About

I started this blog so I could include various study elements from my nursing school journey, as well as a place that I can continue to include stories of my nursing career after getting out of school. A blog is a great way to refer back to things as I need them. Originally, I was only going to do this just for myself; however, I thought, ” This can be a useful tool for other nurses and/or nursing students in the same position that I am in”. This is actually my 2nd round in nursing school. You can read the rest of my story and how I got to this point below. I hope you enjoy the site, and I welcome any suggestions that you may have for improvements.

On December 3, 1970 in a huge hospital named Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida, a blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl came into the world. Her mother and father were overjoyed with the life they had created. Over the next 10 years, she remained in Pensacola. Unfortunately, like many marriages today, her mother and father’s marriage ended in divorce. This led to her mother getting remarried and moving her and her younger brother to Athens, Alabama. This is when her personality began to take shape. The next 34 years would consist of various life altering events for her, which made her into the person she is today. Allow me to introduce myself to everyone. I am Jennifer Cook. My life may have begun in Pensacola, Florida, but the majority of my life has been spent in Athens, Alabama. I am now a widowed 44 year old mother of a 21 year old son and a 19 year old daughter.

I returned to college about 2 years ago, after approximately 20 years. I earned an LPN certificate from Calhoun in 1993. I had originally started out taking classes to earn an RN degree. However, the way Calhoun offered the nursing program back then was much different than it is being offered now. In addition to this, I had two small children and was in the process of a divorce myself, when my name was finally called for the RN program. Due to these reasons, I was unable to complete my degree at that time. The last 20 years, I have spent just trying to make a living as an LPN, but I have continued to have a yearning to complete what I started. So, I am back in school now to finish what I started all those years ago. I am currently working on finishing my RN Associates Degree through Calhoun, and I am also currently enrolled at UNA (classified as a Sophomore) to work on my RN Bachelor’s Degree at the same time. Ultimately, I would like to further my education to become a Nurse Practitioner. I would eventually like to combine my knowledge of the medical field with the fitness and holistic medicine world. I have a passion for all of these things.

I am an avid “Do It Yourself” type of person. I enjoy making and creating anything and everything. I also enjoy sewing and crafting, when time allows me to be creative (which is pretty limited these days). Writing has always been a passion of mine, as well. I am currently working on gathering information to write my own book and have it published at some point down the road when things are not so hectic for me. It will be based around personal family and work experiences of various aspects of the judicial system and every day issues that arise in one’s life. I would also like to put a book together based around the benefits of using Alternative Health options. Unfortunately, my favorite foods are “Good-Old-Fashioned” fattening foods made in the South. My next favorite foods are Mexican and some Chinese. My favorite all time movie is Dirty Dancing, and I enjoy watching regular programs such as The Dome, The Voice, and Extant.

I currently work full-time 12 hour shifts in a Geriatric Psych Unit. This position has proved to be the most physically and mentally challenging and demanding that I have held thus far, but I have learned to love it. I applied for the RN bridge program last fall at Calhoun, but was lacking a couple of courses that I needed. I have now finished those, so I reapplied for the bridge program again at both Calhoun Community College and Snead State Community College for fall 2015 semester, and I planned to take the program online. I was accepted to both Calhoun and Snead State Community College. I chose to finally complete my ADN degree in nursing at Snead State Community College due to the way the program is being offered there. In addition to this, I am dually enrolled at the University of North Alabama to continue working on my Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. I am a huge advocate of quotes and poems about family and life in general.  I have learned through many hard life experiences that there are certain ways that you must live your life, so I would like to leave you with a thought to ponder on.  “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” —– Vivian Greene.