From One Nursing Student to the Next

ca21roberts

Dear Beginning Nursing Student,

Welcome to the next few years of your new life. This is a time in which you will be pushed physically and mentally to your breaking point. Although it seems like an impossible feat now, I promise you can make it. No one really knows what to expect going into nursing school. All you know is that you go in a commoner and come out a well-oiled, empathetic, nursing machine. It's almost a mystery.

Many of you may not even be able to fathom how one person could possibly store so much knowledge in their brain along with all of the skills that go along with it. Well my friends, there's no compass pointing due North to get you through. There are however, many trials and errors you learn as you go. For me, school happened in phases; I had to get used to one aspect before I could move onto the next. Although it's different for everyone, I hope my journey through the phases and what I learned during them can help you get one step closer to being the nurse you want to be.

Phase 1-Culture Shock:

4.0 doesn't mean jack squat when you start.

Getting into nursing school was the easy part.

If you're not willing to give up friend or family time, than be willing to hang out with a 77%.

Your first orientation will make you want to drop out right then and there. Keep in mind this is an entire semester's worth of papers and they just like to be intimidating.

If you can, get your nurse's aide certification and work in a health care setting before you start. It'll definitely give you a one up when you first start classes. It'll also make your first clinical rotation less nerve wracking. Plus, it will make your first skills test seem super easy.

Friends will ask you for medical advice. Politely respond with the fact that you are just a nursing student and to maybe contact their doctor,

If you take a prereq (like micro) during your nursing classes, it's ok to be irritated at the others who are still pre-major and think these tests are the hardest things they've ever seen. It's also ok to secretly laugh.

It's also ok to be annoyed at the pre-major kids who are mad about spending $200 for a semester's worth of books they can return. Especially after you just spent $1100 on books that you won't ever even open but keep just in case.

If you are dead set on staying at your job, cut back to one or two days a week. A cut in pay now is worth the pay you'll be getting after graduation.

Be cautious of entering nursing with a best friend and taking all the same classes together. You will develop different study methods and that can hurt both of you if you're trying to stick together for friendship. If you can study well together than that's great too!

Phase 2-Classroom Adjustment:

Don't base your schedule around anything other than what is going to be easiest for you. If you're not a morning person, take afternoon clinicals. Don't take the mornings just because you want to be able to have the nights off to hang out with friends or work, especially in the summer. If a friend is pressuring you to take the same clinical as them, don't be afraid to say no if it will ultimately be an inconvenience to you.

Even though taking a senior's advice can be really helpful, don't take what they say too literally. They may have had a really tough time on something that will be a breeze to you. And vice versa.

Get close to at least one instructor you feel comfortable around. They can make all the difference

Don't be afraid of the "Hitler" instructor of your school. Not only are they usually great nurses, but one on one they can be your academic savior.

Prepare to sit through lectures where the teachers read 80 page powerpoints, word for word.

DO. THE. HOMEWORK. ASSIGNMENTS. Even though there is a good chance these will only be a small percentage of your grade (like 3% total), it can mean the difference between passing and failing.

Take advantage of the time they allow you to be creative. Teachers like when students stand out. Make funny home videos for presentations. It'll be worth it.

Don't drink coffee before a test. Just trust me on this one.

If you have a parent or relative who is a nurse, utilize their knowledge. Always double check what they tell you before you commit it to memory though. Not that they are wrong, but we are all taught differently and your program might have its own answer it wants you to know.

You will forever ponder how such a clustered program is in existence. You will constantly question why you learn about something long after you have been practicing it in clinicals. Don't get caught up in these things. It's the way the school works and it's not going to change. Accept this and continue to work your butt off.

Get used to checking your school email religiously for the constant stream of announcements from the instructors. Most will be irrelevant but the one you miss will be the most important.

There will be that person who skips most of the lectures, is carefree, doesn't study, and still manages to get a 99% on the test. The most important thing to know is that everyone learns differently and everyone applies their knowledge differently. This subject is a gray area. You're probably used to black and white content; it may take a while to get used to. Don't stress it.

You'll hear countless times how bad pharm is. You will love it if you are a black and white learner. It'll seem like cake compared to nursing.

It's ok to get a C. I'll say it again, IT IS OK TO GET A C. It's also ok to get an F. Just work your *** off and don't let it happen again.

