Words to the First Year Nurse: Our Journey is Just Beginning
It’s finally fall – the leaves are changing colour, pumpkin spice is out in full-force, and finals are slowly coming around the corner. Exactly two months ago, I was one of the bright-eyed first year nursing students that was itching to finally get lit – Littmann that is. There was something so gratifying about putting on my first pair of scrubs with the Western-Fanshawe badge sewn onto the left sleeve and realizing that I was one step closer to becoming a nurse. However, I’m quickly realizing that there is more to nursing school than just wearing your scrubs out in public and pointing out all the technical faults on Grey’s Anatomy:
Anatomy will scare most people: No lie, I’ve heard the groans of my peers as we gather on the third floor of HSB every week to prepare for what seems like a life or death situation. “It’s just a quiz”, is what we try to tell ourselves, but for some reason first years love to get nervous about them – I’m no exception.
APA is love, APA is life: As I recall my one professor saying: “by the end of the year, you will sleep, breathe, taste APA”, which I am noticing is very, very true. If I were to give any suggestion, it would definitely be to read that mysterious blue manual that we picked up from The Book Store for “some reason” back in August. Trust me, it is more than just a very expensive paper weight.
You will get very comfortable with your peers: All the palpation, auscultation, and percussion; need I say more?
Trust yourself: Using intuition starts in nursing school. Listen to yourself and what you need. Ask questions if you have a gut feeling that something is not right, and trust that the choices you make, are also the best you can make.
I always like to remember that I became a nursing student for a reason and I’m sure the same thought has passed through the mind of my peers at some point or another. I like to think that we will become nurses because it is something that is innate to us. We are here because we love what we do, and no doubt we’re pretty good at it too. Keep your eye on the reward: the gratifying feeling of finally ending your signature with the letters “RN” four years from now. As we slowly approach our first exam session and our stress levels skyrocket, just remember that this too shall pass – it may pass like a kidney stone, but it shall pass.