50% Nurse: The In-Between Season of Becoming

There is a strange kind of humility that comes with nursing school. The more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know yet. And somehow, that has become one of the most beautiful parts of the process.

I have learned so much already. Fundamentals. Mental health. Ambulatory care. Pathophysiology. Over 200 medications. Assessments, care plans, therapeutic communication, clinical judgment, lab values, safety, prioritization, and the language of nursing itself.

But the deeper I get into this profession, the more I understand that nursing is not something you simply memorize your way into. It is something you become.

Right now, I feel like I am in the middle.

Not fully a nurse yet, but definitely not the same girl I was when I started.

I know enough to recognize what is happening in front of me, but not always enough to feel completely confident. I can connect more dots than I used to, but I still have moments where I need to pause, ask questions, and remind myself that learning IS the point.

And honestly, I am proud of that.

Because this season has shown me how capable I am.

I have made mistakes along the way. I have missed details, second-guessed myself, felt behind, felt overwhelmed, and walked away from certain days wishing I had done something better. Before, one mistake could set me back completely. I would spiral, overthink, and let it convince me that maybe I was not cut out for this. But now, I am learning to see mistakes differently.

Not as proof that I do not belong, but as part of becoming safe, thoughtful, and teachable. That shift has been everything. I am learning that confidence in healthcare does not mean pretending to know everything. It means being honest about what you do not know, willing to ask, and committed to growing every single time.

This season also feels especially surreal because I am stepping into one of the biggest opportunities I have prayed for: becoming a nurse extern in acute cardiac and critical care settings.

It genuinely feels like a dream come true.

To have the chance to learn on units that feel so personal to me and my family is something I do not take lightly. Cardiac care and critical care are not abstract interests to me. They are connected to real people, real stories, and real moments where healthcare workers made all the difference. Being able to witness that level of care up close feels incredible.

I am so excited. I am thankful. I am nervous in the best way. I know I will be challenged, stretched, and humbled again and again, but I also know that this is exactly where I have wanted to be.

This season also feels special because I'm a new Fabletics Scrubs Partner! As I step further into my healthcare journey, there is something surreal about wearing scrubs not just for school, but for the beginning of real clinical experience. It makes everything feel more tangible. More serious. More real.

I am stressed, of course.

Nursing school does not pause just because life gets exciting. There are still lectures, exams, clinicals, skills, long days, early mornings, and moments where everything feels like too much.

But we are pushing. We are almost there. And more than anything, I am trying to remember my why. Why I chose nursing. Why I care so deeply about dignity, presence, and patient-centered care. Why I want to become the kind of nurse who notices the details, asks the extra question, and makes people feel safe in vulnerable moments.

I am not a nurse yet. But I am becoming one.

And maybe that is what this in-between season is for: learning that you do not have to be fully there to be growing into the person you prayed to become.