National Nursing News.

               Having completed the first 3 nursing courses at National University (NU), I am happy to report that I have survived relatively unscathed. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my cohort as a whole. More on that in just a bit, however. We began in January with nursing theory. Our class of 58 students were palpably excited to be embarking on the path to become nurses. After theory, the LVN's that began with our cohort proceeded onto a different track that would have them graduating 8 months earlier than the rest of us. That, unfortunately, wasn't the only reason our class would shrink. Nursing theory and the introduction into the nursing field proved to be too much for a couple of our classmates.

               February brought Health Assessment, a combination of classroom and lab instruction, that found us sporting our Smurf-blue scrubs for the first time! Despite being very blue, we were all quite excited. Our cohort shared 1 theory professor, with lab duties split up among 4 other faculty. The different faculty all had different approaches to lab, if our classmates are to be believed. The constant education and assessment proved tough for some, as some of our classmates faced re-evaluations for adequate performance. Besides that hiccup, however, we plugged along as a cohort through a good portion of the month. Unfortunately, we lost one more classmate due to personal circumstances nobody could imagine. It was a sad time for the cohort as we approached our final examinations in theory and application. Luckily, most of us made it through to face the hardest course in the first term, Pharmacology.

               The end of February, into March, thrust us into the mythically difficult Pharmacology course. Over the course of 4 weeks, our class would have an opportunity to absorb nearly 80 chapters worth of material for evaluation via 2 quizzes and exams. Additionally, we were saddled with the stress of having to pass the medication dosage exam, with a 90% or higher, to be able to pass the course. Luckily, maths have rarely been a problem for me, as was the case with the dosage exam. In the meanwhile, some students from cohort 20, shared their work to establish a student nurse organization at NU. The National University Student Nurse Association (NUSNA) held its first informational meeting of the year on the 16th, putting out a call for officers and cohort representatives. I made the decision, immediately, to run for NUSNA President and have submitted my official bid. I've supplemented my bid with campaign buttons! (Message me if you want one!) Unfortunately, my somewhat lacking approach to the main material along with peripheral involvement in other things posed its own problems throughout the course. That said, I was able to earn a grade commensurate with my output; perhaps even better than I deserved.

               Unfortunately, after the 3 months of bonding we've shared as a cohort through our shared learning; suffering, we may be having to bid adieu to more of our cohort-mates due to academic issues. This is my recounting of nursing school, so far, while enjoying the first weekday of our weeklong Spring Break.