Personal Narrative: A Career In Nursing

It was 1993 when a supposedly routine joint patrol between the Kosovar and of the U.S. Army into Mount Ljuboten, a mountain peak that borders Kosovo and Macedonia, almost became a tragedy. I was then an electrician in the U.S. Army, but was assigned as the only combat medic personnel trained at the time, which was scary since I had just received training as a first responder about a week before the hike. The difficult trek lasted four to five hours with two casualties: one due to dehydration while another hurt their ankle secondary to a fall. As my first experience in providing medical care, I had to insert and infuse IV fluids, organized transport, and signaled a helicopter for evacuation. It was stressful, but this was a point in time, when I’ve realized that having the knowledge, skill, patience, personal courage can make a difference in a person’s life, which was not only self rewarding, but can also be a life-long goal towards a career in nursing.

I was suddenly unemployed, without health insurance, any property nor formal education that most employers look for—I had to start over. With patience and perseverance, I was able to graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Nursing in 2011. In the last four years since graduation, I have worked a variety of positions in Long-Term to Acute care: from nursing assistant, staff nurse and up to nurse manager. Sure I have acquired a ton of knowledge and perspectives in providing patient care; however, I enjoyed most was meeting people and listening to their life