Big Mike Reminded Me Why I Love Nursing
I love nursing because I get to meet people like Mike. Despite battling alcoholism, he allowed me to help him, driven by his love for his children.
Never Let Your Circumstances Determine Your Destiny
As a Black teenager, I knew I was destined to be great and could rise above the circumstances I faced. It's what got me through tough times and to nursing.
Welcome to My World: Life’s Trials Couldn’t Keep Me From Nursing
I survived a difficult birth, viral encephalitis, and being bullied as a child. Adulthood brought its own challenges. All of it led to me becoming a nurse.
Realizing a Dream: How I Earned My Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
"I will obtain my bachelor's degree." That was the goal I wrote in my yearbook. It wasn't easy, but I did it. And, boy, did I celebrate.
On the Dementia Unit, Patients Welcome Me Into Their World
As my patients with dementia become more fragile in body, they become stronger in spirit. When I care for them, I live in their world.
Before My Shift, I Decide Who To Be
Before my shift starts, I always pick three things to “be” that day. It is a command as much as it is a prayer. And it gives me my purpose for the day.
Nurses Helped Me Get Back in the Saddle
I was diagnosed with a tumor when I was 15. Nurses helped me beat the odds and walk again — then ride off into the sunset. So, of course, I wanted to become one.
For Patients With Cancer, Hope Changes Everything
I may not have started out wanting to work with patients with cancer, but I'm sure glad I do, and that I can provide hope before despair sets in.
Facility Closure Forces Nurse to Find a New Job – Again
I thought as a nurse, I would enjoy perpetual job security. I was wrong. I've lived through several facility closures, but always managed to find a new job.
First a New Heart. Then Thanksgiving Hot Chocolate
My patient, Joe, needed a heart transplant. My hope was that he would get it in time to enjoy one of his favorite Thanksgiving traditions.