life post graduation

The weeks leading up to graduation were packed with activity...making sure that everything on the 'list' was complete, shelling out money to UNMC, the State Board, NCLEX, the cap & gown people...counting (and re-counting) preceptor hours, shopping for something to wear and generally jumping thru a bunch of hoops.

The good news: I made it! I am officially a college graduate. This is an accomplishment seeing as the road to get to this point was long and sometimes not so smooth. I am now back to the waiting game: waiting to take boards (1/25) and waiting for HR to decide to schedule interviews. Patience is not one of my strongest qualities, so it's been a challenge to refrain from calling the nurse recruiter every 5 minutes =)

This is a curious time, really. School and graduating are great, but you are not a nurse until you take & pass boards. In Nebraska, there is not 'graduate nurse' designation, so you can't work in a nursing role until you pass boards. You can't work as a tech after you pass boards. You have to provide your current department with 3 weeks (!) notice of intent to transfer or you are not considered for future employment. I don't have a nursing job (yet)...so I can't technically 'transfer' anywhere. I realize that everything will happen as it is supposed to, but I am over this in between stage!