Why be a Nursing Student?
I chose nursing because of how important medicine is in my life, as I have anaphylaxis allergies and have had to spend many days in the hospital. It also helps when my mother is a nurse practitioner and truly defines what a nurse is by how she carries herself every single day. The hands on learning I have had to do in classes such as A&P and Chemistry, has helped me become the student I currently am. Early on in these courses the professors stress how important studying every single day and keeping up with your assignments is, and starting early helps make these good habits stick.
Overcoming Obstacles
Last year at this time I was grieving the loss of my father who had just passed away in late December due to complications with Covid-19 and getting a double lung transplant in 2021. This was easily the most difficult thing I have had to endure as he was the focal point in my life. Everything I do from that point forward is to make sure I make my father proud, as he was always pushing me to become the best person I could, no matter what I was doing. I believe losing my father at such a young age has inspired me even more to continue in the medical field, and made me into a much stronger person.
Future Career Goals
My goal after earning my nursing degree is to work in an ICU in New York for two years before applying to become a CRNA. However, I'm also contemplating getting my master's degree to be a nurse practitioner. Mount Union is preparing me for that by having students exceed in many different clinical scenarios through the nursing track, as well as rigorous classes. Dr. Dorris has been instrumental so far in this point as she has done a great job with health assessment, and continuing to help us in labs even after we've taken her class.