Imagine not wanting to be a nurse, teacher, or teacher of psychiatric nursing only to find yourself doing all three - and loving it! In Caring Lessons, Lois Roelofs tells her stories about being a rebellious ministers daughter, reluctant nurse, restless mom, perpetual student, and, eventually, fun-loving teacher. She used to tell her students that if she, an ordinary suburban sandbox mom, propelled by restlessness and prayer, could end up having a career, growing in faith, and getting a PhD, they could too. Roelofs brings the therapeutic use of self required in nursing to her writing. With a national shortage of registered nurses over a half million projected this decade and a shortage of nursing faculty that causes nursing programs to turn qualified applicants away, Caring Lessons will encourage readers to think about becoming nurses or stimulate nurses to think about becoming teachers, both of which would address these critical shortages. The main theme of the book is caring caring for others and caring for oneself.