University of Michigan Medical and Nursing School - Aequanimitas Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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,Yr I wi K Ml I t 'A f . I sw lm I J' v Then there's out-patient nursing. I have a question ..,, SENIOR NURSING IS MANY THINGS Only 6 months to go!

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Problem-solving in action. Communication and coordination. PRQFESSIUNAL Not by intuition Now what? 20

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REFLECTIONS QF A SENIOR NURSE Four years have passed. In that time we have sought to know ourselves more fully and to prepare ourselves for the practice of professional nursing. Many changes have taken place within us. We have matured personally, intellectually, and professionally. Everything that we are has been shaped and molded by our experience here. The opportunities of university life afforded us a means of richly expand- ing our world. We became participants in a world of new experiences. Through the study of humanities and social sciences, we gained entrance to the totality of man's experience. We have been encouraged to think inde- pendently and to reason for ourselves. By learning to appreciate others and the motivation for their behavior, we came to understand ourselves. We have also been seeking professional identity. Learning techniques and mastering skills have been incorporated with learning to exercise professional judgment. We have learned to function independently and to accept responsibility. In the process of defining our role as a professional, each of us has come to a unique philosophy of nursing. The unmistakeable similarity of these philosophies is the underlying committment each of us made when choosing to be a member of the nursing profession. Personal committment is basic to the belief that nursing begins with a compassion for others. We take pride in our profession and at last feel a part of it. We will be stepping into leader- ship roles. Nursing must change as the needs of society change, and the professional nurse will participate in fostering an improved quality of nursing care. Looking into the future, the way seems bright. Technical advances in all sciences are promising many implications for the future practice of nursing. The Space Age is increasingly a part of our daily lives and will continue to be. Aerospace nursing is relatively unexplored. Machines are recognized for their efficiency and time-saving features and will be utilized more and more frequently as they are refined for the special needs of nursing. They will serve the nurse by assisting her to fulfill her responsibilities. However, machines will never be a substitute for the art of nursing. We, the class of 1968, express our warm wishes for success to those of you who will follow us. We hope that you will also discover the essence of nursing-compassion for others. 20