Personal Narrative: A Career As A Nurse

A majority of my childhood was spent within the walls of a hospital, not as a patient but as a prospecting Nurse. My mother was the manager of the ER at Brick Hospital for about eight years. As a six year old child I never wanted to leave her side, so that is exactly what I didn't do. When she would work the night shift I would sit in an unoccupied bed propped up with hospital snacks and cartoons on the small TV, but that wasn't what I was interested in. In those nights I had seen my fair share of broken arms, sick children, and plenty of blood! I would watch in awe as my mom would shuffle from room to room tending to ill patients without even taking a single bathroom break. She truly was and still is my hero. I may have seen a lot of things that have slipped past my mind while I was there but one thing I will never forget is the patients’ faces, that were once plagued with pain,

I perform eight straight hours of physical labor with usually only one half hour break. I lift people that weigh twice my weight, I change soiled briefs, I take punches, kicks and harsh demands, but not once will I ever complain. I work in the Alzheimer’s and Dementia unit which is probably the most laborious and difficult unit to work in. It requires kindness and a whole lot of patience. Working as an aide has taught me to be patient and loving to the elderly people I care for, because they truly have no control over their behavior actions. Being an aide has taught me to find an equilibrium between stern and kind, sensitive and professional, and through this I have learned the true reward of being a healthcare worker; helping those who are unable to help themselves. I believe that these experiences and skills have opened up the doors to the field of Nursing and will truly benefit me in the pursuit of furthering my education as a Registered