One aspect of being a nursing student, nursing at the bedside, and then being a nursing professor is the evolution of challenges each journey line presents. No one tells you that its going to suck and be hard and challenge you in ways you didn’t expect. With that said, one aspect of this blog is for me to express the challenges I’ve lived and see daily – BUT to do it in a fun way. For years friends and family told me I should write a book about my experiences however that seemed riddled with variable HIPPA and legal complexities. So instead, here are my stories about Scrubsylvania.

Chapter 1: The Calling of Humor in the Classroom

Once upon a time, in the whimsical land of Scrubsylvania, I found myself in the peculiar role of a nursing professor at the esteemed School of Bedside Ballet. Teaching the delicate art of medical maneuvers, I soon discovered that nursing education was not just about textbooks and clinical skills—it was a theatrical production with a cast of characters that could rival any Broadway show. This was not a profession I aspired to do, not like I did originally for emergency nursing, but life events happened and this fell into my lap.

Every morning, I would march into the classroom, armed with a stethoscope that doubled as a magic wand and a clipboard that held the sacred scroll of nursing wisdom. My students, a lively bunch of aspiring healers, would greet me with a mix of enthusiasm and caffeine-fueled survival instincts.

One day, in the grand lecture hall, I decided to spice up my lesson on anatomy. Armed with a life-sized skeleton named Sir Bones-a-lot, I waltzed into the room to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. The students couldn’t help but giggle as I demonstrated the delicate dance of palpating pulses while disco lights blinked in rhythm.

But the real highlight of my teaching career came during the annual Nursing Olympics. Yes, you heard it right—Nursing Olympics. Picture a battleground of bedpans, IV poles, and hastily thrown-together makeshift triage tents. My students competed in events like the “Wheelchair Slalom” and the “IV Drip Relay,” all while wearing makeshift superhero capes crafted from isolation gowns.

In the world of nursing education, humor has been my secret weapon. I tell my students that laughter is great medicine, closely followed by antibiotics and chocolate. During exams, I would scatter puns throughout the questions, ensuring that the students chuckled even as they sweated over the answers. Philosophical questions inquiring that if trees are green and the sky is blue, what color could the clouds be? Students often select the “rainbow sparkles” option instead of…. white puffs.

Of course, there were the occasional challenges. One day, the nursing mannequins went on strike, demanding better working conditions and a 10% raise in simulated healthcare dollars. Negotiating with a group of lifeless, plastic figures was an unexpected twist in my career, but we eventually reached a compromise—they got upgraded to digital mannequins with Bluetooth capability.

As the semester unfolded, I realized that being a nursing professor wasn’t just about teaching; it was about fostering a community of compassionate caregivers who could laugh in the face of chaos and still administer a perfect bed bath. So, with a twirl of my stethoscope wand and a dash of medical magic, I continued to lead the charge in preparing the next generation of nurses, all while keeping the spirit of Scrubsylvania alive and kicking.