Personal Narrative: An Interview With A Professional Nurse

I recall clearly the day I received the news my grandfather had passed away. My parents sat my brother and I down in the living room, and when I heard I remember staring blankly at the Christmas tree in the corner, at a loss for words. The flashing lights on the tree blurred as tears filled my eyes. I was only twelve, and the realization that I would never see my papa again was equally confusing, as it was heartbreaking. He had battled with lung cancer for months, and it was so disappointing how it all ended. My whole family spent many late nights at the hospital, and we all had hoped that he would have more time left. It was a hurtful loss, and he is still greatly missed, five years later. Looking back, however, I can now grasp how much the
Talking with an actual nurse was very comforting to me. I interviewed Margie Grier, a nurse at St. Luke’s Woman’s Clinic in Boise. Her experience in the field and knowledgeable perspective were enlightening. She made it clear that I don’t have to figure it all out at once. “There’s so much pressure on people your age to choose a college and decide what career you’re interested in. I don’t think you need to know everything right now. I mean of course it’s a good idea to have a plan, but don’t be afraid to be flexible and start over. When I first went to college, I majored in history, and look where I am now” (Grier). There is a wide range of different directions you can go in the medical field. Although right now I am focusing on nursing, I don’t want to miss any opportunities by being to stuck to the idea. Nurses also have multiple fields they can focus in. In this way, the job stays very exciting and adaptable as you can specialize in new fields. Grier herself used to be a cardiac nurse, but then later became an obstetrics nurse. I haven’t quite settled on where I will specialize, but I’m open to exploring all of my
Grier advised me on how to begin my career in healthcare early, as well as how to make sure nursing is the right fit for me. “Get yourself into the medical setting as early as possible. It would be great for you to volunteer at a hospital. Not only can you see firsthand if this is something you’re interested in pursuing, but it shows initiative to future colleges and employers. I also recommend shadowing a nurse as soon as you can. There’s nothing worse than seeing a student fresh out of college, who realizes that this job isn’t for them when they’ve already put so much work in. Classroom work only gets you so far, you need hands on experience to really know if this is the right fit” (Grier). I think volunteering at a hospitable would be beneficial for me, as I would be able to assess the environment myself, rather than read about it from textbooks. I’m looking into volunteering at nearby hospitals during my senior year, so that I can become as immersed as possible in the medical field. Furthermore, I’m trying not to restrict myself to just nursing, as there are multitudes of paths I can take, that I can apply my love of caregiving and human sciences