Don't be that person who has to dispute everything the teacher lectures. Just because you've been in the situation before and the teacher describes it differently doesn't mean it's wrong. Again, the teacher's version is what is going to be on the test.

There will be at least one student throughout the entire program who has a story for every lecture you're in. They've seen it all. You'll learn to just roll your eyes and look at other students as you all shake your heads. It's actually pretty entertaining.

You won't want to join any school groups or buy the program t-shirts because you'll feel like it's a "jinx." This is normal. Don't let that hold you back from anything.

You'll be assigned homework over your very few and very precious breaks. This will infuriate you because the homework is mandatory, you have to get above a 90% on it and are offered no revisions, and it's only worth 1 point overall. Just do it and get it over with instead of focusing on how angry it makes you.

Lecture isn't mandatory but you should always go. If you're someone who is right on the grading scale edge and are missing the cut off by .3% they will often look back at your attendance.

You will have to speak in front of class sooner or later. It will also help you get over the fear of talking to patients. Volunteer to be your group's spokesperson. Teachers like this.

You will have critical thinking labs where instructors give you situations with the dummies and watch how you go about it. Talk to the dummy as if it is a living, breathing patient. Be empathetic to it. Explain the procedures. They take note on this and take it seriously.

TAKE YOUR TIME DURING THE TESTS. This is not a race. Read the question thoroughly.

Read the answers thoroughly. Go back through the test when you're done.

You will feel multiple times like you're just learning how to avoid a lawsuit and how to not annoy a doctor.

The worse you feel about a test afterwards usually indicates the better you did. Don't get me wrong though, there's a difference between feeling ominous towards the outcome and straight up knowing you bombed it. We've all been there. Minus that one kid who seems to pass EVERYTHING.

If your teachers insist you have certain things for class that they promise you will use all the time, get together with fellow students and split the cost of it. Chances are you will either only use it once or they will have it in class already for people that may have forgotten theirs.

Never quit mid semester. It doesn't matter if a teacher tells you there's no hope to get your grades up. Where there's a will, there's a way. You want to be able to say you did everything you could.

You will hear things from other students about tests and uniforms and new policies. If you ever have a question or a concern, just go ask the teachers. Sometimes the things you hear are true, in which you can adjust, but most of the times it's just talk.

Learn the healthy way to pull an all-nighter. Don't rely on pop and sugar. Eat fruits with natural sugar. Black tea and coffee may taste bad but not only are they a great source of caffeine but they are much more nutritional than pop. And better for your teeth.

Pronunciation. You will wonder why they don't teach you how to say the multiple words you come across. Especially drugs. Just give it your best shot. Everyone has their own way of saying things. Especially the older teachers.

You will have at least one symptom of every disease/disorder you learn about.

Phase 2 1/2- The Etiquette of Proper Nursing School Studying:

No amount of studying ever feels like it's enough. You may even come to a point where you put the books and notes down, say a small prayer, and attempt to trust yourself that you know the stuff.

You can read the text a million times but if you don't apply what you learn, you'll never get it. To help, buy an NCLEX review book. Eat, sleep, and breathe with this book (also utilize the cd that comes with it).

There will be things on the test that you have never previously heard of. Before you EVER go to a teacher to question them about it you should probably flip through the text. Chances are it's in there.

Find a great place to study. Barnes and Noble can be your safe haven. Not only is it quiet but it has a nursing section where you can utilize the texts for free. There's also usually a Starbucks or coffee source there. Not to mention that there usually aren't a lot of people there and there's a very small chance you will run into any friends (aka distractions).

Don't even be in the same room as your cellphone when you are attempting to study.

Test answers are ALL about safety. The school and state want to know that you are going to be a safe nurse. Your first reaction to a situation is not always what they want to hear. For example: a patient has low blood sugar, what do you do first? Give them a sugar source, right? No. Raise the bed rails so they don't fall out of bed. See what happened there? Safety.

Pay close attention to how questions and answers are worded. Many times you will miss the "select all that apply" or the "least likely" part of the question. And if the words "all" or "never" are in an answer, that's most likely not the one.

You will learn to loathe select all that apply questions. Get used to them though! They're an NCLEX favorite.

Study the day you learn the content. It will make your life easier and less stressful.

As you read through your notes/book/lecture powerpoints and come across a word you don't know, immediately google it and write it down.

