Week 1: How to be a nurse.

I'm adding a weekly feature to my blog. As I was looking through my class schedule, and it was confirmed that this 12-month nursing thing is insane, I figured - 'Why not share this insanity with the world (er, the select few who visit the blog ... again, bless your hearts.)?'

So, each week (likely, Monday or Tuesday), I'll be sharing what I'm learning that week on my journey to becoming a nurse. Heck, it may even help to keep me aware of what I need to be doing too :)

Side note: I was thisclose to being dropped from the program because I almost forgot to attend a mandatory orientation at the hospital. If it weren't for one of my classmates texting me the night before to ask if I was going, it would have passed me by without even a thought ... and, I would have been booted. Here I am worried about grades and turning in the right paperwork in order to stay in the program and I could have been kicked out for an organizational brain fart on my part. I am forever indebted to my friend for that text message.

Now ... without further ado, this is what nurses learn in Week 1:

• Let me first mention that I've only had one class so far, yet I have a quiz tomorrow morning, an exam on Saturday and another exam first thing Monday morning. So THAT'S why it's called the 'accelerated' program. Shoot me.
• Pharmacology - learning about drugs. Shocker.
• People, I'm learning how to wash my hands! How exciting is that?!
• Vital signs. Is that so I can test to make sure I'm still alive by the end of all this?
• Body measurements. Do I have to step on a scale in front of a classroom full of people I've just met? I do? Lovely. Can't wait.