let me introduce myself

my journey to Nursing has not been direct

in high school, i considered applying to nursing programs for college but i allowed my inferiority complex to get the better of me. even though i have many amazing nurses in my own family; in my mind, i just wasn’t smart enough to be a nurse. instead, i pursued the arts and received a bachelor’s degree in interior design. i graduated after the recession of 2008 and though this was not an ideal time to begin a career, i stayed focused on my goal of being a working artist and made every encounter a learning opportunity. I ended up being a graphic designer for many years, but became disenchanted with the industry and the freelance lifestyle.

Around 2016, my grandmother's dementia worsened and she needed a home health aide full time. this transitional part of my life was my chance to reevaluate what I wanted to do with the future of my working career. it all began with the thought, “I want to be the one to take care of her”. this choice turned out to be the most inspiring, difficult, and humbling time in my life.

Being her health advocate and meeting her hospice nurses really helped me to recognize that maybe I could be a nurse because the work of a nurse went beyond book knowledge. what i learned from seeing these impressive everyday heroes do their job was that nursing required so much more than just their brains, but also their hearts and hands.

To be honest, I was never confident enough to pursue nursing until I became my grandmother’s home health aide. Having such a varied work history has prepared me to be a valuable colleague because I have a lot of hands-on experience working with many different kinds of people in many different kinds of scenarios.

I have learned to challenge myself and became a well-rounded team member, finding I am more capable than I perceived myself to be. most of all, I learned perseverance from my grandmother because even when things were daunting she kept moving forward as best she could.

It has been a blessing to work with so many great nurses thus far and i look forward to the prospect of working with many more talented nurses and healthcare professionals in the future.