The teachers LOVE to interchange words constantly that mean the same thing. Especially on tests.

If you ever have a chance to review your tests, do it. It will come in handy when finals roll around.

Pinterest can be a lifesaver. You would be amazed at how many pictures and mnemonics there are out there for meds, diseases, and treatments.

Youtube can also be a lifesaver. There are music videos that range from the patho of diabetes to what to do with a fracture. It's a great way to learn if you're a visual person.

Don't listen to music when you study. Don't have the tv on when you study. You won't understand this until you take a test and you can vaguely remember seeing a question's content on your notes but you can certainly rap the Lil Wayne verse you were listening to in your head at the time.

If you have to have some kind of background noise on while you study, go to a free internet radio and look up instrumental music. My personal favorite is movie scores. Not only is it inspirational but it's usually pretty epic and gets you pumped up.

There will be things in your book (if you read) that don't match up with your notes. Consult the instructor on that content and get their answer. That's what will be on the test.

Your notes are going to be LOADED with information you don't need. Don't focus on the details of how insulin is made in the body; study what you're going to watch for in a patient with high/low blood sugar and what you're going to do for them.

Even though it won't be on the test, sometimes learning the anatomy/physiology behind any complication or process can make studying it a little easier. Sometimes you can't correlate why certain problems lead to other problems when you don't understand how either works in the first place. (hint: know the heart and kidneys like the back of your hand).

Instead of having a study session, have a talk session. Spark a discussion about the content on the upcoming test. You would be surprised at how much you will learn from these. You'll also be surprised at how much you actually knew to begin with.

Sometimes questions are as easy as they seem, don't ever over analyze a situation and NEVER "what if" the scenario

Read your med/surg book. You'll have 10 books you never even open but this is the one to take the time to read, especially when you're studying. Not only do you get a little bit of an anatomy lesson at the beginning but it will tell you specifically what to watch for, what do to when complications are present, and what to teach your patients.

Dosage calculations are not hard. Before you do any math, write down what the answer needs to be in. From there you can figure out what all you'll need to setup the problem so you get that end result.

Double check your math. Make sure the numbers you write down match up with numbers in the question. Even though this seems like a no brainer, you'll be ****** when you get a test back and got it wrong because you wrote down 250 instead of 24U.

Understand that the effort you put into your studies is the type of nurse you will be. Once you realize that what you are studying for is not just for a test, but also to use in real life and possibly to save a life, it can make learning the content a lot more bearable. Ask yourself if you would want someone taking care of you who didn't put any effort in and just knew how to do the motions without understanding them?

Take breaks during your cram sessions. For every packet of notes you read, get up and walk around. Check your twitter. Too much at once is just as bad as nothing at all.

You really should study every day. An hour a day is a lot easier and bearable than spending 12 hours on it all the day before the test.

Even though it's one of the first things you learn, NEVER forget ABC. Airway, breathing, and circulation. This is on every test. They will try to throw you off by asking a complicated question about a complicated disease and then the answer will be to monitor for a patent airway.

Even though it's nerdy, going to a bar with a friend and studying with a beer is actually pretty relaxing.

You will learn all about how you have to delegate tasks to other coworkers. This is one of those things on the tests where you MUST know how the teachers want you to answer, not what you would really do. Where you might have your aide go get you a sugar source for your diabetic patient so you can stay with them to make sure they are safe, your teachers might expect you to have them page the doctor overhead. Even though you really are the only one who should contact the doctor but doesn't matter; their tests, their rules. A universal truth though is that you never delegate teaching.

You will hear it a million times, utilize study groups.

Know the difference between study groups and gossip groups. Study groups make it. Gossip groups either graduate two semesters behind you or switch majors.

Doesn't matter if you studied content for two weeks before or the night before, if you can't grasp the style of the tests, you won't get it

Test questions aren't about what YOU would do as a nurse, but what the state curriculum and national boards want you to do.

Phase 3-Surviving Clinicals:

You will have to get custom scrubs that cost a small fortune. They will advise you to get multiple sets. Buy one for now (because you'll only be in clinicals once a week) and if you make it past the first semester/decide this is what you really want to keep doing then you can buy more. Also, you can usually find cheaper ones online and then get them monogrammed for less.

