When contemplating a career choice, psychologists often suggest revisiting the activities that one took pleasure in as a child. Unwittingly, children engross themselves wholeheartedly in activities that bring them the greatest delight and contentment. As adults, those qualities equate to stimulation and satisfaction–two elements necessary to sustain a successful career. In my youth, I enjoyed playing “schoolteacher,” more importantly however, from the ages of six to fifteen, I tended to the needs of my chronically ill grandmother. During this period of time, the idea of playing nurse never crossed my mind; rather, care giving was a way of life.

The magnitude of influence that caring for my grandmother had in shaping my career decisions is immense; although it was unknown to me for quite some time. A distinct correlation was made early in my employment as a Clinical Assistant at Seton Medical Center. While holding the hand of a patient, as he passed through the stages of a stroke, I recognized the tone and delivery of my words as that which I used when comforting my grandmother during a similar event. Amidst the chaos of the medical team, I became overwhelmed with a sense of complete wholeness that I had not felt before. I become acutely aware that my childhood care giving role had provided me with a unique ability to invest myself fully into the health and wellbeing of others, in the very same way that I had done with my grandmother.

In addition to caring for patients, I also maintain an affinity for teaching. The delight I found while playing “schoolteacher” as a child derived from the act of sharing new information with imaginary students. My thirst for knowledge and the desire to share is no less prevalent now as it was then, however my knowledge is based in scientific method, holistic healthcare promotion and nursing theory.

Nursing