing residents & facilitating care between the resident, family, home health, hospice, etc.
It is a full-time position and I will be rotating on-call with the other nurse. The benefits sound good and my brother-in-law knows of the place & says it is a good facility.

We are really so very excited at this great opportunity, great job, & chance to be by family.
As always, thanks for all your prayers!

Erin has a job!

So I got the official offer this morning & go in tomorrow to finish filling out paperwork.
(I was a little suspicious last week when they had me do a drug test & background check immediately following my interview)

I have a job!!! As a real-life nurse!

For those of you familiar with Pocatello (yes, it's here & not in Bosie) it's at Hillcrest Haven, an assisted living facility. It's not the most glamorous RN job but as a good friend pointed out, it's still a job using the degree I earned & they pay higher than most anywhere in town. Besides, with the way the economy is right now we're grateful for it at all.
We're still planning on relocating to Boise in the near future but for now we're happy to be blessed with this opportunity.
Thanks to everyone who has been keeping us in their prayers.

GrAdUaTiOn!!!!

AAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

I'm FREE... I'm done.... totally.... and completely!

Forever!

I decided to wait until the school week was officially over but it's official

(well, as official as it can be until all the grades are posted & I have that diploma/ RN license in my hot little hands).......

I'm done.

Erin Helene Davis is now a college graduate, with her BS in Nursing (BSN)!

Wahooo!!!!!

Eeek!

Ok, here goes.... the start of my last week of finals, EVER.

(that is unless I totally fail & then I guess there will be another semester, ugh)

Nope, that's not going to happen.

Wish me (us) luck, pray hard.... only 5 more days until I'm a college graduate, WAHOO!

December Graduation

So it's official:

I will be graduating in December!!!

...as long as I don't fail any of my classes, that is.

Last week it became finalized that I was one of the ones accepted into the summer cirriculum for my senior year.

Translation: I will be able to graduate in December rather than having to wait until May. My official graduation ceremony will still be in the spring with the rest of my class though but...

I should be able to sit my State Boards in January & then I'll be a "real nurse".

Wahoo!!! That light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting closer.

IV practice, take 2

Well, if you remember these pictures, this post may look a little familiar to you.
OK, so we're back in school this week & for me that means more practice in clinicals lab before they turn us loose in the hospital again.
I agreed to be the pin cushion for a buddy to practice his IV skills (we were testing a topical numbing cream to use with pediatric IV starts so the kids don't feel them).
It doesn't hurt, its just fun making my friend feel bad for blowing my vein....
... hee hee hee, I am so evil.

Catching up a bit

So, a lot has happened in these past few weeks. We are now 100% moved out of our house (notice how I didn't say unpacked or moved into the new place yet) & we offically closed on our house 2 days ago, yippie!

Since school started the week that we moved (3 weeks ago) we've really only been able to unpack the basics. I'm hoping that somewhere around Thanksgiving we'll be done.

(not kidding)

Olivia found these toy tweezers & decided that her toes needed to be cleaned out...odd child, no idea where she gets it from.

Trevor has worn this outfit nearly every day since he found it hidden in his closet during the move. When he first tried the entire getup on he accidentally scared Olivia, ever since then he tells her when he's putting it on that "it's just me, Trevor, I don't want to scare you."

The other night he was convinced that he had to wear it to bed, Dad won that battle.

While we were packing Olivia found one of the true joys of childhood...the little packing bubbles. I think she popped every single one on this sheet.

No, I have not decided to become a junkie, this is what happens when you are a nursing student.

Other nursing students get to blow your veins repeatedly, I mean...uh, practice starting IV's on you. My partner actaully blew 3 of my veins this particular day. (To be fair, the bruises on my upper arm are actaully from moving boxes.)

So, the next time some nurse starts an IV for you, thank her for the hours of practice she put in before she started poking you & thank her colleagues for letting her practice on them instead of you.

...same bruise, next day. Isn't medicine fun?

I start my clincal rotations in the O.R. in 2 weeks, so cool.