You will have really high expectations for clinicals. You'll expect to be saving the world and being all that you can be. Truth is you're going to spend a lot of time documenting. The further you advance, the more you will start to do, but a lot of precious learning time is wasted.

First semester is the time for weeding out. The teachers throw hard stuff at you to see who has the strength to survive. You'll look back at this time and realize how big of an *** you looked like. You're taught to perform these tasks that seem like a big deal (like lung sounds) and it's not until the next semester that you learn what you're actually looking for in these assessments (such as what abnormal lung sounds actually are and how they happen).

Second semester you basically learn every skill that a nurse actually does. NG tubes, catheters, IV's, IV meds, blood administration. This is also another moment where you look back and realize how pointless first semester was and how silly it was for you to be so stressed out.

NO ONE (friends and family) will understand what you are going through. Nor do they want to hear about the poop you had to clean up. Ever.

You'll be taught to be professional... you will laugh the first time you and a friend try to tackle a poopy butt at the nursing home while one is wiping and the other tries to hold them up.

Do not be afraid to talk to a nurse during clinicals. No matter nice or mean the end result is the same; you are both there to take care of someone in need.

Don't ever be afraid to ask questions. But, don't ever ask a question without first trying to find the answer. Meaning... don't be lazy. If you don't know what a disease is, google it. If you still can't figure it out, ask.

When you're going through your nursing home rotation, DON'T QUIT! This is often the beginning stage where they give you stuff to do to make you feel like you're really a nursing student when you're really just cleaning up poo. Nursing homes aren't forever. It'll be worth it when you get to the hospital.

You won't feel like a real nurse until you get your first IV poke. Fact

Be. Assertive. There will come a time when you've got a patient who needs an IV and the instructor will offer it to another student. Don't be afraid to put your foot down. After all, it is your patient and your educational opportunity here. Also, teachers like to see assertiveness in their students. They'll trust you more with the more complicated patients.

Empathy. If you don't know what that means then perhaps you should switch to a business major. Skills are important but no one wants a robot working on them. Connect with your patients and their visitors.

The first death is the hardest; it is okay to cry and it is okay to express your feelings. Never bottle it up.

There will come a time during your clinicals where you feel like your instructor is letting other people do the fun stuff while you're still wiping ***, step up and say something.

This is not a time to be fashionable with your shoes. Nike's don't have the greatest arch support. Get some Reebok walkers or those ugly clogs every nurse seems to have and your feet will love you.

When you perform a skill for the first time on a real patient, be confident. The only way the patient will have a clue that you are freaking out is if you look like a deer in headlights. Even if you shake a little, smile and own that skill. When they ask if you've done it before say yes. That's not a lie, those dummies were great for practice right?

Don't lie. Your instructor can sniff it out before you even say it. If you skipped an assessment on accident, just say that and then go do it. Not to mention that in this case, lying about patient care is illegal.

Don't purposefully skip an assessment. Just because you already listened to lung sounds doesn't mean they are going to be the same when you have to do it again 4 hours later. Skipping an assessment can lead to patient death.

If a fellow student needs help, HELP THEM. You never know when you're going to have a patient you can't handle on your own and they will be the first to have your back.

You are going to have to wipe a butt. You are going to have to bathe someone. You will get some kind of bodily fluid on you/your scrubs. Accept this now and it'll make the moment less of a big deal.

Have a sense of humor. If you make a mistake in front of the patient, crack a joke about it, it'll ease them up.

Don't ever let your personal life interfere with your clinical life. Obviously you know not to gossip to a patient. This just simply means if you and your significant other just broke up, or some other stressful event occurs; don't let it show in front of a patient. After all, you are there for them and they need you right now.

Welcome to the life of being a hypocrite. You will constantly be teaching patients to never do something that you do on daily basis.

You will have to write multiple clinical papers. They'll ask you what you taught the patient or what their reactions were. Nine times out of ten you haven't done half the things you will put in these papers. I always considered it as what I would have done/how they would have reacted, that's the same right? Googling is okay in this case. Just make sure you can always back up something you submit. For example, you will have to evaluate why a certain lab value is elevated. If your response is something you haven't learned yet in class be able to say with confidence how you know this. And no you can't say Google. Teachers will be impressed if you back it up with a text reference though.

Don't be frustrated if you have to be prompted. You know the answer deep down and that's all that matters. Instructors see this. It can take forever to learn how to critically think so don't stress it right now.

