Degree/Year: Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2021
Current Position/Career Pursuit: After graduation, I will be pursuing my nursing career as a pediatric oncology nurse.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing? My life changed on March 25th, 2012, the day my brother was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and I became a childhood cancer patient sibling. I had the privilege of witnessing years of unrelenting determination from a treatment team, not only of doctors and scientists but of passionate nurses. Aside from applying their advanced nursing skills, they fostered hope and were the heart of my family’s care. From that day forward, I began my resolve to walk the hallways in another role, as a nurse.
This past semester I had the opportunity to precept on the pediatric oncology floor at Children’s of Alabama. As I am about to graduate and begin my career as a pediatric oncology nurse, everything has come full circle. Just a few years ago, my 16 year old self was presenting rounds at my brothers beside as I practiced in hopes of becoming a nurse one day. My dreams of being able to impact the lives of childhood cancer families are coming true.
How has that experience impacted your mentality and mindset during nursing school? My determination to succeed stems from my desire to make a difference in the childhood cancer community. Nursing school was not easy and I was constantly reminded of my goal to one day help families just like mine.
What encouragement do you have for your fellow May 2021 graduates? Throughout my brother’s journey, his motto was unstoppable determination. If our patients are able to have unstoppable determination we are too. I encourage everyone to have unstoppable determination as they enter practice and begin the next chapter of their lives.
What does it mean to you to have the Courage to Care? Having the courage to care means to provide the best possible care for every patient and every family. When I think of having the courage to care I think about the small things I can do as a nurse that will make a big difference in my patient life. It could be as simple as knowing a patient enjoys their medicine with apple juice or distracting them for a short period of time by singing karaoke into syringe "microphones". Having the courage to care means serving others, showing compassion and making a difference.
How did Samford prepare you for your career? Through Samford's nursing program, I have seen myself grow tremendously as a nursing student. Samford has bridged the knowledge I acquired in the classroom with practical application in many different clinical rotations. Just a few years ago I was frightened by handwashing validation and now I am confidently performing a variety of skills in the clinical setting as I prepare to enter practice.