I was just over at emergiblog reading about the classes Kim is just finishing up. I too am struggling to finish the critical care course that I’m taking. My last test in my advanced physiology course is this afternoon and I’m working hard to cram my brain full of information.

This last unit is on the body’s defense systems, including: mediators, inflammation process, the immune response, and stress. Sure, it sounds simple enough, but as I quickly realized, this is by far the most intensely complex system in the body.

Everything has pathways and activators and mediators, and nothing has an easy name to remember. It’s things like C3a and IL-1. I’ve read the 150 page unit three times now and I feel as though I have learned nothing at all.

So, I sit here writing instead of studying. After all, would a fourth read really make a difference? It probably would. Actually, if I just slowed down and worked through the unit without rushing and skimming (this is the sixth unit, I’m getting a little restless) I’d probably easily figure everything out.

But it fascinates me that nurses are so inclined to continue their education. I think that nurses have an innate sense of wonder and curiosity that guides them through their lives. Like a two-year-old, they go through the day wondering “why?” over and over again.

Why is my patient’s urine output low? Why did the doctor order a c-reactive protein level in the blood-work? Why is my patient having shoulder pain after gallbladder surgery? Why has my patient all of a sudden started acting confused? Why do illnesses happen to some people and not others? Why is administration starting another committee to look at why we may need more committees?

Nurses are the type of people that run home and hit the books (or google) with that burning question that came up during the day. There’s that rush of happiness when you find the reason–and a bigger rush when you can explain the complicated answer the next day when someone else is equally puzzled.

I think I must declare: If you aren’t innately curious, dislike continually learning new things, hate to ask why, and simply just accept everything at face value, you may struggle as a nurse.

So, get out there, take a course, learn something new, and by all means, do it with pride and excitement!