“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” — Adlai Stevenson
Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect. (US Dept of Veterans Affairs)
Happy Veterans Day! This day was first celebrated as Armistice Day in 1918, at the end of World War I, “The war to end all wars”. The name was changed to “Veterans Day”, and has been celebrated on 11/11, no matter what day of the week it falls, to commemorate the day in 1918.
The VA serves a special population, including Veterans from WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, the Gulf War, and OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom)
I discovered a Veterans History link through Library of Congress’ website, where you can click to see and hear videotaped recordings of Veterans’ experiences, from WWII, through Viet Nam, to Afghanistan and Iraq. These stories help us to reaffirm our commitment to our Veterans, and to remember what sacrifices they have made on our behalf.
Poppies in memory of Veterans
Read poem “In Flanders Field”
It is a joy to witness excellence practiced every day, the commitment and discipline of my cohort – I can see that we are gaining confidence by the day. It seems like last year is a blur, we learned so much, both from books and from our instructors – a dedicated group of highly qualified individuals with a passion for both nursing and teaching. It is an honor to learn from these fine folks. And fun to learn from each other. I’ve discovered the joy of study groups. We fill in each others’ gaps – where some of us are visual learners, others are auditory. So while I may remember reading something in our textbook, a classmate may recall hearing something from a lecture. It completes the picture, and has helped me through some tough lessons!
We are embarking on an adventure this 2nd ½ of the fall semester, delving into Adult II, or Med-Surg II. We are studying the various body systems, and practicing in clinical what we learn in class. This is a great balance, getting to see firsthand what is described in books or films. It helps to reinforce our lessons also, so that hopefully when we take the NCLEX-RN, it will be etched in our memory banks!
We are also participating in a Simulation lab, where we are assigned various roles. These labs are exciting and nerve-wracking, as we don’t know what to expect once we walk into the room. We talk to a simulated patient, and hear back through a speaker in the
mannequin. The vitals change on the monitor, and there are various things we need to assess. It gives us the opportunity to deal with some urgent issues on a simulated patient, before encountering these with a live patient.
I’m enjoying the clinicals at PSL (Pres-St.Luke), and getting more and more comfortable there. Seems like we get our feet under us, and it’s onward and upward! It’s great to have had the opportunity to spend time in various organizations though – even though it would have been easier to stay within the VA where I know the charting system, and the staff, etc. – it’s interesting to compare facilities, and have the opportunity to see how nurses deliver care. It’s usually a reminder of how much we have in common, even though we work for different facilities, and in different areas. Nursing is a broad canvas, allowing many different artists, each with their own brush strokes, to add their interpretation.
“Make your life a mission – not an intermission” — Arnold Glasgow
