By Hannah Severson Senior year: the year that senioritis hits most seniors. We don’t really want to do anything because we are almost done, and we just want to be lazy before going out into the real world. As a nursing student though, that is not the case. I live with three nursing majors, and all I have to say is that I am happy I did not choose nursing as my major. The ladies and gentlemen in the program have class from eight in the morning to usually one to three in the afternoon. Wednesday through Friday they have clinical from 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And even then, they don’t get the chance to relax; most of these hard working students have jobs and extra curricular activities to attend to afterwards.
Besides her hectic nursing schedule, homework, and studying that goes along with the major, senior Leslie Pfiefer also has a minor in Spanish that she will be finishing up this semester. In addition, she is the head apartment manager here on campus and has meetings every Monday and Tuesday. She is even a part of student government, MAC, ODK, and the honors program.
“In the end, all of this will be worth it,” says Pfeifer, “I can’t wait to make a difference in peoples’ lives, being there for patients who are dependent on my care, doing what I love every time I go to work, and coming home with a smile on my face knowing I did the best I could and helped patients get one step closer to recovery.”
Colleen Murray doesn’t have as many extra curricular activities as Pfiefer, but she works for a family doing home care, picks up shifts through Tri State Nursing whenever she can, and participates in MAC. Murray and all of her classmates have already started work for Maud Adams (the nursing component of the Palmer Symposium) that doesn’t even take place until next semester. They have tests every two to three weeks (sometimes with multiple tests in one week) and have clinical paperwork due every Saturday at midnight.
“My biggest fear after college is that I am going to pass my boards but then not be a good nurse,” Murray says, “I think most of us have that fear. For instance, when you have to think on your toes and you don’t know what to do, that is what I am most scared for.”
Pfeifer says her biggest fears would be not being able to attend her children’s school events (for when she has kids) due to work, the long hours, and multiple shifts in a row.
These students want to make a difference in peoples’ lives and I salute them for that.
Knowing these two ladies though and all the nursing students for that matter, I know that if they can get through nursing school, then they can get through becoming a real nurse.
Good luck to the senior nursing students as they take on one of the biggest years of their lives… senior year.
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