Rebecca Peyrefitte
I was an LVN for 20 years I worked for Loma Linda Medical University Medical Center for 15 years as a Pediatric Nurse. I was happily married to my husband and raising my children in Redlands, Ca. during the year of 2003 I decided to go back to school to get my Associate's degree in Nursing.
I applied to Excelsior College and started in their program for the LVN's to RN program. I started out with three other nurses from Loma Linda. We took a course offered by Dr. Frye in Riverside to prepare us for the nursing concepts exams, they were comprehensive tests we were required to take for the program there was seven total.
Dr. Frye was very entertaining and when he taught, he had a way of making you remember the important points and cues you had to recall when you took an exam. My three friends dropped out of the class, however on the last day of the classes I befriended another student who became my study buddy, and companion. She was about to become a support for me during one of the most difficult and tragic moments in my entire life. She was ahead of me but for some reason I was determined to catch up with her because we had to take a comprehensive nursing practical exam and I needed a good partner, someone who understood nursing and who studied like I did and we could encourage each other.
I felt blessed because I had passed all my exams, however I worked mostly outpatient and I needed hospital experience. I began working through the nursing registry at Parkview Community Hospital in Pediatrics, the manager approached me and offered me a position. I didn't even think twice I knew it was time for me to leave Loma Linda and not look back.
I continued with my studies and working more hours and less days gave me more time spend with my family and continue my nursing career. My husband totally supported me emotionally and financially. My two children Mark and Lorraine were in high school and it was really nice I worked nights and I slept while they were at school. They hated it because I am an audio learner and my husband helped me make CD's. I recorded myself reading my books. They wanted rides to their activities and friends houses so I popped in my CD's and listened to my lessons. My friend and I took what Excelsior College calls the CPNE. We gave ourselves a good six months of studying and practicing the labs, we made a mock lab in her garage and observed each other. We both passed. I had to still finish one more class until I graduated but the hardest part was finished.
I was working through my last class during August of 2005 all was well at home. My daughter was a freshman at Redlands High and my son had just started his first job at Forrest Home Conference Center working in the kitchen. My husband was working for Regency Homes as a structural designer. On August 18th 2005 I received from my son's friend who lived in Forrest Falls that their had been a terrible accident, he didn't have any details but I knew my husband Mark had gone to pick up my son and they should have been home by now and they weren't. I was filled with overwhelming anxiety and I called my daughter to come home that there was an accident and I was sure if Dad and Mark were involved.
I called my sister Lydia and my coworker Jocelyn, My sister jumped in her car right away and Jocelyn stayed on the phone with me. I called my best friend Donna Dunbar she lived in Yucaipa at the time and was close to the entry way to Forrest Falls. I was on the floor praying because nobody had called me, when my daughter came home with her friend I called 911 and they told me that Mark my husband was at Loma Linda University Medical Center. I jumped in my car with my daughter and went to Loma Linda ER.
In transit I finally heard from Donna and she asked where I was. I told her I was on my way to Loma Linda I had the worst feeling but I kept telling myself the Lord would not give me more than I could handle. In the next few minutes I was inquiring about my husband at the triage desk when the Sheriff and Coroner with my friend told me Mark my son passed away I felt like I was going to faint within the next 5 minutes they told me Mark my husband had passed away. My sister and coworker had just arrived and I went into total shock. It felt like a movie like this wasn't happening to me.
My parents arrived and relatives arrived the phone rang constantly. We had support from the church, friends, neighbors and family. On Sunday my Father had a heart attack and died. After the three funerals when I was still in shock mode, I finished my last class and graduated. It took me around a year before I took my boards for my RN but I passed and went back to Parkview for a NICU position.
I am now a single parent with a daughter to raise and send to college. I would like to further my career and get my Bachelor's degree in Nursing. I have been able to still stay on task with overwhelming adversity, online classes are ideal for the single working mom because you can balance your family needs as well as have the time to further your education. I have a new perspective of life and I would like to help others. If I were to further my career and achieve a higher degree of education I may be able to help someone with my personal experience and my nursing skills.