An Ode To My Scrubs

Yesterday was an important day.

Yesterday, I honored the 23rd anniversary of my sister Alison's death.

Yesterday, I took my final pharmacology exam (open note!).

And yesterday, I wore my navy blue Nursing Program scrubs for the final time.

There are a lot of transitions happening now: professional, educational, personal. I couldn't see that far into the future when, in the summer of 2016, I excitedly snagged two scrub tops and two bottoms, posturing in the dressing room window, imagining the endless wild scenarios I'd encounter as a student nurse.

I don't want no scrubs..well, I kinda did

And was it wild? Sure. Endless? Sometimes. Sometimes it was terrifying.

Sometimes I would stay up until 2am, writing my clinical notes, too wired to sleep.

Sometimes I would try to verbalize my shift to Phil and Norah, or text my mother after getting report, but there was too much going on in my brain to get there.

In the second year, there were mornings when I blearily grabbed my scrubs from the previous day off the floor, dressing in the dark, wondering how I'd manage to complete my CLEW or SBAR reports in time for my clinical instructor.

And while it sometimes moved slowly, it was always meaningful.

In these navy scrubs I found the importance of holding a patient's hand during an exploratory procedure.

I learned how to navigate a seemingly difficult family member, getting to the heart of their apprehension over their loved one.

In these scrubs, the tops worn out, now a little more snug than they were in my first semester, I delivered important medications to one patient, while monitoring the vitals of another across the hall.

I can't even guess how many miles I walked; answering call bells, getting supplies, ambulating a fresh post-op.

But it all pales in comparison to what's coming next.

So long, and thanks for all the caths

These scrubs will be dropped in a box, donated to the next student (I swear, they're freshly washed and I was never in a C. diff room without PPEs..well, there was ONE time but it was for like a second), and off to find new adventures with different patients and staff.

But the hands-on experiences I've had will tailor the future, and I can't wait for it.

Class of 2018 (for the most part)