Why Nursing???

I graduated from high school in Small town South Carolina
in 1978. Average student, could have been better...with a
little application of my brain. I mostly just wanted out.

My first job after high school was at a yarn mill...second
shift and I hated every minute of it. Although it did pay
fairly well, it was production and I could not get my
hands to move fast enough to suit my coworker.
This lady had been there for over 20 years and made
yarn extremely fast....My job was to wrap paper bands
around the yarn and box it up....boring yes, I know.

This comes back around to softball...see it was summer
and I played ball. Second shift does not go hand in hand
with playing ball. I had another job lined up for first shift
starting on Monday. Now it's Thursday and I have a
ballgame. I asked to get off early and was met with a NO.
Well ok then could you get that woman off my back.
She keeps telling me I am making her lose money.
My supervisor stated he could not do anything about
that....ok fine then I QUIT. You can't quit....
Oh but, yes I can and I just did.

It was payday so I asked for my check....Again, you
can't just quit. Yep can and did....got my check and
off to the ball field.

On Monday I started my new job....I was a service girl.
Not that kind of service....It was a sewing plant and I
gave the women that did the sewing their work.
I hated that job as well...but hey it was first shift.

After about 2 years of this A guy that knew my Mother
asked if I would be interested in helping him in his
business....he was a plumber. Yeah, cool this sounds
more interesting than what I was currently doing.

So off I go to learn hands on how to be a plumber.
You just would not believe the things I got myself into.
That in itself is another blog.

I was a plumbers assistant for about 2 years. One day a
lady at church...one of those southern baptist small
town churches ask me. Do you want to take the
entrance test for nursing school? Yeah, sure when
is it. Tomorrow she stated. Wow that soon...

I took the day off and drove with this lady the 25
miles. We both took the test. She passed and I
failed.....I got up the courage to take it again...
This time I passed.

We got into the same class together. It was
15 weeks of classroom then morning class and
afternoon clinicals. One full year of school.

Now the lady from small town church....well
after a few weeks she quit. Not me...onward I
go.

My instructor was a sister to one the doctors
at our small town hospital 25 miles from my home.
She was the most strict woman I had ever met.
Starched white dress, boobs that stood at
attention, nursing cap on her head even in the
classroom.

When it came time for clinicals, she told everyone
they had to wear dresses, white nursing shoes and
the CAP. Ok I can deal with everything except the
dress. I know previous students wore pants.

Mrs. Matthews, I don't want to wear a dress. I
would rather wear pants. Well then young lady,
you can't participate in clinicals. Ok well then,
I guess I will just have to quit. You would quit
because of a dress....Well yes Ma'am I would.
I know that others have worn pants and thats
what I want. She finally gave in and I got the
dreaded white and light blue pin striped pants.
Along with the same hat.

Mrs. Mathews made me do everything first.
She could be described as a bear. I succeeded
at doing it first. I made my way...Proved that
I could to everything she dished out.

One day I was making my patients bed, you know
the hospital corners....we did not have fitted
sheets. My instructor came in to check the bed and
said nothing just ripped the sheets off said...do
it again. I did without saying a word. She again
ripped the sheets off and said do it again.
All this in front of the patient who was sitting
in the chair. I asked her to step outside into the
hallway for a word.
I got up the courage to say...Mrs. Matthews
there was nothing wrong with that bed either
time that you ripped off the sheets. I will not
make that bed again. If you want it made then
you make it. She looked at me shaking in my
shoes and said.....fine Ms Hicks...I will
make it. Good job...The bed both times did
look great. This was a test to see how many times
you would do it before saying anything to me.
You passed. Oh great....now may I go to the
restroom and clean out my underpants...please.

It was quite an adventure, fun often times, always
hard. Great people as classmates. There were 8
that actually finished out of ten. All 8 of us
passed boards. At last count only 2 of us were
actually working in nursing but, that was about
10 years ago.

Much has been learned over the past 23 years.
Many heartfelt hugs and tears by patients and
families. Sometimes tears caused by doctors...
a lot of whom can be jerks, many very kind.
It's all been good....great. I love what I do, it's
who I am....helping others, It's being me.


On a side note Annie added my favorite blogs
to my side bar. If you aren't listed and would
like to be....send me a note and I will
have her do it for me...I am not computer savvy.

Everyone have a great day.