Portsmouth General Hospital School of Nursing - Lamp Yearbook (Portsmouth, VA)

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I think my leg ' s caught. It ' s off to Peri -Care! ! Not another USO Dance! Jackie, the wet head is dead. Soap operas can ' t be all that good. 19

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September 22, 1969, 20 girls and 2 men entered Portsmouth General Hospital School of Nursing. Although each was a stranger to the other, we shared a co mmon goal, to become a professional nurse. Little did we realize the hard work and good times that lay ahead. On Rat Day we were initiated into the school by our substitute big sisters. Remember requisitioning fallopian tubes from C.S.R., Warton ' s Jelly from the kitchen and calling the police for the speed limit of the Circle of Willis? The next week we began our classes at Frederick Community College. We will never forget our faithful” bus that broke down on the way to classes and the embarrassment of sitting in the middle of the road! Nor can we forget Mr. Weems, who contrived those unusual tests. The first day on the unit, we were so proud in our stiff, starched uniforms, standing in an inspection line awaiting Mrs . Edwards, our Fundamental instmc- tor ' s approval. The months passed slowly but in April we received our first stripe. To wrap up our freshman year, we began classes at the school of nursing with Medical Surgical Nursing 1 and Mrs. Jackson and Pharmacology with Mrs. Futrell. September came and we added another blue stripe to our cap, already the countdown had begun; on to Medical Surgical Nursing II - III. In March, twelve of us arrived in Crownsville, Maryland for three months of Psychiatric nursing. Remember sliding in the halls of P.G.H. on magazines? We had now advanced to using roller skates in the halls of C.S.H. I ! We returned to Medical Surgical IV with Mrs. King, thus ending our Junior year with more insight into the total patient care concept as well as two broken toes, one broken jaw, one sprained finger, one jammed knee cap and three broken hearts. In August we received our senior bands signifying only eight months till graduation. This was initiated with Maternal Child Health and our class going through the stages of separation anxiety due to the fact that six of us were in Pediatrics with Miss Brooks and the other half was with Miss King and Obstetrical Nursing. Also during this time, Mrs. Daniels began her course in Professional Adjustments and the awareness of our legal responsibilities really came into focus. Senior Seminars began with Mrs. Jackson giving us the opportunity to release our suppressed teaching qualities. Then the last six weeks of our curriculum consisted of Mrs. King and Leadership Skills. Our Senior Dance was one of the highlights of the year and the realization that time was getting shorter was definitely present that night. With our long white gowns and dozen red roses, the effort put into all the bake sales and rummage sales were forgotten. After May 26 we will be excited about entering into the nursing careers of our choosing but will always remember the crazy and happy memories the twelve of us shared these past three years.