Dear School...

Dear School,

We can remember the first day when we first started our journey to be nurses. Such a wonderful day, filled with hopes and aspirations. We have came from different backgrounds and had various life experiences individually but as a whole, we are driven by the passion to be what we are going to be.

Giddy with excitement about upcoming things that we will learn and experience, we are filled with a sense of purpose. For most of us, it was another chance after all those dead ends we had turned away from. We met our mentors, got our class schedules and made friends. The first days were tough. You are still expanding then so we accept it as best as we could. We saw the potential in you and we put faith in the fact that some day, you will be so much more than we expected. Inside small classrooms, great things were taught.

We were taught the mapping of the human body, its functions and why we should know about these things. We were inspired to be better, to think differently and to ask those things that common people will not ask. We were told that integrity is important and that compassion follows everything we have to do for our future patients. We were told all that because as you said, " You are all going to be future nurses!".

We endured as best as we could through the toughest moments. No one said it will be easy but we were not expecting it to be so hard. But still we persevered. We were compared to others but all that we can say in reply is this: they did not walk the same path and at the same time that we did. The others may not be necessarily better just because they are better behaved or having better results. We are the first and the best. Try juggling night lessons with nursing classes in the day.

Despite the odds and fellow coursemates going away, we pressed on. Holding our heads high and believing that our passion will see us through. We hold in our hearts the fire that our past and present mentors ignited for us. The greatest of inspirations comes from those who wants to see us become competent nurses, even good nurses. We had this confidence that we will be greater than what you want us to be. Like we had said: we are the first of many, and the best of them all.

But even the sturdiest of hearts waver in these trying times.

Our past mentors. Each left for his/her own reasons. Whatever those reasons maybe, we will always wish them all the best and respect the choice that they have to make. We carried what they had taught us in our minds and hearts. But it is difficult.

We went to the wards and people asked: where are you from? We told them about you. We bear the your name and uphold it. But we could not help feeling so alone as each of you left. We were assured that we will not be abandoned and will be supported but as the days come and go, so does our mentors. We have to keep receiving news of so-and-so leaving, so-and-so coming in for a week and then leaving. We began to lose confidence. Not in you only but also in ourselves. For whatever challenges that you may have to face, can't it be worked out? Why is it so hard for you to keep everyone here?? It is not just one or two that went, it is so many and many of them matters a great deal to us.

We are still going to be nurses. We are still going to succeed. But we may become cynical. Its neither all your faults, nor our faults. It is just that circumstances have brought us to this point. How many to leave before we lose all faith and confidence? Everyone that leaves impacted us to a certain degree.

How are we, as children, be proud of parents that we don't even know well enough? When we are asked: "how's your School like?", how are we to answer?

Disheartened and shaken,

Your First Students...