You can call me Flo

I took my final today. I never thought I'd take another final back when I finished my degree. But here I am, another final under my belt, seriously considering taking a few more to get an advanced degree.

This has been an amazing few months. I surprised myself because I went kicking and screaming back into the arms of nursing. I didn't want to go. I liked what I was doing and was content to have nursing as the safety net I didn't have to deploy. But that all changed when my husband started a new chapter in his life -- leaving IBM. It's been a tough road, but I think it has made us stronger. I think we both had fallen into complacency, which is never a good thing career wise. I graduated the first time during a nursing surplus. There is nothing quite like society telling you that even though there was a shortage when you chose this profession, you've unluckily graduated just in time for experienced RN's being laid off and joining the labor pool. Good luck finding a job. Yeah, those were the days. But I guess that is what the profession is all about. Like rabbits and coyotes, we come in cycles. Sometimes a glut, and sometimes a shortage. But be sure to watch because the next curve is right around the corner.

Right now there is a shortage. And according to some of our lecturers, there will be a shortage for some time. One of the statistics we were told is that by 2010 there will be 200,000 RN full time positions unfilled. The silver tsunami is on its way -- baby boomers are getting older. Johnson & Johnson made a huge advertising drive to get more people to consider the nursing profession. Elsewhere in the country, the backlog for nursing students is because there aren't enough masters prepared nursing instructors. Here in Washington, we've got people on waiting lists for ADN programs not for lack of advanced degree nurses (we've got plenty of them apparently), but because hospitals here are overburdened with students.

But I wanted to show you the picture of most of my classmates. Alan was late and I didn't get him in the shot. (Sorry, Alan.) But here we are. These are amazing women, every last one of them. And I'm proud to have met them, have studied with them, led some of them to victory twice in Jeopardy (mmm... chocolate), and most importantly, made friends with them. Remember these faces. If you are ever in need of medical care, hope you see one of these people looking at you. You'll be in competent and caring hands.