There will come a time when it "clicks" for you. You will no longer have to carry around your notes with you at clinical. You won't have to reference back to something you jotted down. You will see a diagnosis and immediately know what labs to monitor and what orders to carry out.

Don't let one bad day, one bad nurse, one bad patient, or one bad experience make you want to quit. You will have moments that make everything worth it and you will have moments that make you question why you're here. Just stick it out.

Get used to multitasking.

Double, triple, and quadruple check everything. It doesn't matter if you have already been in the patient's room and they have told you their name four times, you have to verify before you can give any treatments.

You will also feel like you're just the nurse's tool bag. Just remember, these people could potentially be a reference for you in the future and will be quick to remember the many times you cleaned up messes no one else wanted to and didn't have a sour attitude about it.

You will often wonder how certain nurses can have an attitude with you when they were once nursing students themselves. Just keep doing things the way they like and you'll get by.

You will come across patients that you bond with. That is perfectly fine and even encouraged. Just know that when you leave that hospital at the end of the day, you may never see them again and there's nothing you can do about. That doesn't mean that they died, but maybe they were discharged because you fixed them all up.

There will come a time you know something about the patient that they themselves don't even know yet. It may or may not be morally conflicting to you, especially if it involves cancer. You will have to continue to act normal around them. In this situation, even if you disagree with it, give them the best care you possibly can. Make them feel happy and like they are being taken care of to the best of your ability. Bad news will come but they will remember you as being a positive factor in that moment.

It's ok, and normal, to be hungry after just doing something most would see as incredibly disgusting. We are supposed to have nerves of steel after all.

Don't take the same instructor for clinicals multiple times even though you formed a bond with them. It's important to get the views and knowledge of the other instructors. Who knows, you may even bond with them as well!

NEVER, ever, look down on a health care worker with a lower title than yours. The aides and various other assistants will be your lifeline. Not only do they know the patients inside and out, they will help you when you need it.

Coordination. Don't stress the first time you trip over the vital sign machine or accidentally splatter your teacher with blood (true story). Most everyone, patients included, knows you're new at this. As long as you've got the right attitude and don't hurt anyone, it can actually be a pretty funny story in time.

You will often go the entire clinical time without using the restroom. You won't even realize it until you sit down for that first time afterwards and it hits you all at once.

It's okay if your ability to suppress your gag reflex isn't intact for a while. Those first times you wipe a patient or get farted on, a little gagging is normal and maybe even a chuckle. Just make sure the patient doesn't see or hear this. Remember, this is an incredibly vulnerable moment for them. Unless they laugh first and then all is fair.

Buying your instructor coffee doesn't make you a teacher's pet. They will often times return the favor, which comes in handy that day you don't have money on you.

Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. Remember, this is the time when someone else is responsible for you and you are "just a student." There's nothing wrong with trying and learning new things under guided supervision.

There's a pretty good chance you are going to mess up at some point in your student career. Take this as another opportunity to learn. Many nurses will show you how to do something and say the only reason they know how to do it now is because they messed it up before.

There's no easy way to make a bed. Roll a patient this way, tuck this here, don't let it touch you, comfort the patient, and change their brief while you're at it. Ask a friend for help. It will result in a speedier linen change and optimal comfort for the patient.

If you don't know how to do something, don't do it. Ask for help.

If you aren't allowed to do something, don't do it. Even if it means telling the aides, LPNs, RNs, and even doctors, "no." They might roll their eyes or scoff, but it's not worth your future nursing career.

There's no such thing as a break. Eat before your clinicals and pack a small snack for post conference.

Phase 4-Unexpected Lessons:

In the long run, this is really only a short moment of your life. The time will fly by. Power through and it will be over before you know it.

If you aren't currently in a relationship, avoid one. You will turn into a different person as you deal with stress and learn new things about yourself. This may also affect current friendships. If someone in your life can't understand what you're going through and just simply be there in your time of need then you are better off without them.

You will read all of these statements, countless other guides/forums, and think "not gonna be me!" ... we all said that and sooner or later it happened to us without us even knowing.

Your friends won't know half the things you talk about. Remember that all of society, unless already educated or trained, really knows nothing about diseases, disorders, medications, infections, et cetera...

Sleep when you can. There will be times you have to sacrifice it.

