Notes on Nursing "What it Is, And What It is Not"

Notes on Nursing
What it is, and What It is Not
1859

By Florence Nightingale


Shall we begin by taking it as a general principle--that all disease, at some period or other of its course, is more or less a reparative process, not necessarily accompanied with suffering: an effort of nature to remedy a process of poisoning or of decay, which has taken place weeks, months, sometimes years beforehand, unnoticed, the termination of the disease being then, while the antecedent process was going on, determined?

If we accept this as a general principle, we shall be immediately met with anecdotes and instances to prove the contrary. Just so if we were to take, as a principle--all the climates of the earth are meant to be made habitable for man, by the efforts of man--the objection would be immediately raised,--Will the top of Mount Blanc ever be made habitable? Our answer would be, it will be many thousands of years before we have reached the bottom of Mount Blanc in making the earth healthy. Wait till we have reached the bottom before we discuss the top.

In watching diseases, both in private houses and in public hospitals, the thing which strikes the experienced observer most forcibly is this, that the symptoms or the sufferings generally considered to be inevitable and incident to the disease are very often not symptoms of the disease at all, but of something quite different--of the want of fresh air, or of light, or of warmth, or of quiet, or of cleanliness, or of punctuality and care in the administration of diet, of each or of all of these. And this quite as much in private as in hospital nursing.

The reparative process which Nature has instituted and which we call disease, has been hindered by some want of knowledge or attention, in one or in all of these things, and pain, suffering, or interruption of the whole process sets in.

If a patient is cold, if a patient is feverish, if a patient is faint, if he is sick after taking food, if he has a bed-sore, it is generally the fault not of the disease, but of the nursing.

I use the word nursing for want of a better. It has been limited to signify little more than the administration of medicines and the application of poultices. It ought to signify the proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet--all at the least expense of vital power to the patient.

It has been said and written scores of times, that every woman makes a good nurse. I believe, on the contrary, that the very elements of nursing are all but unknown. By this I do not mean that the nurse is always to blame. Bad sanitary, bad architectural, and bad administrative arrangements often make it impossible to nurse. But the art of nursing ought to include such arrangements as alone make what I understand by nursing, possible. The art of nursing, as now practiced, seems to be expressly constituted to unmake what God had made disease to be, viz., a reparative process.

To recur to the first objection. If we are asked, Is such or such a disease a reparative process? Can such an illness be unaccompanied with suffering? Will any care prevent such a patient from suffering this or that?--I humbly say, I do not know. But when you have done away with all that pain and suffering, which in patients are the symptoms not of their disease, but of the absence of one or all of the above-mentioned essentials to the success of Nature's reparative processes, we shall then know what are the symptoms of and the sufferings inseparable from the disease.

Another and the commonest exclamation which will be instantly made is-- Would you do nothing, then, in cholera, fever, &c.?--so deep-rooted and universal is the conviction that to give medicine is to be doing something, or rather everything; to give air, warmth, cleanliness, &c., is to do nothing. The reply is, that in these and many other similar diseases the exact value of particular remedies and modes of treatment is by no means ascertained, while there is universal experience as to the extreme importance of careful nursing in determining the issue of the disease.

The very elements of what constitutes good nursing are as little understood for the well as for the sick. The same laws of health or of nursing, for they are in reality the same, obtain among the well as among the sick. The breaking of them produces only a less violent consequence among the former than among the latter,--and this sometimes, not always. It is constantly objected,--"But how can I obtain this medical knowledge? I am not a doctor. I must leave this to doctors."

Oh, mothers of families! You who say this, do you know that one in every seven infants in this civilized land of England perishes before it is one year old? That, in London, two in every five die before they are five years old? And, in the other great cities of England, nearly one out of two?[1] "The life duration of tender babies" (as some Saturn, turned analytical chemist, says) "is the most delicate test" of sanitary conditions. Is all this premature suffering and death necessary? Or did Nature intend mothers to be always accompanied by doctors? Or is it better to learn the piano-forte than to learn the laws which subserve the preservation of offspring?

Macaulay somewhere says, that it is extraordinary that, whereas the laws of the motions of the heavenly bodies, far removed as they are from us, are perfectly well understood, the laws of the human mind, which are under our observation all day and every day, are no better understood than they were two thousand years ago.

