Debbi Mudd 2.1 Devotion: Called to Care, Initial Post

When I first started nursing school, I always wanted to be a pediatric nurse because I grew up taking care of my little cousins when their parents needed a babysitter. When I entered my pediatric rotation, I didn't expect my clinical experience to be centered in psychosocial interventions. I was placed in Northridge Medical Center Peds floor and I dealt with parents more than the patients. It just so happens that 6 out of my 9 weeks in Peds, the parents were either divorced or separated and no established relationship. From then on, I realized that Peds was not for me based off that experience alone. When I entered OB rotation, I fell in love with it immediately. I was placed in White Memorial Hospital and all the neonatal nurses provided a great experience for my clinical group. I was able to help and witness live births, cesarean births, and post-baby care. I enjoyed helping the nurses with their nursing tasks and interventions and I was comfortable communicating with the parents throughout their stay. After 9 weeks of clinical, I wanted to learn more and doing this literature gave me a different, yet valuable perspective about neonatal

Growing up I did not dream about becoming a nurse. I graduated from high school with honors and was planning to go to law school. However, several months later, my life drastically changed. Unexpectedly, my beloved mother was diagnosed with stage II ovarian cancer. Spending countless days and nights by her side at the hospital made me recognize how significant and life-saving her care was. Nurses were highly skilled professionals who worked together to provide essential care for my mother, give immense support and encouragement, ensure that her treatment would be delivered timely, promptly assess and address her physical and emotional needs and manage her distressing symptoms.

My selected mentor is Jerry Martin RN, BSN. He is a co-worker that has inspired me to return to school and that any dream is obtainable. Jerry has a degree in biology and was working as a ward clerk in our ER when I met him. He has a degree in biology and worked in finance before working at the hospital. Jerry states” I was unhappy with my career in finance and I realized I had drifted a long way from my education and my core belief. During a conference a guest speaker said “true happiness is found when you find the one thing you would do in life even if you did not get paid for it”. That was my “aha” moment.” G.M. Martin (personal communication, September 3,2013) Jerry entered nursing school in 2006 and graduated with a BSN in 2011. He is currently working toward a MSN and striving to be a FNP. He is a great nurse and it is a privilege to have him as a co-worker and my mentor.

I have been fortunate enough to gain experiences that have effectively taught me how to be a leader and work together with a team and I am confident I will be able to apply this to my nursing career more

Throughout my sister-in-law’s labor, I was by her side, coaching and encouraging her along the way. Being a mother myself, I knew what to expect during a birth, but now seeing the experience from a different point of view, it changed my life. Becoming a Registered Nurse is my goal, but I hope to one day work as a labor and delivery nurse. After marrying my husband and having children, I made the commitment to myself that once they started elementary school, I would begin working toward my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. It has been 12 years since I graduated high school, so the fears and uncertainty of what to expect and if I could succeed almost stopped me from moving forward.

Mentoring during my undergraduate years made me realize how one can positively impact lives by educating and guiding. Since I was already very interested in the healthcare it made me realize that becoming primary care physician will allow me to educate, guide and support my patients with their healthcare needs. When I was a mentor the students and parents asked me for advice and I helped them with strategies and planning for their education similarly as a physician I can provide these services for my patients as well for their health. It gives me great satisfaction in helping people in such way. I have developed these skills of mentoring and guiding well enough that people seem responsive to my advice. I was working as a mentor and studying neuroscience as an undergrad with a goal to pursue a career in medicine. Taking premed course and majoring in Neuroscience, my curiosity for medicine grew further. I was able to balance my education and work as a mentor which an important component in becoming a physician.

Coming from a medical family it was written onto me at an early age that health care and making people feel better is heartwarming and inspiring. One of the most influential people in my life is my mother, who is a nurse herself. Having watched my mother helped so many people, I grew into knowing that there is no greater reward in life. My mother's joy inspired me to become a nurse.

