My Grand Aunt Research Paper

Witnessing the patience, strength, and compassionate attributions that nurses convey within their care was remarkable. Having the opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of another human being was a very overwhelming and humbling experience for me. Therefore, these encounters set the foundation towards my pursuit of a nursing career.

It was near the end of winter 2005, when my grand-aunt suddenly fell ill. In a short period of time her illness worsened and the doctors informed my family, my grand-aunt only had a couple of months to live. The news was devastating to my family as we watched a vivacious, independent, and outspoken woman, who enjoyed shopping, reading mystery novels and spending time with family become very weak and confined to her bed. Instead of placing my grand-aunt in a hospice facility, my family and I, with the assistance of a hospice nurse cared for my grand-aunt in her home until her passing.

With my older sisters away at college, the responsibility of caring for my ailing mother, suddenly fell to me, and my once picturesque childhood was at an end. I spent the early part of my adolescence learning how to run a household and play nurse to my mother. In addition to school and keeping the house in order, I administered her medications, gave injections, learned to catheterize her, helped her bath and use the restroom, and did all of the physician prescribed exercises to help with her leg cramps and numbness. When I had time I studied her disease, determined to find anything that might help alleviate her symptoms and bring the mom I remembered and craved back to me. And though she was often too far gone within her own mind to realize what was going on around her, when she was fully lucid she would smile softly and tell me what a wonderful nurse I would be when I grew up, just like she had been before the disease struck her. Looking back, I wish I could say that I preformed my duties with a smile on my face, but unfortunately that’s simply not

Time spent at my mother’s bedside in the intensive care unit changed my perception of the nursing profession. I realized what unique value was integrated in comprehensive nursing care, which was built on excellence, compassion, and respect. I knew right then and there that nursing was a professional path which I would like to take. Changing my college major to nursing was not a difficult decision – I wanted to repay for all that courteous care my family received in the most vulnerable time of our lives.

When my grandmother was dying of cancer in hospice, I had no intentions of becoming a nurse. Consistently, I repositioned her because she was in pain. Dutifully, I opened her windows because she loved the sunlight. Respectfully, I rubbed lotion on her skin because it made her comfortable. Devotedly, I prayed with her because her faith was strong, and she was ready to be reunited with my grandfather. Wistfully, I held her hand as she took her last breath, and told her it was okay to go. Afterwards, when the hospice nurses had told me that I would make a great nurse and I should consider nursing as a career, I politely said “No, thank you, nursing is not for me.”

During high school, I was a member of the New Visions program; through the program I was able to observe and volunteer at Monroe Community Hospital and Strong Memorial Hospital. I spent four days out of the week at Monroe Community Hospital and one day at Strong Memorial Hospital. I was placed on many different floors. For instance, I was on a geriatric PT floor of Monroe Community Hospital where I watched therapist work one-on-one with patients. I went on room calls with therapist to observe care outside of the PT facility and watched how they set up patient care plans. Also, I was on multiple nursing units at both hospitals, where I would push patients in wheelchairs to their desired destination and help feed patients at lunch time. I was

My volunteer assignment in the emergency room brought me close to the nursing staff, but never before had

I began ICU nursing immediately upon graduating nursing school in a medical/surgical ICU. I cared for patients with a wide variety of illnesses and thus, acquired ICU nursing skills that would allow me to manage most types of ICU patients. We cared for patients with acute pancreatitis, diabetic ketoacidosis, gastrointestinal bleeds, liver failure, septic shocks, pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, renal failure, and respiratory failure. The hospital for three years was in an underprivileged area, and the hospital itself lacked several resources I would later find at Emory. I provided compassionate nursing care by planning and implementing nurse plans of care with a focus on education, patient safety, and quality outcomes in cooperation with the ICU team.

