The room remained quiet for several minutes. I looked around in a quick check to see if everyone was still awake. Ralph's hand went up and I acknowledged him.

"So, you have always been a nurse and not a teacher? How do you step from one role to the other without having the training? You must be good if the school called you. I know it is a private type school, just for adults and no kids, but still! They didn't know you from Adam."

"That's right, once I got on the path to nursing I never once looked back. Now if you think about it, anytime you have a medical appointment, regardless of the reason; someone teaches you something. How to check your blood sugar or your blood pressure? Someone answers your questions. Nursing and any other medical job is about sharing information, teaching something. You all will do so when you are working. You will, definitely tell clients and patients what you are doing, how you will do it and why. Isn't that teaching?"

At this time, about ten hands went up. Once again, I pointed and numbered them before settling back on number one. "Yes?"

"I hope you don't mind but I recorded what you were saying, so I could listen again later. Is that alright with you? Because I will erase it, if it makes you unhappy."

Several others echoed "Me too."

"That is fine, I am known for recording and sometimes without permission." I laughed, "But never ever involving a patient or client. Please remember that."

"So, Mrs. Trenton worked for you? She isn't a teacher either? Wow. Who would know."

"Mrs. Trenton is about twenty years younger than I am. And no, I am not going to tell you either of our ages. She worked in the ICU with me. In fact, she took advantage of the same training program that I had done years before. I think her group was the last one approved. She worked for about twelve years and then decided it was time for a change. This school was opening and needed a RN to teach and voila, she is here. When she had first asked me about teaching, the school had also called and talked about my background for an hour, so they knew who I was and my nursing history. Now since it is almost lunch time, I suggest we just go early and then work a little harder this afternoon. Scoot, off you go and enjoy."

When they returned, they were back in learning mode. We spent the first hour talking about how to properly record vitals signs. We also addressed the need to clean earpieces and cuffs with alcohol swabs, the prepackaged type rather than cotton balls and a bottle of alcohol. I advised them that even when they had their own 'ears' it would become second nature to clean them. One just never knew when it would be borrowed. Then after a quick break they broke into groups and practiced. Each student had their own thermometer, but they shared stethoscopes and BP cuffs. Everyone recorded their readings on a pullout page. They were instructed to use just initials with the four people. I wandered around the room, checking what was written and answering questions as they arose.

Around three-thirty the class took the initiative on their own to clean up. All of the equipment was cleansed appropriately and returned for storage in the cabinet. The classroom desks and chairs were returned to order. It was neat and tidy, I was proud of them.

At the end of the day they were instructed to review the chapters pertaining to the cardiovascular system (heart and blood), to breathing and vital signs. Someone whispered "test" and I smiled and simply nodded.

My evening, after a Chinese take-out supper, had me reproducing diagrams of both systems and creating twenty-five questions. All of them were multiple choice. By ten pm I had my first test done and I was wide awake. Time for a hot cup of tea and a good book or my kindle. I settled in the recliner with a promise to myself to go to bed at eleven pm. I had made a small pot of tea which gave me about two cups. Tea was always best when hot and without additives. When I was younger I would enjoy a bit of honey, but now just hot tea hit the spot. Wiggles, my black cat jumped up to share the chair and my lap.

At two am, my bladder woke me with a sense of urgency. The bathroom called, the tea was cold, thankfully I had only a couple of mouthfuls left. The book had fallen to the floor and Wiggles was snuggled into the chair beside me. After addressing the immediate issue, I trotted off to bed. Sleep once again found me as my head laid on the pillow. Wiggles had relocated to my side and we were settled.

Years ago, I had decided that the queen size bed was too large, so I moved it into the second bedroom that had been my daughter's but was now a converted office. I purchased a twin bed and moved the office stuff to my new bedroom. It was convenient for me and made more sense. I also had a spare bedroom if I ever needed it.