Faith, Hope, & Nursing Scholarship

Walk By Faith & Not By Sight Faith with out work is dead. I have diligently pursued higher education. I started as a nurse's assistant fresh out of high school. Through perseverance, I elevated a few years later receiving my LPN. I have a calling on my life to serve others. I worked diligently through out the pandemic providing skilled nursing services to under staffed geriatric long term care facilities. My faith is what carries me through trying times. The pandemic tested the resilience of nursing staff nation wide. Stepping into a covid unit, armed with personal protective equipment and my faith as a shield, before a vaccine was available and the fate of our health unknown. I could have walked away. The calling on my life inspired me to persevere. I began studying for an Associates Degree in Nursing the fall of 2021. With limited seats available in the cohort, I prayed and claimed my spot. Walk by faith and not by sight. I showed up to orientation for school with out a confirmation email from the program director. I knew that this was my season and I was addiment in being placed in the cohort. My faith has never failed me. I was able to complete all necessary requirements for entry by the deadline. I successfully completed the first semester with a 3.5 GPA while working limited hours and balancing mother hood. Climbing Jacob's ladder, everyday reaching higher and higher. The value of education is priceless, although I am incurring student loan debt. Upon completing my RN I will be able to flourish and continue being a beacon of light for those in need. The culture of nursing is evolving. As a nurse I am spiritual healer to those who lack companionship. Holding a dying woman's hands while she transitions, or facilitating a zoom call to a family member who has not seen their loved one in over a year. As a nurse we are the foot soldiers of healthcare. We keep the balance between the medical and civilian world. Christmas of 2020 I showed up to work. After receiving report, I soon discovered I was the only staff member on a 36 bed unit with 21 covid positive patients. My heart sank. I felt like Shadrach Meshack and Abednego, from the book of Daniel, thrown into the fiery furnace. I immediately tapped into the supernatural authority granted to me from God. "Just another day the Lord has kept me, send me , I will go" , I told myself repeatedly. I stayed on duty that night with tears in my eyes, I checked on every patient every 15 mins for 8 hours, praying to God that we all made it through the night. At about 4:30 am I found an elderly woman clinging to life with a critically low blood sugar. Nursing knowledge kicked in and I was able to revive the patient and facilitate getting her sent to the hospital where she could receive acute care. No patient died that night, and I did not catch covid. Nursing is all I know. I wake up everyday and accept the assignment given to me. When I am filled with frustration due to staffing shortages, I remind myself that I am a missionary, called by God to help those in need. I take care of the people, and in return the universe takes care of me.