Every Nurse Has A Story Essays

Every Nurse Has A Story. These stories need to be shared and celebrated. The Michigan Center for Nursing is collecting stories. Please consider sharing your story. Send your story to wilson@mhc.org - Thanks.

 Francois Gatsinzi's Story:

As a little boy I used to go to my uncle Israel who was the only medical professional nurse in our local clinic Rwankeri, Rwanda and I observed how busy he was in taking care of his patients. He was knowledgeable, patient, caring, and provided time to each person and came up with the answer for his or her ailments. Sometimes I did not get time to talk to him because he was very busy. This influenced me to attend Medical High School after which I worked for the Rwandese Red Cross.

 Because of my active participation in the benevolent activities I was awarded scholarship to attend Lugansk Medical State University, Ukraine where I graduated as Physician. Due to Civil War I was unable to return to my cherished native country to work. I came to the United States where I started to learn English language and attend GVSU, Kirkhov College of Nursing. Currently I am an RN at Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus.

 I find the nursing profession to be the best in all professions, it gives me the privilege to help others and at the same time earn a living. It challenges me to learn every day and stay on the top of the scientific research and discoveries in nursing. The nursing profession is a day-to-day learning experience because each new patient is a new and interesting case that requires an individual plan of care and an individual approach in communication, education and diversified approach attending to different patient needs. Every day, I get better because it’s a daily learning occasion, continuous professional growth and gives me solid foundation to become a leader among us (Nurses) professionals and in the community where we live.

Nursing profession to me it’s the most rewarding because I can wear two shoes at the same time. In the shoe of the patient to advocate for him and understand the response to the condition he is experiencing, the shoe of the Nurse who despite the suffering of the patient has to step aside and provide competent and necessary care and be a patient shoulder to cry on. It’s rewarding for me to be there when the patient, or family was in the most time of need and I was the answer needed at that particular moment.

For me to become a nurse it’s a radical change in my thinking and approach to life and this transformation is a permanent one that has to continue until I achieve perfection.

Blair Dudley's Story:
"Nursing was not my first choice of careers. My background is in Geology, and later in life I worked as a project manager at Ford Motor Company. I stumbled into this profession after my two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer. It was a devastating blow to my family but allowed me to see a very different side of the health care profession. Although the diagnosis of cancer was a traumatic experience, I was able to find peace knowing that the care my daughter was getting both at the hospital and at home was the best possible care around. It became evident to me, my wife, and the nursing staff around us that I was good at what I did. I was able to easily understand the medical course of treatment through her rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and yet felt a strong desire to perfect the methodology of treatment while out of the hospital setting. My daughter never once got sick during her treatment, nor did she get a line infection due to my diligence with her care. She is now six years old and doing fantastic. It was after this experience that I felt compelled to pursue a career in the nursing field. All of my previous schooling could never prepare me more for this change in careers as I felt more mature, and willing to make such a change. I had the full support of my wife, my family and friends through this career change, and never would have expected it to be so rewarding.

What I find the most rewarding about my career is that I finally feel that I am making a difference in people’s lives. My current job is in the Pediatric Cardio-Thoracic Unit at University of Michigan Hospital, which deals with the most difficult congenital heart malformations ever diagnosed. The rewards come to me during the conversations I have with the families show child I care for during my shift. They trust in me that I have the knowledge and skill set will allow me to provide the best possible for their child, the same expectations I had when my daughter was sick. I share with them my story of my daughter which allows me to relate to them on a very different level – a level that other nurses who have never had a sick child could ever experience. I find it very rewarding to see the children I care for make a recovery that allows them to experience what other children their age are able to experience. The staff of doctors and nurses that are my colleagues are an amazing group of people who make it very easy to come to work on a day to day basis. It was not until my career as a nurse that I could honestly say that I enjoy what I do. I feel as if I have finally found my niche."
 

 Click Here for the "Guy Thing Book"

Click Here for John Beaver's Story

Click Here for Judy Dekun's Story

Click Here for Johnny Dy's Story

Click Here for Wayne Mattern's Story

Click Here for William Reau's Story

Click Here for Bobby Joe Shell's Story

Click Here for Robb Stillman's Story

Click Here for Jeffery Thomas' Story