During an overwhelming shift, the nurse asks, "Kid, are you sure you still want to be a nurse?" After months of working in my nursing externship at my local hospital, this experience has affirmed my longtime dedication and passion for nursing. Growing up, I was a fairly healthy child who never needed a visit to the hospital. Although I was never exposed to severe illnesses, I encountered nurses every day because I lived with them. Both my parents have been in the nursing field for almost 30 years and counting. They are the first ones who sparked my interest in nursing. While my mom worked as a nursing supervisor at a nursing home and my dad worked in a hospital unit, both showed me different ways they demonstrate compassion, empathy, and diligence to their patients. Fast-forward to 2020, my dad took a risk and worked in the front during COVID. These were the times that taught me the hardships of nurses as many were isolated, burnt out, and unfortunately, some died caring for these patients. Beneath the “healthcare hero” title, I observed this summer the challenges and stressors nurses go through every day. From being short-staffed to caring for dying patients, it was hard for the nurses at times to enjoy what they do. Nevertheless, they are also the ones who continued to inspire me to be a nurse. Even if it was a bad shift, they never walked away. They showed teamwork and collaboration whether it was helping me clean a patient or staying overtime to help the next nurses. As a patient tech extern, they taught me different concepts and gave me advice since I will be a future nurse graduate in May 2023. Through the worst times, these nurses showed dedication and selflessness to their patients and fellow coworkers. They showed me what excellent nursing practice looks like. After everything I have seen and been through, I am sure I still want to be a nurse. I cannot wait to walk down the stage with my BSN and prepare for the board exam. While nursing school itself is already a lot of work, it is worth it if I make a difference in people’s well-being through my positive energy and compassion. While I am not sure where I want to go specifically in nursing, what is amazing about the profession is that there are so many ways you can be a nurse. While I am exploring the possibilities, I hope to be an example to future nurses by being a nurse educator in the future.

To openly touch the lives of those in my Filipino-American community through awareness and health care is the lasting impact I want to give. Growing up as a Filipino-American, I hid the "Filipino" part of my identity. In a predominantly white upper-class suburb, I found what was "normal" in my Filipino household was "weird" to others. I vividly remembered having the really red-colored hotdog as my baon that my Lola packed. My friends said it was raw. When people came to my house, we had to hide the tabos because they always ask about them. People assumed I was Native American, Hawaiian, or Mexican without even asking. It was the small little looks and comments in grade school that made me feel that I didn't belong. Going off to college, I realized how much my family loves me and how much I love the Filipino culture. My parents immigrated from the Philippines to the U.S to begin their nursing careers. Their resilience and years of hard work all went towards my future. I would never taste real traditional Filipino food was it not for me Lola. She taught me the importance of love and faith through her stories of being a single mother in the Philippines. When she and my Tito almost died from COVID-Pneumonia last year in the Philippines, it changed the way I viewed life and health. Now, I want to give back to the community when I receive my BSN in nursing. With health issues in the Filipino population such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac diseases, I want to promote patient education in towns that have a lot of Filipino-Americans. Additionally, providing health care resources and services (especially during COVID), promotes well-being in the community. I eventually would like to do a medical missionary trip as well to provide health care in parts of the Philippines that lack resources. Currently, I am educating my nursing classmates on Filipino-American culture. With my presentation, I hope to bring an accurate awareness of the people so they too can be prepared to provide culturally competent care.