But how much more extraordinary is it that, whereas what we might call the coxcombries of education--_e.g._, the elements of astronomy--are now taught to every school-girl, neither mothers of families of any class, nor school-mistresses of any class, nor nurses of children, nor nurses of hospitals, are taught anything about those laws which God has assigned to the relations of our bodies with the world in which He has put them. In other words, the laws which make these bodies, into which He has put our minds, healthy or unhealthy organs of those minds, are all but unlearnt. Not but that these laws--the laws of life--are in a certain measure understood, but not even mothers think it worth their while to study them--to study how to give their children healthy existences. They call it medical or physiological knowledge, fit only for doctors.

Another objection.

We are constantly told,--"But the circumstances which govern our children's health are beyond our control. What can we do with winds? There is the east wind. Most people can tell before they get up in the morning whether the wind is in the east." To this one can answer with more certainty than to the former objections. Who is it who knows when the wind is in the east? Not the Highland drover, certainly, exposed to the east wind, but the young lady who is worn out with the want of exposure to fresh air, to sunlight, &c. Put the latter under as good sanitary circumstances as the former, and she too will not know when the wind is in the east.

Lauren Peterson

Hey Classmates!

I love Alice’s idea and looking forward to reading everyone’s info. My name is Lauren Petersen. I ended up in nursing in a rather round-a-about way. I did my undergrad at UW-Madison in Medical Microbiology & Immunology. I thought research was for me. By the end of undergrad, I knew research was not entirely where I wanted to be, but too late to change J So, I came back to MN for public health. I got my MPH in Environmental Health with a focus in infectious disease. Since graduation, I have been working in an Epidemiology lab on the St. Paul campus. My research has been focused on E. coli and Leptospira. Last year sometime, I realized that lab work is not at all for me. I wanted to combine my public health/micro background with a clinical background and that lead me to nursing and this program.

As for my “nursing plans,” it is wide-open. I know that I want to stay in the area of preventive health with a particular interest in ID. I would like to work with different populations on health advocacy and education. As of now, I am leaning towards Maternal/child health. Eventually, I hope to take my skills and knowledge internationally.

Life outside of school, you ask? Minimal. Just kidding. My husband, Adam, and I got married last September. We don’t have kids. We like to spend as much time as possible with friends and family. My family is here in the Cities and his is in WI. We also like to do pretty much anything outdoors—I think that is the most succinct answer.

We also both love to travel. I have been very lucky that my research has taken me to Chile and Spain (although I am embarrassed to say my Spanish is still lackluster!). So far, we have mostly international travel, but looking forward to seeing more of the US—especially the National Parks.

Pha Chan

Hi! Here is a little bit of information about me.

I am 28 years old. I am married and have a daughter who is going to turn 1 year old on the 23rd of October. My hobbies are photography and scrapbooking. Places I've traveled out of the United States are to France and Thailand. As far as nursing career interests, I don't know at the moment exactly what I want to focus on because I want to explore more options before I make a decision.

I'm always taking pictures of other people but I don't have any pictures of me. Sorry.

Lauren Trotman

I'm currently roughing it on my own up in St. Anthony. My boyfriend of 4 years is working on his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology at Iowa State. We try to make the 450 mile round-trip on weekends when possible... so it’s really convenient that we have online tests almost Every weekend this semester...

I just graduated in May ‘09 from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Community Health Education. I worked as a peer educator on campus for 2 years and I can honestly say it was a job I loved! I came to nursing through a number of different experiences (dietary aide & CNA in nursing homes, volunteering at Children’s & United Hospitals, family & personal experiences, and a love for health and wellness). I am COMPLETELY up in the air in regards to career interests. Pediatrics, OB, oncology, public health, psych/mental health... they all sound fantastic to me! I’m sometimes worried that so many people seem to have it narrowed down to 1 or 2 areas, but I know that in the coming months I will get a much better idea of what I would or would not love to do. I may or may not proceed into the DNP program.. right now I’m just concerned with surviving these 16 months :-)

In my “spare” time (hahaha, who am I kidding?!) I like to spend time with my family, friends and pets. I love to scrapbook, read, shop, try new recipes, and basically anything else that will get my mind off school for a while!

I grew up in a small rural town in southeastern Minnesota. I’ve grown and learned a lot since moving to the cities just over 4 years ago, but I’ll always have a little hick in me Hahaha! I have never left the United States... pretty sad, I know. I have my passport though... so hopefully sometime in the near-ish future :-) I did study “abroad” in Hawaii in January ’08. I realize it’s still the U.S. but if you ask a lot of the Hawaiians, they’ll deny that! Living in Hawaii for a month was simply amazing (especially in January!) I Will return someday!

