Williamsport Hospital School of Nursing - Oak Yearbook (Williamsport, PA)

Page 9 text:

Student nurses are found everywhere, underneath, on top of, running around, jumping over or slithering past patients ' beds. Doctors yell at them, head nurses criticize them, interns tolerate them, residents over- look them, mothers worry about them, and patients love them. A student nurse is courage under a white cap, a smile in snowy white, strength in starched skirts, energy that is endless, the best of young womanhood, a modern Florence Nightingale. Just when she is gaining poise and prestige, she drops a glass, breaks a syringe, or steps on a doctor ' s foot. A student nurse is a composite. She eats like a team of hungry interns, and works like the whole nursing staff put together. She has the speed of a gazelle, the strength of an ox, the quickness of a cat, the endurance of a flagpole sitter, and the abilities of Florence Nightingale, Linda Richards, and Clara Bar- ton all rolled into one white uniform. To the head nurse, she has the stability of mush, the fleetness of a snail, the mentality of a mule, and is held together by starch, adhesive tape, and strained nerves. To an alumna, she will never work as hard, carry more trays, make more beds, or scrub on more cases than her predecessors. A student nurse likes days off, boys her own age, the OR. affiliations, certain doctors, pretty clothes, her roommate, mom and dad. She ' s not much on work- ing 3-11, days off with class, alarm clocks, getting up for roll call, or eating corn beef every Tuesday. No one else looks forward so much to a day off or so little to working 3-11. No one else gets so much pleasure from straightening a wrinkled sheet or wet- ting a pair of parched lips. No one else can cram into one little head the course of a disease, the bones eomprising the pelvis, what to do when a patient is in shock, how to insert a Cantor tube (especially at 3 A. M. ), plus the ten top tunes of the hit parade. A student nurse is a wonderful creature; you can criticize her. but you can ' t discourage her. You can hurt her feelings, but you can ' t make her quit. Might as well admit it, whether you are a head nurse, doctor, alumna, or patient, she is your personal rep- resentative of the hospital, your living symbol of faith and sympathetic care. Barbara Garrity WHAT IS A STUDENT NURSE?

Page 8 text:

FOREWORD Soft melodies drift lightly amid the oak leaves of our yearbook, as we dreamily reminisce. There — like a soft summer breeze, we can see the days gone by, lingering in the shadows. 1959-1960. The first step on our musical scale — feelings of joy as we first ventured into our newly chosen career. Happiness — in the delight of helping others in the little ways we were able. Sadness — as carefree high school days gently faded away into days of more meaningful purpose. 1960-1961. Our Junior year — we found our- selves halfway up the musical scale and nearer to our goal. Eagerly, with a song in our hearts and the courage to do, we went forward to newer and greater accomplishments. 1961-1962. We have finally arrived! The scale is completed, and we will soon go our separate ways, climbing to still greater horizons, learning, teaching, but most of all truly nursing, the goal we have held so dearly in our hearts. Join with us, the Class of 1962, and SING ALONG through the pages filled with memorable events which we will treasure forever.

Page 10 text:

Pinochle anyone? Our new card room. Seniors at work in the library. Off-duty ' . ' ' Gathering in the nine room. FROM THE END TO THE BEGINNING One of the greatest joys we have experienced in our past three years occurred that memorable day. May 29, 1961, when we finally walked through the doors of our new nurses ' residence. This milestone marked THE END for the three residences that housed us for many years, and THE BE- GINNING of living in luxury. Now we are able to live together as a class and work to- gether as a team. Social functions we look forward to long- ingly are now a reality. The new classrooms and the library provide us with greater facilities for learning. We are deeply grateful to administration, physicians, alumni, nursing staff, auxiliary, and the whole community for their contribution to this residence. Seniors meeting with Miss Romig in the lounge.