Jefferson Medical College School of Nursing - Nosokomos Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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Class of September, 1933 an-.Y 50 'UYQHI X T ty

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History of the Class of September, 1933 ACK in September, 1930, we all wanted to be nurses. We came to Jefferson. The exact date was not signifi- cant, nor the new experiences which we had those first few weeks. What was significant was the fact that we had left our relatives, friends, and home, to take up a profession which would mean much to others, and to ourselves. Being a nurse meant giving and taking. Many of us learned that giving meant sacrificing and hard work, but a feeling of satisfaction, nevertheless. Our first days on duty were memorable ones. Of course, we blundered! And it was not the scrubbing and cleaning which fills our thoughts of those days- rather it was being allowed to actually do something important, take a temperature or give a bath under the supervision of a wise senior, or being entrusted to some humble errand. We passed through these days, spending most of our time in class. We dreaded anatomy and drugs and solutions, I think, most of all. We simply couldnft pronounce words correctly for Miss Shoemaker and when we tried to do our decimals, it was really tragic. If we ever acquire any of the qualities of Florence Nightingale in the years to come, we can truly say that it has been because the endurance powers of Miss Shoe- maker have indeed been great. They were tested to the utmost in those early days. We had our first holiday season away from home. Many of us tried not to weaken, but others did weaken! Off duty, we were just like other nurses-always sleepy and hungry, and, sorry to say, we haven't changed a bit. Twenty-two After four months and after several changes on duty in the wards, we waited to be capped.', This meant much more than the word implies, and only those who have gone through that experience will ever know what we experienced. At last, we were real nurses-accepted into the realm of professionalism. This meant greater responsi- bilities, harder work, a little more sacrificing, but a feeling of being able to accomplish something. Private duty and night duty were simply breath-taking for sev- eral days. We learned to breathe deeply, and keep calm, and expect the worst, but always be prepared. We will never forget some of those experiences- each girl has some particular incident which she will never forget, and which will always be a source of amusement to her. Complications arose many times when it came time to go to class, and many times after we arrived there. However, we finished up our Junior classes with a bang and got ready for vacation time. We left for home, never thinking in three weeks we would have to return. But, do you know, those three weeks passed and we were back ready to get into uniform again and wondering just where we would go on duty? Jefferson had taught us a lot that first year- we learned among other things that there is a certain satisfaction in knowing how to help others and how to interpret their needs. Our second year was a short one. Additional classes, 7.10 lectures, private duty, night duty, ward duty all mixed together. It was a big year for us. Some of us went to Pine Street and did not have a