I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love my nursing friends! The friendships that I have made with the people in my classes have been invaluable to my college journey. I could not have possibly made it through without their love, support, and encouragement. Here are some of the reasons why I love my fellow nursing students....
Number 1: We understand each other! When we are so immersed in the material we are studying, it is easy to slip into using medical terminology that we never would have understood before nursing school. It makes me laugh when I read messages in our group me like this one:
It shouldn't make sense, but somehow all speak this crazy language! And, yes, we have already fallen into the habit of telling each other crazy nursing stories and anecdotes any time of the day. Some of our favorite clinical professors are the best story tellers!
Number 2: Study Groups!! Whether we get together to quiz each other, compare notes, explain what Ms. Baginski likes to call our "muddiest" concepts, or just provide some moral support, study groups are the best! It always helps to look over material with other people. I still spend a lot of time going over the lectures by myself, but often I miss things so it is wonderful to have that accountability.
Number 3: We're all in this together! Even though we have different clinical groups, ultimately we are all learning how to be nurses together, and we all are taking the same classes with the same professors. It helps to know that other people are doing and have done what we are; it's a lot of work, but it is possible!!
Number 4: We all want to see each other do well! One of the things I have been so impressed by is the team spirit that I have seen among the nursing students and nurses I have worked with. What we are doing is not easy, even under the best of circumstances. When things start to fall apart, it is so important to have people willing to jump in and do whatever needs to be done. Sometimes that means being willing to give a bed-bath or empty a urinal or do jobs that just plain aren't fun. The only way to accomplish our goal is by being the best possible nurses we can be in order to provide the best possible care for our patients!
Number 5: We see it all. When we get that perfect syringe without any air bubbles in it, or when we completely blow it and make the dumbest mistake imaginable, we are there to support each other. We see each other laugh, and we see each other cry, and it's all okay! It's part of the learning process to have our ups and downs, and keeping a good sense of humor and compassion is essential. Sometimes we all need to get a fresh perspective on a situation, and nursing friends are wonderful for helping you to capture that new outlook and regain the motivation to pick yourself up and start over again.
Number 6: We're there for each other on the good days and the bad days! I think I saw this most clearly this week. Yesterday my pharmacology exam went really well. When some of my friends asked how I did on it, they were so excited for me. They supported me on a really good day! Today, I had a really hard day and ended up missing the first two classes I had ever missed in nursing school. In the midst of my sadness and frustration, my fellow nursing students loaded my phone with messages of encouragement, prayer, and countless offers to do anything they could for me. My Google docs filled with study guides and notes from the lectures I missed, and everyone offered to help even when I didn't ask for it. That meant the world to me and showed me just how special my nursing friends are. When people can be just as happy to help you when you are happy and when you are hurting, you know you are in the right place.
Last, but certainly not least: someday we will graduate together!! It may seem like nursing school will go on forever, but it will eventually come to an end. When it does, I am so grateful that my fellow nursing students will someday be my fellow nurses...
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