Regina General Hospital School of Nursing - Blue to White Yearbook (Regina, Saskatchewan Canada)

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VALEDICTORY They say life is a Highway, And its Milestones are the Years, And now, and then, there ' s a tollgate, Where we pay our way with tears. It ' s a rough road, and a steep road, And it stretches broad and far, But it leads at last, to a So ' den Town, Where Golden Houses are. Looking back on our highway of life up to this time, we, the Graduating Class of 1953, are able to recall many events which we would consider milestones on that road. Tonight, I believe we would all say that one of the mcst important of these is the mile¬ stone which marked our entrance into the Re¬ gina General Hospital School of Nursing. With this thought in mind, the normal reaction is to surrender to a brief contemplation on the three years which have passed since then, marking that all important milestone,—To¬ night, our Graduation . We all smile inwardly as we picture our¬ selves as we were when we were accepted into our Training School. All of us intensely interested and eager, as beautifully fresh and green as the roses which we hold tonight; but with one thought and one purpose fore¬ most in our minds—to be the best nurse ever to graduate from this school. At that time, Graduation was a sort of goal, shining far in the future, many miles down our highway of life. The road was straight and smooth, and our main thought was to travel it safely, quickly and competently. We found, however, that we did occasion¬ ally come to tollgates on our road, that at times the way was certainly rough and steep. We all agree that there were times when we thought our road was broader and stretched much more distant than was actually neces¬ sary! Very few of us were accustomed to residence life, hospital routines and experi¬ ences. Among other things, it taught us that for every tear there is a smile, for every sadness, joy, and for every life that ebbs, there is a bright new one, full of promise and potentiality. Above all, we learned the beauty of hope, and within us grew faith for the ultimate good. We were given the op¬ portunity to face life ' s situations and to make appropriate decisions. Through this we gained self-confidence and a fine feeling of satis¬ faction in cur work, which is based on experi¬ ence and education. Each of us, I ' m sure, has experienced a wonderful sense of responsibility which stems from a feeling of being needed, when the welfare of our patients was entrusted to our care. The need for nurses exists only because of the need of humanity. To that need, we owe a devotion to duty and a true desire to serve. The people whom we serve, in turn, glorify us with a high ideal of character and altruism—these are the gifts they bestow on us. In our rich storehouse of memories, most important of all, perhaps, are the many true friends which we have made, and the varied experiences which we have shared. Friendship is inherent in nursing. There are no barriers of class, creed or cc ' or—they are non-exist- ant. It is inevitable that in three years ' time there would be a bond formed between us 20

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YEAR BOOK COMMITTEE Editor Miss A. Holtby Assistant Editor Miss J. Brock Sports Miss M. Culver Social Miss D. Barr Advertising Miss M. Duncan, Miss E. Gayton Photography Miss A. Forgraves Circulation Miss S. George, Miss N. Graham COMMITTEE 1953—1 1 Miss R. Milne 1954—1 Miss J. Macfarlane 1954—11 Miss R. Hornby 1955—1 Miss A. Flaten 1955—11 Miss L. Dick 19

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that is a means of exchange of thoughts and ideals—a bond which is unbreakable, for we have had a common goal, a common cause, and hence a common understanding. And so, we depart from student life with open and disciplined minds, with human insight and sympathies—all enriched through our associ¬ ations in the class of 1953. We like to think of nurses as being socially inspired, scientifically trained experts in their own special art—one which is still the most gentle and beautiful of all arts. The world today remains war torn, and somewhat peace-stunned, and there are many indications that there are critical days ahead. The nursing profession, being well established internationally, having had experi¬ ence in working with people of many races and social backgrounds, has, therefore, an opportunity to forward the cause of peace, and international brotherhood. This we can do only with courage, with charity, and with the help of God. For two years now, we have watched with pride as our friends who went before us graduated, but with a feeling of regret that these associations were being broken. Now, OUR three years have passed, and WE are the ones who are leaving. Tonight we can see that our highway has always had by-roads which have influ¬ enced our travels. Our parents, the Training School, cur instructors, the doctors and our c ' assmates, are the by-roads, and they have all influenced our lives as we passed along the highway. They have helped make this day possible. At this time may we render our heartfelt thanks to all of these people? To Miss Thompson, our Superintendent of Nurses, we express our sincere gratitude. We cannot adequately voice our appreciation to the Training School Staff and Ward Super¬ visors—they have passed into our keeping knowledge which is invaluable. To the doc¬ tors, may we say a sincere thank you ? You have given freely, and willingly, of your time, knowledge, and advice. To a ' l of you, the moulders of our professional characters, we will strive to hold high the standards of our hospital. There is a very special place in our hearts for our parents. They have given us cheer, courage, and wise guidance, so many times when it was needed. You, who have filled our student life so fuil of good things, may we say—since we are taking so much of you with us, we hope sincerely that our future lives will prove worthy of your many efforts on our behalf. To those of you, who have not yet com¬ pleted your training, we feel inadequate for the role of offering advice. Our experience is not yet advanced to a place where we feel that our advice would be of much value. But we do urge you to be loyal to the principles of our Training School. It will help you dis¬ cover a framework of correct conduct, that will aid you in forming for yourselves, habits of thought and action which underlie accepted ideals of a professional nurse, and a useful citizen. We want you to know that we are with you—confident that you will prove your¬ selves in the future as you have thus far along the way. If your horizon sometimes seems to dose in, and the path which is set before you at times seems much too narrow, remember that flowers of quiet happiness will bloom along the way—and there will al¬ ways be the bend in the road. May I leave with you the thought so beautifully expressed by William Penn, in the lines— I shall pass through this world, but once. Any good that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, or neg¬ lect it, for I shall not pass this way again. Now, there is a bend in o u r road, which has always before seemed so straight and open; but we feel that, as we round that bend, our horizons will be wider than we had ever dreamed they would be. All the beyond will be ours, with its possibilities shining rosily in the oncoming years. This thought is a challe nge; it leaves us just a little humble, but more than a little happy. The joys of sincere work, worthy aspiration, congenial friendship, and our birthright of fancies and ideals will always be ours. Finally, on this our Graduation Night, may we set forth still another challenge—that of the beautifully expressed Florence Nightingale Pledge: I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profes¬ sion faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drugs. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care . —A. SANBORN.