It is June 1970 when Kathleen Kelly graduates from a private, all-girls Catholic high school and prepares to begin a new chapter. Ever since she can remember, she has dreamed of being a nurse. Both elated and terrified, she is finally ready to fulfill that dream.

As Kathleen enters Catholic nursing school amid a war in Vietnam and student protests in her own country, she soon realizes the educational expectations are more detailed than she imagined. After she settles into her residence room that was formerly a cell in a convent, Kathleen reconnects with her high school friends, Bridie and Cass, and embarks on an exciting journey where she soon learns not just about how to be the best nurse she can be, but also about life, relationships, and how faith will play an important part in both her personal life and professional career as she discovers all that accompanies becoming a dedicated caregiver to her patients.

Head, Heart, Hands is the story of a student nurse's foray into the 1970s nursing school experience.