First things first..

Hiya everyone and welcome to my blog! You can probably guess by the title that this is going to be a nursing-focused blog and it's going to document my journey through nursing school and other topics related to nursing :) So first things first a little bit about me.. My name is Gintare and I am a nursing student. I just started my first year of nursing school last September and am enjoying every minute of it! I love everything about nursing and even though nursing school can be hard at times I feel I should document these ups and downs in the hopes that I can look back and remember all the good times :) And maybe it will help someone else in my position! I went back to college as a mature student at 24 and I feel that that's helped me be more focused in the process and to be more determined to be the best nurse I can be. Because there isn't really anything else I'd rather be doing (believe me, I've tried and tested other careers that just didn't suit me for one reason or another)!
So my nursing journey really started about 3 years ago when (after years of wanting to do it and thinking I couldn't because I wasn't good enough) I decided to work towards going back to college and getting my nursing degree. Here in Ireland we have to do a 4 year Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree as a standard, with variations of what type of nursing you'd like to go into. I've always known that I wanted to be a general nurse because I just found it more appealing and it just made sense to me. At my college there are 2 types of nursing degree on offer: the general and mental health nursing. Both disciplines train together, with the exception of certain modules that have to be different for obvious reasons. It really is a nice close knit group as there isn't too many of us. So as I was saying, my nursing journey started about 3 years ago when I finally made the decision to go back to college. I'd had enough of doing things that I wasn't fully happy with just because I felt I wasn't good enough or able to be who I truly wanted to be. After that lightbulb moment I started researching types of courses available and what pathways I could take to get to where I ultimately wanted to be. I think some people call it making a plan ;). Because it was too late that year to apply I had to wait it out until the following year. But I was very much focused on getting there even if it took me several years. The following year I did indeed apply (early I might add!) and waited to get an offer. I couldn't apply as a mature student back then so I relied solely on my Leaving Cert points, of which I had enough, but barely. So along came August and I got offered 1 place. On the other side of the country! I wasn't thrilled but thought to myself if that was what I needed to do then I should surely suck it up and make the best of it. However, after discovering that I couldn't go at all (for reasons out of my control) I decided to take a year out and really focus 100% and basically eat, sleep and breathe nursing. I applied to do a Healthcare Assistant course and when I got it I decided to go for it even though it meant moving to a different county. I ended up really loving the course and it cemented my desire to go into nursing and achieve my goals. I applied through the CAO again (even earlier!) and waited patiently to hear back from my top colleges. When I got my 2nd choice I was more than happy as it meant going to one of the best colleges in the country and doing a dual degree (Childrens and General integrated). BUT....in  August I was offered my No. 1 choice of General Nursing in a different college that was my top choice and that I wanted for the last 3 years. It was a no-brainer. I had to take it! And so I did. It meant moving back home and commuting to college every day (1 hour drive each way!), which was actually quite convenient for me. I started in September and never once questioned my decision to go into nursing. And so here I am now writing this blogpost, hoping to maybe inspire someone who isn't sure that they can do it or who's doubting their abilities to do it.
Thank you for reading this extremely looooooong introduction haha!

Hugs,
Gintare