A delayed thank you

   The other day, there was a brand new nurse who was orienting on my unit. It was her very first day. I was doing a procedure and asked her if she would like to come and watch me so she could get some experience. I had done it quite a few times, so I explained it to her.
    A while later, I was cleaning up some of my old junk out of my apartment, and I came across all of my old care maps and papers I did in nursing school. There was quite a pile. It represented a lot of agonizing, lack of sleep, hand cramps, and sweat.
   This made me think back to nursing school, and I would like to reflect a little bit on people who helped me out when I was brand new and scared out of my mind. There are a few specific examples that represent a much broader spectrum of people who gave me their time, compassion, and knowledge. Here's to you.

Thank you to the nursing assistant who took me to the side when a horribly mean patient made me cry in nursing school. She told me that it wasn't me, and that I was going to be a good nurse.

Thank you to the professor who marked me down on my papers because she knew that I was capable of more. She challenged me to think critically and try harder.

Thank you to my preceptors at Mayo and Northwestern who spent so much of their time teaching me when I was brand new, had no confidence, and had a million questions. Thanks for bringing extra books for me to read and showing me how to look things up so that I could continue learning.

Thank you to the doctors who would quiz me on my shadowing days and would try to teach me everything they knew in a couple of hours.

Thank you to the professors who wouldn't let me give up if I didn't get it right the first time. You helped me build my confidence and believe in myself.

Thank you mom for patiently listening to me cry or vent when I was stressed, sad, or got a bad test result back.

Thank you to all the nurses who would pull me into a room to show me a procedure or a strange wound or an interesting disease.

Thank you to all of the nurses who I graduated with for going through nursing school with me. We are all much more comfortable with each other than is normal.

Thank you to all the hospitals and patients that allowed a bunch of scaredy cat nursing students work with actual people. Thanks for entrusting us with your lives.

Thank you to my roommates, family, and friends who let me listen to your lungs and test out your reflexes. Thanks for listening to my gross stories and for getting excited for me.

Thanks for reading this blog :)

Love you all. See ya 'round.

-C-