Education: Purdue University North, Westfield
Experience: In nursing for 15 years
Unit: Home Health
When I was in college, I was a nontraditional student. I worked with the phone company for about 15 years prior to being a nurse. I was a telephone man, climbed the poles and everything and I got injured. They gave me an office job and I just didn’t like that. So, I was searching for a new career, when my college guidance counselor suggested that I get into nursing.
I’m a people person, and to be able to assist others, especially in their time of need, it takes a very special person for me to be a good nurse. Empathy is a big part of it, and I’m passionate about what I do. I think when you come into a patient’s house, it’s good to have rapport with the patient, but it’s really important for a patient have respect for you and your duties as a nurse. I think that you earn that. And I would say almost all the patients I deal with appreciate the service.
I was always told by my parents and my grandparents, that I would have to work twice as hard as my counterparts being African-American. Even though it wasn’t fair at the time, and I thought it wasn’t fair when they were telling me this, I’m glad that they did tell me because it made me. up my game. And you know, I always took that to heart and everything I did. I want to provide patients with the services that they would get from Rush or University of Chicago. I’m very passionate about giving my patients the best care that I possibly can.
I see a family member, every patient I’ve had. An illness can do many things psychologically to a person. So, the first thing I’ve always done in any given situation is put myself in that person’s place. You can be a nurse if you don’t have empathy, but you can’t be a great nurse.
What I do now is similar to what I did as a telephone man. I go out and I see people. I service people. But I don’t have to climb any poles and I’m not in the cold.
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