Today, I’m officially halfway done with nursing school! I just finished up my first year and I couldn’t be more exhausted happier.  In all seriousness, nursing was truly a calling for me and was so different than my previous career in journalism. Now, after year one, I can safely say nursing is most definitely what I was put on this earth for. I love working with patients! Recently, I had clinical rotations in a unit with a lot of oncology patients and absolutely loved it. It’s amazing to me how someone can be going through so much difficulty and still have a super positive attitude. It’s awesome to be writing this blog, be able to educate people about cancer prevention, and hopefully one day be the HBIC of HBOC (Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer). So, here are the top 6 things I’ve learned so far in nursing school.

1. Have a sense of humor – whether you are a patient, family member, or health care provider – humor is the key to getting through everything.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff – the difference between an A and an A- in a class is not worth getting freaked out about. There are much more important things in life and working with patients puts this in perspective.

3. Enjoy the outdoors – spending 12 hour shifts in a hospital and 11 hour class days in a basement classroom makes you really appreciate sunlight and fresh air (especially in beautiful Southern California).

4. Go with the flow… unless something doesn’t sit well with you – yes, flexibility is important – but don’t forget to advocate for yourself and for others.

5. Self-care is key – make sure to take care of yourself. Treat yourself to a massage once in a while, take naps if you are sleepy, drink lots of water, and balance work and play.

6. Have a good support network – I couldn’t have made it through this first year of school without them. Thanks to all my family and friends for helping me succeed without going (totally) crazy.