If you have time, keep a diary. Although it seems childish, it's hilarious to look back and read. Like that time a man was on the commode and farted and you had to turn around so he didn't see you laugh. Or when you couldn't fathom the idea of doing your first sterile dressing change, like OMG right?

Don't focus on things you can't change.

Don't get pregnant.

The medical shows you loved before starting school will suddenly become incredibly corny to you. Grey's Anatomy for example. No one has hair like that after they have just been in surgery for eight hours, plus, they didn't even scrub in right.

Be a positive person. You never know who uses you as their inspiration to keep going.

It's okay to have a breakdown. We all have our nights. Cry it out, eat chocolate, and then move on. If you fell down on the sidewalk would you just lay there or get back up and keep walking?

You will become incredibly close to your nursing school friends, even if you don't feel like it after first impressions. Not only do they know what you're going through but you can always lean on them. Before you know it, they will be the only people you feel like you really connect to.

You can and will make it through this. Say it every day if you have to. Write it on a post it note and put it on your door or in your car. You can do this.

If you fail out, it's not the end of the world. You will usually be able to test back in at the level you're at. If nursing is really your dream, make the most of your time off and then hit it even harder when you get back at it.

If the thought of failing out excites you, maybe change your profession.

You'll come to a fork in the road: "Is this really what I want?" on the right and, "Do I have another career option?" on the left. If you can't picture yourself doing anything else then you know that this is really what you want. No matter how hard of a time you're going through and how much you may hate it at the time, this is the right place for you to be.

Don't be ashamed of getting an associate's degree. When it comes down to it, it's the same amount of clinical work. You will come across people who don't understand how someone can be a nurse after just two short years. You will even meet people who will state they'd rather only have a nurse with a bachelor's or higher take care of them. Don't let it get to you. Besides, it all comes down to clinical experience. Some bachelor's students never get to start an IV while some associate's students get to start IV's the minute they are allowed to. Don't judge a book by its degree.

You've heard it from seniors, you've read it on forums, and you're about to hear it again. There will come a time when you crack. You will cry and you will never want to come back. You might go through a long depression. Don't let it get to you!

At the end of each semester you will look back at the things you were stressed at and just laugh. You won't believe what seemed like such a big deal then because it's so simple now.

Phase 5-The Little Things:

Skills tests-don't stress them. You will have a second chance.

Dexterity. Practice really does make perfect. Prime the tubing, twist the cap off, twist the new one on, flush, recap, and don't contaminate. Just keep practicing and this will come to you.

Make time to do the things you like. Work out, church, sports, collecting rocks. Allow yourself some time to de-stress so you don't go crazy.

If you're going to talk in class, whisper.

After all those years of being told to stay away from it, Wikipedia will finally be useful. Make it your friend.

Find friends who will let you practice on them. Just be careful with the needles.

Mountain dew is really bad for you. It may seem like it's the only thing that will get you through the day (and nights sometimes) but maybe it's time to start liking coffee or even Coke Zero.

Listen closely to something an instructor tells you outside of class or any extra papers they give you. These are often their subtle ways at helping you the most they can.

You will review your tests and be ****** at yourself for missing the questions you did. Whether it was not reading the question right or picking one you thought made sense at the time. Learn from this.

When you have a break with no homework, get away. Even if it's it to a cheap motel in the next town over. Your brain needs a break.

Check your scrub pockets before you wash them.

When you do hang out with your friends, don't constantly talk about school and how depressed you are. They won't understand and after a while they will just stop listening. Make the most out of your time together and forget about school for a while. Have some fun! You deserve it.

When you graduate and get your first job, you will be trained all over again. Don't stress the skills you didn't get to do.

Without you realizing it, nursing will slowly but surely take over your life. It goes from what you're studying to who you are. You start to become more aware of your environment and surroundings. You begin to analyze things before you do them. You realize that everything has to do with the next, all things are interrelated and understanding that helps you recognize why some things happen the way they do. Embrace this.

So, feeling any more confident about tackling your first year? Although some of these things may not apply to you now, try and remember them down the road. Teachers will frustrate you, classmates will annoy you, patients will bring you down; regardless, you will get out of this experience with what you put into it and that includes both physical and mostly mental strength. And as you grow and become smarter, reflect back on this time and help those below and around you. From one nursing student to the next, I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors and never give up.