When I was a Junior in Methuen High School, I was enrolled in community service program in which I have to go to hospitals or nursing homes and take the old patients to other room, bathroom, or to their cars during the time they get discharged. During that time period I noticed that there were many old patients who didn’t had any family members who came to either visit them or take them home. The only people who were helping them were either volunteers like me or the nurses. So when it was time to decide that what career I am going to pursue, I decided to be a nurse and give the old people a family experience with my required duties and responsibilities.

It was May 2006, my grandfather lay in his hospice bed, tired and weary, dying of pancreatic cancer. There was nothing I, or any one in my family could do for him. My grandfather was one of the biggest influences I had on my life, and here I was siting helpless as he was dying. However, there was one woman who was able to aid my grandfather in his midnight hour, nurse Judy. Nurse Judy would stay up all night and comfort my grandfather, and she acted quickly when he was in vital need of something. Nurse Judy was not only there for my grandfather but for the rest of my family as well. She would comfort my mother and grandmother, and explain various medical terminology to my brothers and I. It was during this tremendously difficult time in my life that I made the decision to become a nurse. I saw all of the good I can do for the patients, as well as their families just by being there for them during difficult times.

Choosing nursing as my profession wasn’t unprecedented, due to my family’s uncommon involvement in the nursing world. My own mother is the only known member in my family engaged in such a profession because of her aptitude towards empathy and her keen sight for common sense. Her involvement made me aware of this type of profession and how I could help others, thus shaping my strong belief in becoming a nurse myself. My belief in this profession was further strengthened because of a nurse that took care of me during my lengthened stay in the hospital. I managed to contract a deadly virus that left me disoriented and scared and the nurse’s mere presence was the only thing that calmed me down. Her gentleness towards me caused me to idolise her and consider following in my

My grandmother, Joan Stackhouse, has been the most influential woman in my life. She was born in the late 1930s and raised during the time where African Americans didn’t have many rights. She told me about a time where all she could do is clean houses to earn a couple cent to support the family. Her husband worked as a policeman and was barely home. When an educational opportunity became available she took advantage of it and began taking classes at Francis Marion University to later become a teacher’s aid. Today at almost 80 she’s battling Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, and a couple other things that comes with old age. But she remains strong. my grandmother has influenced me to remain strong regardless of the situation and has taught

I began my nursing career as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) when I graduated from high school. I entered the nursing field at a time that local hospitals were no longer employing LPN’s at the bedside. Therefore, I worked in a nursing home for two years. This was where I learned how to perfect time management, wound care, and medication knowledge. In the nursing home, I developed a fondness for the elderly. I worked with men and woman that entered the nursing home completely oriented, ambulatory, and able to perform most of their activities of daily living. Then, in a fairly short amount of time I watched them deteriorate until I held their hand while they passed away.

My sense of independence was shattered when my grandmother departed from this world. I lost my grandmother and this experience shattered my perspective of life. Losing a loved one was like having a wisdom tooth pulled without any Novocain.

October 10th, 2013 at 7:30pm. The day of my grandma death. The day that changed my life forever. The day I will never forget. My grandma was my everything, she was the lady who raised me since I was born. I never had a mother or father, the only person who cared for me was my grandma. The day my grandma died I was in my senior year of high school and I had just came home from cheerleading practice. That was an unusual day for me because when I woke up that morning my grandma wasn't up cooking breakfast like she usually does she was in her bed asleep still. I looked outside and the sun was just rising. I went in her room that morning before I left for school and said these exact words, "Good morning grandma if you’re not feeling well, I could stay home with you and take you to the doctor." In a raspy low voice my grandma replied, "Good morning sweetie I'm okay I was just feeling a little sick this morning but I'm better now. You better get to school now before you are late.” Okay, Grandma Love you, call me if you need me", I replied. On my way to school all I thought about was why my grandma sounded like that this morning and how she wasn't up doing her normal routine. I have never seen my grandma get sick before. She was always the one taking care of me making sure I was okay. But I just pushed the feeling over just thinking my grandma was okay and I was just overthinking. I should've stayed home that day. I should've noticed that my grandma really was sick.