I immediately love anyone who can make me laugh. I can be a huge smart-ass and sometimes have those “should-have-kept-my-mouth-shut” days, but I also have a very shy side. Some are surprised to see it, some don’t know me any other way. I have crooked pinkies, 2 middle names and I Hate coffee.

Besides enjoying lunch breaks and mini-venting sessions with you guys, I hope to get to know you outside of school as well! I love to dance.. all I need is some liquid courage and at least 1 other brave soul :-) Anything else that doesn’t require any/much money is always a plus! And I know it seems so far away, but we will HAVE to have an MN night at a Twins game in the new stadium this spring!!!!

So now you probably know more than you ever wanted to about me! If not, you know where to find me! :-)

Lani (autumn) Brown

My first name is Autumn, which leads to confusion on discussion boards because i always go by my middle name, which obviously, is Lani

My boyfriend and i live in eden prairie and have been together for the better part of 9 years. we met in the virgin islands and he's the reason i live in minnesota. he's a nature photographer, so we are self-employed and trying to make that business take off. we live with his family right now, which is cozy! but, i love his parents, so it could have been worse. we don't have kids, but i'm excited for the day when we do... we're planning on getting married, but i'm not calling myself engaged till i get a ring ;)
we have dogs that are spoiled enough to be little people.

i've never had a "career" i spent my twenties exploring the world and trying to figure out what my place was in it... so i lived in the virgin islands for about three years, teaching scuba diving and waiting tables and having loads of fun! then i went back to college and got a bs in environmental biology, which i loved because i love the way ecological theory works, its very my style of thinking. i went to a small state university in nh and was in the same program and year as my younger brother... we had a blast :)

we also lived in papua new guinea for about half a year, scuba diving. that was the best ever!!! we were on a small island off the coast of new guinea and experienced a truly unique lifestyle and truly untouched underwater landscape. all kinds of crazy wildlife and reefs, etc. scuba diving was my life for a while and i really miss it living here. i'm too much of a wimp to brave the cold waters of minnesota's lakes, although i hear there is some fantastic diving in superior... maybe someday! i also lived/worked in scotland for about 6 months when i was 19 and would go back in a heartbeat. loved it. loved it. loved it.

i was a waitress throughout college (my family owns a cafe in nh) and also a firefighter and emt. small town, so it was volunteer and/or paid on call, but i got a lot of experience in some really fun and not so fun things. i LOVED being a firefighter, it was such a challenge and exciting and a little bit scary all in one. i worked as a life skills instructor for adults with developmental disabilities right after i got out of high school and it was really eye-opening for me. i learned so much from my colleagues and my clients during that period of time. i've been working with nate since i moved to mn two years ago.

i am from a super small town in northern nh (sugar hill nh, population 500). our school system incorporated 4 towns and still i had 19 kids in my graduating class (in 1997, which makes me OLD). my best friends have been the same people since we were in diapers... i really miss the mountains and my family a lot and i'm definitely planning on living there again at some point.

i'm not sure what i want to do with nursing in the future. i wanted to do the dnp and i'm still thinking about it, but not totally sure yet... i'm super excited to start clinicals instead of spending thursdays in that lab.

things to do: happy hour is great, but can i vote for a different day? tuesdays are such a long day! also, i hate going to the gym, but would love to go for walks on mondays and tuesdays during our breaks, if anyone is interested. i would also be up for jogging/running... oooh, or i would love to go snowshoeing or x-country skiing this winter if anyone is interested? and ice-skating would be pretty fantastic as well.

Andy Seigel

- I have no kids/ family. I'm single/ living alone and not really looking for love because I'm too busy, but if it happens to see me, then perhaps....perhaps....perhaps.
- I am interested in becoming a nurse, and specialize in neurology. I have worked at Children's and at Augustana in gereatrics, and loved the people I worked with on both ends.
- I have done property management/construction/real estate for the past 10+ years. I have also done some music stuff and delivered pizza's prior and intermittenly.
- As far as hobbies, I play baseball, play piano and enjoy dance. I also like to build and remodel places, especially older homes (1890-1930). Beer is also a hobby of mine.
- I have lived in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Burnsville, Chicago area, Los Angeles and San Diego. I really enjoy traveling and seeing/ trying new things in new places. Almost drowning in Puerto Rico was an impressionable moment on my life. Travelling in very rural poor areas of Mexico also had a big impression and makes me very appreciative of my life. I think that working in children's oncology also makes me appreciative.
Here are a couple of things that might be cool together: small travel, volunteer projects, Tuesday nights, and for those that are musically inclined, it would be fun to put together something for the winter between semesters. Let me know.

