A 2007 Winning Essay
Tricia Fox
Watts School of Nursing
Before I watched A Nurse I Am, I knew that I was on the right path by starting a nursing career; after watching it, I felt it. I am a “second career / career change” student, which means my path to student nurse may have been a little more varied than some of my classmates’. I have always worked in some form of a helping profession, believing that my strengths lay more on the inside and are not as tangible as say, making someone a lot of money or designing a computer program. Unfortunately, a lot of our world chooses to validate the latter strengths. Observing all three nurses in action and hearing their insights made me feel a part of something larger than me. Moreover, I could feel my heart swell and tears form as they expressed genuine concern and made it clear that nursing was in every fiber of their being. It was not just a job that paid the bills it was their calling.
Interestingly, it also gave me a pause as to my initial thoughts as to which type of nursing I am choosing to pursue. I felt my current journey was leading me in the direction of being an adult oncology nurse. I do not know how to put it into words, but again, my heart seemed to speak up when watching the pediatric oncology patients and nurse. It was more than a universal sympathy toward ill children. It was actually the inspiration I felt in seeing both their smiling and sometimes pained faces. I saw strength in both nurse and patient that made me open the door to considering pediatrics as I continue in my nursing education.
Overall, my visceral reaction while viewing the programs said to me that I had found my purpose. In the past, when someone would ask me, “what are your strengths?” I knew the answer would be, “relationships”, but I did not know exactly how to translate that into a career. A Nurse I Am showed me the special journey I was meant to take.
