Some Good News...

Many of you may not know that despite receiving my Master's Degree in Nursing from KU 5 years ago, I had never taken the last step in getting certified as a Nurse Practitioner. This was primarily because when I graduated, I was 8 months pregnant with Connor and knew that working outside the home as a NP wouldn't be my top priority for quite some time...

So, I began my work at William Jewell with my Master's Degree, and then two years later, along came Kylee...

This summer, I realized that I had a desire to get my Family Nurse Practitioner certification. My husband and eternal supporter encouraged me to go for it. So, I submitted my application, we paid the testing fee and I scheduled my test for October 11th. I began studying in August.

I have to admit that I actually enjoyed studying. In this time of my life where my world centers around meeting the needs of my little ones, it was refreshing to educate myself in a field that I am passionate about. I learned many new things and expanded my horizons in the field of nursing through my studying.

Then came October 11th. The great thing about this test was that, if I didn't pass, I could continue my current work and no one would really know the difference. My fear of failure prevented me from telling many folks that I was sitting for the exam. The pressure I put on myself came from knowing that we had made an investment of time and money, and I really didn't want to disappoint my husband, my family, or honestly, myself.

I took the 175 question exam at a testing center in Lee's Summit. I felt well-prepared and felt that the exam was fair,but of course, it's never quite what you expect. I had been told that I would need to wait two weeks to receive my results in the mail. Ugh.

I walked out after completing the test to retreive my belongings out of the locker I had been assigned. The testing center proctor (kind of a strange bird) greeted me as I exited the testing room and said "Well, you really blew through that!" I am a fast test-taker, but that really isn't what I wanted to hear. Then she picked up a piece of paper off of the printer and said "Well, congratulations, you scored above and beyond what you needed to." I had no idea what she was talking about...or if she even knew what she was doing (recall that she was kind of a strange bird). She handed me the paper.

I looked down at it to see "Congratulations, you have passed the Family Nurse Practitioner Exam". Unreal.

So, I did it! What does this mean? That if I wanted to, I could work as a FNP in a clinic setting. If you've ever taken your sick child to the Pediatrician's office and seen a Nurse Practitioner, or seen one yourself at your Drs. office, that is what I am now certified to do. What do I want to do with it? Right now, I'd like to use my gifts to serve. I'm on the lookout for ministries that might be interested in using me as a volunteer in this capacity. We'll see what God has in store.

Oh, yes, and as some of you know, these accomplishments bring more alphabet soup into my life. My new credentials: Lindsey Carlson MSN, APRN, BC.

The kids still call me Mommy, though. :)