Clare Faulhaber

Relationship Status: engaged to a Master’s of Health Care Administration Student, no kids.

Nursing/Career interests: Right now anything Pediatric, maybe later a focus on cardiology.

Prior career: Student, while in undergrad at the U I started working as a nursing assistant at the University Children’s hospital, where I still work.

Hobbies: I like to read, go to the gym, hang out with my friends and fiancé, and I like to watch Gopher Hockey (yes, we have season tickets!)

Places I have traveled: Last summer I went to Ecuador on a medical mission trip, otherwise my travels have been for fun.

Interests with other nursing students: I am up for anything fun!

Amy Lenarz

I'm 28. I grew up in Richfield, went out east for undergrad, and moved back to MN to work. I live in south Minneapolis, in the Longfellow neighborhood. My boyfriend's name is James. He has excellent blood pressure, a low-ish heart rate, and a laceration-free scalp, but he draws the line at catheterization practice. I don't have any kids, just a kitty named Joba who you will all see in Linda Chlan's class someday.

I came from a computer science background, and used to work as a software engineer (a.k.a. computer programmer). For a few years I worked on updating educational computer games like Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and then I moved on to a more boring but less stressful job working on corporate sales and accounting software.

Even though everyone seems to want to push me into informatics, computers are not the focus of what I want to do as a nurse. A few years ago my book club read "It's Not About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong, a story about the Tour de France winner's struggle with testicular cancer. I had this epiphany, that here was this rich, famous, well-connected guy with dedicated friends and family, and yet they were still scrambling to understand his diagnosis and treatment options, unsure of what things would be like, having trouble scheduling appointments at the right times, worrying about how to pay for treatment... I decided that there should be experts who help cancer patients through all that educational and logistical stuff, smoothing the way so that the patient and family can just focus on HEALING. I realized that THAT was what I wanted to do with my life.

At the time I figured it was kind of a pipe dream, because who is going to pay somebody to do that extra work? But then I heard about a new program at Abbott Northwestern that employs nurses to do exactly that. It turns out there is a growing movement across the country to provide those kinds of services. So I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and go for my dream job. And now here I am in nursing school.

In my free time (hmm, trying to remember back to when I had free time), I like to read, cook, and hang out with friends. I coordinate a book club that calls itself a non-competetive book team. I love movies about spies and heists. And I go camping and backpacking as often as I can.

I'm both excited and overwhelmed by all the fun activities people have been suggesting so far. I must study slower than some of you, because I hardly feel like I have time or energy for so much extracurricular fun. Still, I hope to make it out to some of the social events in the future... just as soon as I finish this reading assignment!

Andrea Otteson

Intro:
Hello! my name is Andrea Otteson…this is Toby – my parent’s cat, with
whom I am obsessed. (You can also make out a senior portrait of me
directly to the right of my left eye). I am 27 and a graduate of
Northwestern University, where I majored in Art Theory and Practice
and minored in Business.

Family status:
Single, no children…looking for love

Siblings:
Older Brother (Brett), younger sister (Abbey)

Nursing career interests:
I had always sort of envisioned becoming a nurse practitioner and
possibly one day working in a high school with teens…but I donno. I
really want to become well skilled clinically, so I can respond to
situations with my own interventions instead of just ‘call for help’,
which is basically my go-to of choice at the moment. So, I would like
to have a few years of solid hospital work under my belt before pursuing further advanced degrees.

Past Careers and Lives:
I did not take a direct path towards nursing at all. I worked in Los
Angeles in the entertainment industry after college and would often
find myself having lunch in the hospital across the street from where
I worked (incidentally, the same hospital where Britney was 5150’d and
Dennis Quaid’s twins were almost killed). I had originally thought
about becoming a nurse when I was in the hospital with my mom after
she had a heart attack about 8 years ago but never actualized the idea
until 3 years ago…

Hobbies:
Friends, family, eating, cooking, watching marathons of reality
television on Bravo, riding my bike, dancing at weddings (or anywhere
else), laughing uncontrollably, gangster rap & top 40 music, yoga,
running, cupcakes, travelling, throwing theme parties, my roommates,
st. paul / Minneapolis rivalries (I am a loyal st. paul girl),
teaching ski lessons (I downhill ski), I also love shopping at
Marshall’s and Home Goods

Places lived/traveled/or impressionable moments in your life:
I went to Italy last spring and it made me want to travel all the
time. I would love to go to south America and travel more! I also
love South Beach and pretending it’s okay for me to have spring break
even though I am 27 and my only source of income is through FAFSA……..

