My name is Amber. I am 31 years old and in my second quarter of nursing school. I am in a 1 year program to become a practical nurse. My goal is to become a hospice nurse, because I want to become a nurse who cares for those at the end of their lives and the families, who often get forgotten in the nursing process. When I first left High School, I pursued a degree in early childhood education. I never felt like it was the right fit, but I didn’t know what else to do. My family went through health and financial issues, so I was unable to finish that degree. I had never considered nursing as an option. After leaving school, I spent several years in food service and several years in retail. I was successful in my jobs, but I still never felt like I had found something that appealed to me. I was getting promotions, and had gotten a lot of supervisory experience, which gave me many skills. After 2020, many changes in my life occurred, and I was traveling a long distance to my retail job and so began to look for employment closer to where I was living. Even though I had no experience in healthcare or caregiving, an opportunity to be a supervisor at a home for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities presented itself. I was unsure at first, but slowly began to learn and understand my residents and how to be an effective care giver. A major part of that role was also being a medication administrator. There was no nurse present on the building I worked in, so I was the first line of medical care when things happened. I would have to call to the main house across the street whenever things outside of my scope of practice would happen. I learned a lot of the basics or nursing care on my own with little support, but I found I was diligent and could recognize when things were wrong and I needed to intervene. I began to feel like I was really making a difference in my resident’s lives because I spent every day with them and began to understand their health baselines. On the other hand, I became increasingly frustrated with the nurses who were slow to act when I would reach out for things beyond my scope of practice. The ‘Aha’ moment for me was when the nurse’s negligence caused a Covid outbreak in my building. There was a resident who already had severe breathing issues that I knew was showing signs of Covid, but my concerns were dismissed. I was constantly monitoring his vitals and do what interventions I could within my scope of practice. I had no access or ability to get an order for testing, so I was at the mercy of the nurses. Then, one night his pulse ox dropped dangerously low and he ended up hospitalized. Soon after myself, my staff, and more than half of the residents came down with Covid. Thankfully, everyone recovered, but I knew I needed to find a way to be able to help him and people like him who can’t advocate for themselves. I began to pursue getting into my local trade school’s practical nursing program shortly after. I got accepted, and spent the next year saving for school. I have excelled in school and have become passionate about learning and being the best advocate and nurse that I can be.

My name is Amber. I am 31 years old and have chosen to return to a trade school in order to become a practical nurse. Currently, school and work occupy my time fully, but when I do have spare time theater, costuming, and stage make up are my hobbies. I became interested in the field of nursing after taking on a job at a home for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities. It was not a field I had thought I could excel at or would enjoy, but I instantly felt a connection with those in my care. I was trained and certified to do more medical care during my time at this job, but became frustrated with the limitations my certifications came with. I could not always give my residents the adequate medical care they deserved, and would run into hold ups from overwhelmed or uncaring nursing staff. I was constantly advocating for my residents and being met with resistance. I knew what needed to be done and I knew my residents, but there were many things legally I could not do. I realized there was a trade school in the same town I worked at that offered a practical nursing program. This program would give me the training and skills I needed to be able to give my residents, or patients like them, the care they deserved. I could be a part of the change. I knew that going the trade route would accelerate me to my goals and get me into the workforce. I strongly believe that some people thrive in trade environments because the learning is focused on specific knowledge they need for their chosen career path. It helps keep focus and keeps the goal in sight. I love that my classes all build and connect to each other and that I can instantly see how they apply to my job. I love the hands on learning a trade school provides. I am grateful for the chance I have to create a path for myself and look forward to what I will do next.