So it’s Tuesday and I’ve added a new countdown to my blog – 27 Days until I take my state boards…Yes, this morning I took the plunge and scheduled my exam for my Texas Nursing Home Administrator Boards.  It’s not enough that I have the job, and I’m putting in the hours, the State of Texas says I still have to pass a test to keep the job.  Licensed Nursing Home Administrators have the joy of being licensed not only by the state they work in, but also by a Federal Board.  I still remember how nervous I was when I took my Federal Boards – the 30 seconds it takes the computer to calculate your score to let you know if you passed were probably the longest 30 seconds of my life. 

I am licensed in Kansas and I am currently working on a provisional license in Texas, but it expires in December.  I have to know any number of things like licensure fees, time between meals if a substantial snack is offered – 16hrs – and square footage of a rooms. Administrators have to be generalists and know a little bit about everything: Nursing, Finance, Marketing, Therapy, Dining Services, housekeeping, Leadership and on and on it goes.  I tend to procrastinate on big things, but with my marathon in December and knowing that some big changes are on the horizon at work, I decided I might as well just get it done and behind me. Between now and December there will be no right time to take this test. So I have 27 days to study the 228 Pages of the, “Texas Administrative Code: Title 40 Social services and Assistance; Part 1 Department of Aging and Disability Service, Chapter 19 Nursing Facility Requirements for Licensure and Medicaid Certification.” Exciting stuff. 

Time to study, can you say flashcards?

And of course I’m still living with my sister, dealing with the joys of Dallas traffic, working a more than fulltime job, and oh yes training for a marathon. And I am committing to staying on track with my health and weight loss goals, this isn’t a good enough reason to not be in control of how I feel and what I put in my body.   But hey, as I said in my last post, I’ve run 26.2 miles – for fun!  I can conquer this obstacle too!   And just in case someone out htere needs a little mid-week motivation this is one of my current favorite take on the world songs Mandisa’s Overcomer Happy Tuesday Everyone!

The second most important document in my life right now, my marathon training plan.