Anything else!?
I just am really looking forward to becoming a nurse and getting to
know my classmates better. I belong to the Walker and love going with
other people if anyone is ever interested.

Alice Sanderson

Hello there! I know I initiated the writing of these personal bios, but now I'm at a loss for what to tell you myself! To start, some things I love in life: breakfast burritos, cowboy boots, stout beers, straw hats, bright colors, coconut milk, avocados, bicycles and people who love bicycles, attempting to surf and getting beaten up by the ocean.

Family/living situation: Born and raised in South Dakota, and my family is big on pointing out that we are 4th generation Norwegian Lutheran S.Dakotans. (Although I'm not actually Lutheran anyway). I live in the Lyndale/Lake area of Uptown with my roommate Amy, who is studying Epidemiology. She and I have been friends since we were 7, and it's really nice/hilarious to be living with someone who has known you for that long. I can't sneak anything past her! She knows all my bad habits (which I won't get in to for your sake). I have no fiance nor children, although I am hopeFULLY (as opposed to hopelessly, get it?) in love with someone who lives in California. I have one older brother, who also just moved back to Minneapolis.

Past work: I have wanted to do many things over what I like to call my “extended adolescence”, the first being social work/nonprofit social services. However I worked in a medically fragile group home for a couple of years, during and after college, and that is where I really became inspired to go into nursing. I also put my time in working as a CNA in a hospital, which was also quite enjoyable. When I initially learned I'd been put on the waitlist for this program, I packed my bags and headed to California. I wasn't waitin' around for anyone! Whoops. But I did get to spend a wonderful 6 months living somewhere OTHER than the midwest, and for this I am thankful. Ok, back on track!

Nursing career interests: Rather than saying I have no idea what I want to do with nursing, I see it as I am completely OPEN to finding my niche after gaining experience in our clinicals and beyond. Although I do know I love working with older adults, I enjoy writing and research, I love to travel and hope to work internationally at some point in time, and I place a lot of value in public/community health efforts. The rest is still to be discovered!

Hobbies: Making homemade pizzas, baking cookies, cooking in general, yoga, scuba diving, ballet, dancing in general, reading (I love fiction), painting and making crafts – especially cards for people.

Places traveled: I spent an informative year in college studying in rural Ecuador, and since went back to visit other areas of South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina). A year or two ago I traveled through Eastern European countries. I also spent a few weeks traveling in Japan a few years ago.

Phew, that's it! Thanks for reading. I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you better this year.5, and I am excited about the book club and social events since I have few familial ties here. Dinner parties? Winter camping? Or yes, study groups. But I'll at least try to spice up a study group by bringing cookies for all!

Rosemary Fister

- I don't have kids. I live with my partner (not married) and our dog Sadie.
- I think I want to go on to be a family nurse practioner with a focus on women's health. I'm interested in practicing outside the U.S., doing research, and teaching interdisciplinary material (e.g. medical anthropology, nursing ethics, critical nursing theory).
- My prior career was in youth services. I worked five years for Lutheran Social Services providing street-based outreach to homeless youth, housing-first-style case management to 'chronically homeless' youth, and staffing an emergency shelter in St. Paul. I worked for a year and a half at District 202, the (now-defunct) queer youth social center in town, running a sexual health program, providing HIV testing, facilitating support groups, teaching sex ed classes, etc. I volunteered for many years at Access Works, the (now-defunct) storefront needle exchange program providing harm reduction services to injection drug users. Now I bake cupcakes a couple times a week at Bedlam Theatre.
- Hobbies include baking, cooking, taking Italian classes, shadow puppetry, and community organizing around sexual violence issues.
- I've lived in and traveled to a lot of places around the world. I spent the few months between getting laid off from my last job and the start of nursing school living in my van and visiting friends down south and out west, happily spending my unemployment checks on gas and a new clutch.

