Grace General Hospital - Our Days of Grace Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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Fifty Three R.N. ’s

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As I Graduate bt iSf mun,,, K

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Valedictory Address Honored guests, friends--but most of all Mom and Dad. Tonight we have reached the goal we have been striving to obtain these past two years and eight months ! Tonight we graduate. We are still full of memories of the past as we are of hopes for the future. Remember the first day we arrived at the Grace with mixed feelings--apprehension of the unknown and excitement of entering our chosen profession of nursing. Our parents also experienced the confusion of that first day. Remember the mother who accidentally opened the fire door in our residence. All those memories of the first few months, having our first real patient, the sudden feeling of panic when attempting our first bed bath, taking hours to make our first bed and being called nurses when we would rather have been called visitors. After six months of studying in our probie block, we received our caps. Those caps--one more step to receiving more responsibility and fulfilling our desire to be nurses. There was more res¬ ponsibility in obtaining our caps than we had anticipated--the responsibility of keeping them perched on our heads at a dignified angle, soggy caps which fell into basins, bathtubs and what not. We received our second year pins, we felt we had accomplished many nursing skills but many areas of training still awaited us. In obstetrics the thrill was ours to be able to share with parents the joy of birth, the perfection of a new born infant. First day in the nursery found us all with very awkward hands--babies can be so slippery! Our pediatric training at Children ' s Hospital was very enjoyable. How susceptible a child is to indifference, thoughtlessness and neglect, during illness especially vulnerable. Children to hold and cuddle, to clean dirty hands and wipe tears from streaked little faces. The tricycle drag races between tiny tots and student nurses were a major attraction. Our psychiatric specialty took place in Selkirk Hospital for Mental Diseases. It was an entirely different phase of nursing. We realized the importance of mental health and feel better equipped to handle many situations which we will meet throughout our nursing careers. We had one problem at Selkirk--the residence appeared to be miles from any other building on the grounds, which meant bundling up countless times during the winter months to tackle all that fresh air! We were introduced to the speed, accuracy and tension of the operating room. The operating room--holding one ' s stiff, useless, contamina ted arm behind one ' s back during the length of a long operation can be agony to say the least. Casualty found us learning to think quickly, although some of us became casualties along with our patients. During these affiliations and specialties we received our black bands. We were now Senior students. We are proud tonight as we emerge graduate nurses to meet life with all its challenges, but remember we have not accomplished the task alone, for many have given their time, support and ability so that tonight we might be successful. We owe them a debt of gratitude. 28