Let the Countdown Begin!

Only 4 more days until the semester starts and I am busy getting my office organized!  Coffee cup within easy reach, good lighting, necessary books at hand, and my trusty organizing tool where I can see it.  I have a brain for clinicals, but I surely need another for lectures.  My calendar is where I can see it, and I have marked the first three weeks of the semester as "taken".  There will be nothing else on my mind but school for those first three weeks!  That should set a good pace for the rest of the semester.

This is how I broke down my summer review, not in any particular order:

1. Review respiratory A&P
2. Review respiratory disorders, focusing on the pertinent chapters of the Lewis text and the pathophysiology text by McCance/Heuther
3. Print out lecture notes and review prior to class
4. Review lecture objectives before class
5. review chest tube videos
6. Review math packet, noting any deficits
7. review the ATI respiratory book and online tutorials
8. Review ABG's
9. Review skills lab tutorials; Alpha videos and Mosby videos
10. Check the syllabus and look for assignment and test due dates/put these in calendar, put skills lab days on calendar
11. Set up 2 folders; one for lecture and one for clinical with all docs inside
12. purchase parscores, necessary paper, ink, tabs, post its, and books for semester
13. check nursing uniform; patches on securely, any tailoring on those baggy pants?
14. Locate all clinical items; CPR card, name badge, penlight, steth, notepad, tic tacs, drug guide apps on Iphone, directions to hospital
15. Review EPIC
16. Organize master med list by body systems
17. review: Do not Use list, equivalencies, physical assessment list, formulas for IV rates and calculations, and all normal values reviewed
18. Review N172 tips and concept maps. 
19. Contact study group members and set up a time to meet regularly.  Happy hour is considered post-post conference time!
20. review my physical assessments regularly with friends and family
21. Check Blackboard regularly, as I don't seem to be receiving regular emails from Bb.
22. Remember to use 'fast draft' when printing lecture notes.  Saves so much ink and so much time!
23. Review NLEX questions regularly; Cengage NLEX review book and Davis Pharm book

 This is how I am breaking down the rest of my life for the semester:

1. Mass cooking on the weekend, with abundant leftovers frozen for the week.
2. All shopping done early in the morning, once a week, before the crowds hit Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Local farmers market shopping can be done on the weekends
3. Car filled with fuel for the week
4. Everything prepared for clinical the night before; lunch, folder with appropriate paperwork, name badge, etc.  Start getting up earlier to prepare for clinical days
5. uniform clean and ready to go.  Do I have my white socks and white shirt ready too?
6. nails definitely need a manicure!  Summer has been hard on them...
7. Family is on alert that the semester is starting and they need to be loving and accommodating during the transition from summer.  I promise to be nice to everyone, no matter how stressed I get.
8. Replenish all supplies (paper, ink, etc) as soon as it looks as though they are getting low.  Nothing worse than needing to print something quickly and having no ink to spare.
9. Order prescription glasses to wear on the floor during clinical.  I am not losing another pair of readers in a pile of MRSA soaked exudate again!
10. Set up time for myself during the week to regenerate.  This includes a regular time for meditation and reflection and a creative outlet.
11. Set up a regular time for exercise during the week!  I promise I am not going to have a huge behind on graduation day due to excessive sitting while studying.
12. Renew my commitment to eating well and prepare meals accordingly.  It's so easy to reach out for something to snack on without much thought.  Have snacks ready to go and bring something healthy to eat at break during lecture.
13. Grind the coffee beans at night, not at 5:00 am in the morning.  DH does not like that sound as his alarm:)
14. Begin to wean myself off of Facebook.  Too distracting, but oh so fun!

So this is how I have prepared, and continue to prepare, for the second semester of the nursing program at Saddleback College.  Looking forward to a fantastic semester with some amazing people!