Amy Blitzer

Amy Blitzer:

Hi Fellow MN's. My name is Amy Blitzer, I am the Amy with blond curly hair. I just moved here from Madison, Wisconsin, and would love to get to know all of you as well as possible. I live in Seward which is really close to school with my sister and 3 other people. I love minneapolis so far. I have been running along the river paths and would love a running buddy. I do not run too fast, and like to enjoy my time in nature. So if that sounds appealing to anyone let me know. I also love most other outdoor activities like cycling, swimming, and hiking. I am planning on getting cross-country ski's this winter. I love baking, reading, playing board games, and doing arts and crafts.

I enjoy meeting new people and listening to their stories. If anyone has some of the same interests as me, or just is looking for a new person to hang out with, I'm your girl. Also, I do not have kids, but I love kids. So any of you out there that do have kids and want a free babysitter, or your in a last minute pinch, let me know.

Cinthia

a little photo (you know, so we don't have to reintroduce ourselves every time? haha).
- do you have a kids? Yes, a beautiful little boy named Conrad who is 28 months old, who if you haven't figured it out already, makes me the proudest mama on the planet. He amazes me every single day, and life is never boring. I love to watch him figure things out and get excited about things that seem meaningless or so simple. He really makes me understand "Carpe Diem", and at the moment he thinks he is the center of the universe and well for our family he is.

are you single and maybe looking for love? (This COULD be useful for dating...but dont get your hopes up. ha)
I am happily married to a wonderful, caring, and ridiculously supportive man. We have been married a little over four years and together for a little over eight years. I didn't believe in love at first sight until I met him, and sometimes I still have to pinch my self to make sure.

whatever else you might want to share about your familial configuration or the lack thereof. We consider our selves to be a holistic family, we don't own a TV and are trying to limit Conrad's exposure in the first five years since that is when 90 some percent of brain connections are made. We love the outdoors even in MN winters. We embrace winter, and ice skate a couple times a day, go sledding, or just lay and stare at the sky. We have tried to eliminate most household chemicals, baking soda and vinegar and essential oils are our favorite cleaners. We use some aromatherapy, particularly Lavender at Bedtime for calming and relaxation. We try to eat as much of organics as possible, we buy in bulk and cook in bulk. Basically, we understand that we can't eliminate all toxins and environmental hazards out of our lives, but for things we can control we try to be consciously aware of them, even if its not 100% of the time. Oh, and we do seek alternative medicines, including Homeopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc for minor illnesses. I successfully used hypnobirthing when giving birth to Conrad and am a huge advocate of natural birthing and breastfeeding, co-sleeping, attachment wearing etc. (However, the medical model has its time and place for high risk births).

- nursing/career interests: I really want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner and maybe focus on Maternal Child health. I'm a huge believer in prevention particularly regarding nutrition and lifestyle choices, and I think that at five years old its too late, and that it needs to start in the womb. I would love be a nurse midwife and work in a Free standing Birth Center, but I think it would be in my family's best interest if I post-pone that until my "mid life" crisis at 40-50. I am interested in serving the immigrant populations in the Twin Cities as well.

- prior careers/lives: For the last two plus years I have been a stay at home mom, prior to that I was a beach bum in PB (San Diego). I played soccer and coached since I was 18 years old. I would love to do so again, but time is a factor that I don't have much off. I organize the Twin Cities Holistic Families Movement, which keeps me busy. I assist my husband taking photos at weddings (that's most of my Saturdays).

- hobbies: I love to paint (abstract) and currently have an unfinished work sitting behind me for when I get a spare moment. I love to read almost anything from the Twighlight series to the biography of Ghandi. I love the home arts (knitting, sewing, cooking, crafts).

- places lived/traveled/or impressionable moments in your life: Originally from Honduras, I've lived in northern Spain, and I have way too many impressionable moment in my life to count. Nursing related: in college I did free lance translation in many Twin Cities hospitals and there was one time when I was woken up at 3:00am. I went to the ER and there was a very young 14 year old new Mexican illegal immigrant who was brought in, because she and her 11 year old sister had delivered her baby at home (her parents were working three jobs), and she got an infection because the whole placenta did not come out. When the doctors asked her why she hadn't come to the hospital to deliver, she answered because she was afraid to be deported. That was one of those moments that really made me thing that my skills were definitely needed in the medical field.

- things you might like to do with other nursing students this year : I would love to get to know you all more, and wouldn't mind hosting a potluck at some point. Unfortunately, my spare time is dedicated to my husband and child, so I probably wont be joining the group for many non-academic events, unless they are family friendly (like the apple orchard!).