Thank you Ottawa U

So tonight is the night that I thought would never come, but to be honest it's more bitter than sweet because tomorrow is my last day on a campus that has changed my life forever. When I came to the University of Ottawa I did not even know that I would have to take that yellow bus to the RGN campus for every class. How many university students have spent the majority of their class time in 2 classrooms. Nearly all of my career as a nursing student took place in those orange chairs and I hope I never forget it. How many early mornings, how many exams, how many times did we all filter in and take our seats with the friends that we'd made; friends that I'm not ready to say good bye to. Four years went by so fast, too fast. Today we did our Mock RN Exam and what a difference from first year, we answered every question from the vast knowledge base we've developed and we were confident in our abilities to explain the rationale behind each answer.

Last week when I was in my last seminar class with 12 of my classmates we each shared our experiences from consolidation. Listening to each of them speak I was in awe, they are all such strong professionals and I'm so lucky to be their classmate. I wish I could keep them all in my pocket to inspire my to be just as passionate for the rest of my career as we are now. So I'm going to to aspire to do just that, to remember the faces of my classmates and the passion that they have for the profession of nursing.

As I was riding the bus home tonight from my best friend and classmate's house, which I've done almost everyday for the past four years I realized that this city has had a huge impact on who I am as well. I mean, it's impossible to walk through downtown Ottawa without reflecting on the impact of nursing in society. I remember times when I've been on the bus, people watching and then had a breakthrough because I saw what we were talking about in class in the people around me. Something as simple as seeing the challenges facing those people with disabilities and how our society is not built to help them out. Being in this city, this multi-cultural, vibrant diverse city has made me a well-rounded person and made me fall in love with nursing. Seeing how people live in Ottawa has made it clear to me that nurses play a vital role in helping society improve.

I have to admit that I'm scared that I may lose some of the knowledge I have developed if I move to an area that is less diverse, so again, my goal is to stay in touch with this person I am right now. I obviously have a lot to learn about being a nurse, but the passion I have right has been inspired by the people I've gone to school with and this city that I live in . So I am very sad that tomorrow may be the last time I am in this same place in life. But there's a new chapter ahead of me and I could not be coming from a better place, physically, emotionally or psychologically. I feel that I'm ready to start my career and walk through those doors that have been opened for me by the profession of nursing.