Family Nurse Practitioner // Oak Point University Alum, MSN-FNP 2014, BSN 2008 (Resurrection University and West Suburban College of Nursing chapters) // 2022 Calling All #BadassNurses Finalist
The Bond You Develop with Your Patient Changes You
I think what surprised me most about being a nurse was how quickly you bond with the patient, and you are so dedicated and interested in their story and how it turns out, and you just become this huge advocate. And those stories carry with you and change you.
A Nurse Changed Her, Too
I became a nurse because I was a young mother and I had a baby who was having trouble breathing, so I took him to the emergency room. Nobody would give me answers. I was worried, and I didn’t know what to do, and then a nurse pulled me to the side and asked me if I was OK, and she explained things to me; she held my hand. She, she was amazing, and I won’t forget that. Right there with the point where I was like, I want to be that person for somebody.
“There will be good days, there will be bad days … there will be days where you question your career choices. But at the end of the day, when you make a difference in someone’s life, it makes it all worth it.”
Nursing Is a Work of Heart
There’s definitely a misconception when it comes to nursing. it’s a work of heart it’s not just coming in and checking someone’s blood pressure, taking a temperature, it’s blood, sweat, and tears. Not only yours, but the patient’s as well. There will be good days, there will be bad days, it will be great days, and there will be days where you question your career choices. But at the end of the day, when you make a difference in someone’s life, it makes it all worth it.
My Name is Vanessa, and I am a badass nurse.
