Who can forget nursing school? Buying expensive textbooks that, if dropped, could break a toe…using flashcards to memorize human anatomy…rising before dawn to get to clinicals on time. Good or bad, those were unforgettable days!
I was a newly divorced mother of three young children when I started nursing school. There were lots of days spent reading Luckman & Sorenson’s Basic Nursing while cheering on my boys at their Pee Wee Hockey games. And I remember too many nights, cramming for exams after the kids were in bed. Whew…I get tired just thinking about it!
And there were plenty of adventures, from practicing IM injections on classmates to watching my first surgery. (My daughter would probably add the time she found the half-dissected rat that I brought home for study—and stored in our cold garage!)
Of course, it was all worth it when I graduated, pinning ceremony and all! And while I have the official graduation photo of me wearing a white cap, I can’t help but smile when I see this silly shot. 
Based on the permed hair and the big shoulders, it will probably come as no surprise to you that this photo is from 1988. I was approached by the college to represent the school of nursing in their upcoming print catalog. I remember being thrilled to have a break from the “daily grind” of school. The photo shoot involved going to a modeling studio in Minneapolis, getting my hair and makeup done and taking direction from the photographer. The final result is the tongue-in-cheek pose you see here.
However, this photo is more than a fond memory. It represents a number of useful lessons that I have carried with me since nursing school:
- Keep a book handy so you can seize every opportunity to learn something new.
- Remember that smiling is so much better than frowning…and that a positive attitude goes a long way with both patients and co-workers.
- Think outside the box, both on and off the job. (Although a stethoscope to the forehead probably won’t provide any answers!)
- Remember the past—but know that change is inevitable. And just because something seemed like a good idea at the time (ahem…shoulder pads) doesn’t mean we should scoff at new ways of doing things.
Nursing has been a great career for me and has taken me in a number of different directions—none of which I could have predicted while in nursing school. How about you? Do you have some adventures—or lessons learned—from nursing (or CNA) school to share? We’d love to hear from you!
