Zoe showed me to my room and said she’d come back for me in twenty minutes. I had enough time to claim my bed and empty my suitcase before she was back to take me to the Grey Room. Annie hadn’t yet arrived in the room when we left. Waiting with my classmates for our personal interviews with the Director of the School felt like waiting for the executioner. Every one of us was nervous so no one really felt like making conversation. As the first student was called to the Director’s office I started worrying that I’d be called next. I wasn’t ready! What could we talk about? I think every other student felt the same way until the first student came out smiling. Student # 2 was called in and I assumed, hopefully, that we were going in by alphabetical order of surname. Mine started with a T so I began to relax a bit. The first student quietly told us that it was easy. “Don’t worry”, she said. It was then that we all started to chat among ourselves and by the time my name was called, I had talked to a number of other first year students I thought might become my friends. This was going to be okay, I told myself.
By the time my name was called, I was nervous again. I approached the Director’s office and was greeted by a tall, thin woman in a white nursing uniform and white cap with a black band on the cuff. She had curly dark hair, wore dark framed glasses, didn’t really smile, but didn’t appear unfriendly either. “Good morning, Miss Tiessen,” she began; “welcome to Metropolitan General Hospital School of Nursing. We’re happy that you chose to join us. I think you’ll find everyone here helpful, friendly and eager to make your experience as a student nurse a very positive one. You’ll be here in this building with us for the next two years; your other instructors and I will do our best to give you a training experience that will serve you well for your entire career.”
“Now tell me,” she said “why do you want to be a nurse?” With a bit of anxiety, and with a tongue that felt thick and dry, I was able to answer: “I want to help sick people get well.” A thin smile appeared on her face and she responded “this is one of the finest Schools of Nursing in Ontario. You will learn to help the sick if you apply yourself. If you study every day, get the proper amount of sleep, avoid distractions, apply yourself in the hospital setting, and conduct yourself as a committed learner, you will become an excellent Registered Nurse.” She told me that our School had graduated many highly successful nurses but that it was completely up to me whether I’d become one, or not. With that, she asked if I had any questions of her and shaking my head no, I was excused to re-join to my classmates in the Grey Room.