I have decided I want to become a nurse anethsis.My grandmother was a nurse and was one of my role models.She was dedicated and compassionate towards her patients.In 2010,my first cousin’s baby was born three months premature and developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis,which is the death of intestinal tissue,My experiences with my grandmother and baby cousin have influenced my decision in pursuing a career in the feild of nursing..Being able to witness the way the nurses care helped my baby cousin in ways that my family was not able helped me realize even more that I wanted to be able to make a difference in patients lives.

One of my inspirations that made me have the urge of wanting to become a nurse is, my friend nurse, Carlos Reyes, had provided assistance to numerous amount of people. Knowing that somebody’s life was in jeopardy, it made me realize that I want to have that eager of what that nurse has. Someday I hope to equal his diligence, skill and with such a strong passion as he had done. It is miraculously knowing such little things you do, can make a huge difference in a person’s life. It is an honor providing the needs’ of people that really need it.

As a young girl, I dreamed of being a Labor and Delivery Nurse. I always enjoyed watching The Baby Stories on The Learning Channel (TLC). I started my young adult life having babies. Although I did not graduate, I still knew that I wanted to go to nursing school. After my first two children became older I obtained my GED and started college courses. I eventually began the nursing program and in my second semester I became pregnant with twins. I had to quit the nursing program for a short while due to pregnancy difficulties. I resumed my degree plan when my twins were six months old. Juggling nursing school, being a single mother with an 11 year old, a 9 year old and 6 month old twins was at times very difficult but I kept my goal in mind. During

I have wanted to be a nurse since I graduated high school in 2010. A lot of time was spent debating and I ended up putting it off for years. I got pregnant in 2014 with my son and had many positive experiences with nurses during the pregnancy. When I went into labour in March of 2015, I spent a whole 27 hours in the labour and delivery room with different nurses. They were all so wonderful. During this time, I started to ask questions to pass the time. I then learned a lot of what it was like to be a nurse in maternity. This is when I decided that I was going to start school to become what I always wanted to be.

My desire to be a nurse started when my partner got diagnosed with leukaemia. Going through a long hard process with the support of nurses made a massive impact on the positive outlook of treatment and the recovery process. This really inspired me to become a nurse with the attentive attention shown and care that was delivered. Although I understand that nursing can be an exceptionally demanding profession, I feel it can also be a satisfying career where you can make a difference to people's lives. Having a career that has meaning and purpose is very rewarding and fulfilling.

My decision for choosing nursing as a career is not only due to my own health concerns but also from seeing and hearing the experiences of my cousin Chase. My cousin was diagnosed with stage 4 medistinial testicular cancer when he was 24 years old . This effected my family in an unimangible way, not only for his own diagnosis but for the fact that this was the third cancer diagnosis within my family in 4 years. Throughout the duration of his care and treatment the doctors and nurses were able to help not only him but also my family in a way that I’ve never seen before. From my grandfather and Chase being admitted into the hospital at the same time and allowing them to be in rooms close to each other to allowing his sister Katrina stay overnight with him on occasions. As Chase’s cancer progressed and he moved to different areas in the hospital and to other hospitals his doctors and nurses would continuely check in on him and the rest of my family, even going as far as attending his funeral and giving a supporting shoulder to my

It has always been my passion to become a nurse, as a child I always admired the white hat, dress, and stocking as shoes I was accustom to seeing. Born and grow in the hills of the Blue Mountain Peak in Jamaica where there was never ever a doctor’s office around and the nurse that we would see at the clinic only came to visit on special days we had midwives for the pregnant mothers two of whom was my grandmother and mother. Although they have no professional training in the field, they demonstrated all the characteristics of what a midwife is like. I had the privilege of accompanying both of them on a regular basis usually in the middle of the night whenever a mother need a midwife. The care and compassion I seen from these two important ladies to mothers have had a tremendous impact on my life and led me to make the decision of always wanting to be a nurse.

No matter how much money I make as a nurse it is never enough to me to watch someone's child pass away or the joy of watching a neonate battle everything to finally go home with their family. I always have to remind myself to use compassion and respect even in the hardest situations like when a mother is abusing drugs throughout her pregnancy and now I care for her child going through withdrawal. No matter that mother’s choices, I must provide the best care and guidance to her and her child.