Chemotherapy Accomplishments

Everyone has dreamt of being rich and famous with their name in lights and their face on the cover of the most popular magazine. I definitely have, and as a child, I wanted to do it all. Pop star, actress, and model were on my list of dream careers. It seemed like these were the people who ran the world. These were the individuals who set the hottest trends, and everyone looked up to them. However, it was not until high school that I discovered another career that would allow me to touch more lives and shine even brighter than the most famous superstar. That career is nursing.

After going through the phase of wanting to be a multi-talented celebrity, my outlook on the future became more realistic. Acting and performing were never strong suits

I watched patients go through chemotherapy, and I observed Mrs. Lewis as she drew blood from an implant in the patients’ chests called a port-a-cath. The chemotherapy treatments took several hours, and on top of cancer, side effects of the chemotherapy also plagued the patients. To add insult to injury, the cost of treating and curing cancer was extremely expensive which resulted in no treatment or delays. However, most of the cancer patients remained optimistic despite their physical, mental, and emotional suffering. They smiled, laughed, made jokes, and one woman even brought sweets to share with the entire office. It really opened my eyes up to the true meaning of nursing, which is to be there for someone in need and give them hope to endure whatever illness they may be fighting. While shadowing Mrs. Lewis, I discovered the meaning of holistic nursing. Her care went further than the physical aspect, and she focused on healing the minds, bodies, and spirits of her patients. Witnessing Mrs. Lewis touch so many lives is what motivated me to pursue a career in nursing.

During my first year at Georgia Southern, I was given the opportunity to take Professor Graf’s Think Like a Nurse FYE course and her Nursing in a Global Society course as well. Our class often discussed the importance of nursing in the rural setting. Although nursing is a growing profession, there is still a shortage of nurses all over the United