Here's What Nursing Means to Our All-Star Nurses:
Sandy Lyons-Jackson
"Nursing to me is not just a career, it is who I am. Nursing is not a job that I do and when I go home, it changes…it is completely and wholeheartedly the essence of who I am. I am a caregiver. I am also a woman who has many interests. As I age, I see nursing differently. I do not have the technical skills of our new nurses. But I do understand the dynamics and challenges of healing humans. I understand the many challenges and differences of each of us. I understand how to use my knowledge to adapt to that diversity. I also have a passion now to fight for the rights of those who cannot fight for themselves. Part of nursing is being a defender, an advocate. I also now have a great interest in the business side of medicine. Having a career in nursing means I can do many things and am not siloed. I can move along the spectrum of health care and choose how I want to use my skills. Not many careers are as fulfilling."
Elaine Gebhard
"My career in nursing means I get to assist and help people with becoming more independent, not only physically but mentally and socially. To see a client grow in any of these areas is a great reward for me."
Dawn Brucker
"I grew up with four brothers in a poor-to-middle class blue collar family. When we all reached age of graduating from high school, my parents announced to us all that “there was no money to assist any of us with any college pursuits.” I always wanted to be a nurse and read Florence Nightingale books from my elementary school library beginning at age 11. Because I somehow had to figure out how I was going to go to college for my nursing degree, I joined the US Army and signed up for four years and went to basic training the summer I graduated from high school. The Army ended up assisting me in paying HALF of my nursing school tuition! I have always appreciated and took care to maintain a good standing with my nursing degree because of my sacrifice and duty to my country. My army experience helped me to learn a lot about myself. I began college course work and travel that spanned the country and abroad to Germany. I was stationed in southern Bavaria in a 200-year-old city named Augsburg. While in Europe for one and a half years, I traveled to nine countries!
Throughout my career, I have always been able to find a job, no matter what was going on in my life (having children, life’s changes, multiple moves). I was always able to do different things as a nurse (surgical floor, cancer floor, pediatrics for a bit). I have enjoyed the challenge of community health over the last 20 years."
Wanda Trojanowski
"I believe everything in life is a matter of perspective. The people I have come in contact with, touching their lives and being touched by theirs, gives me a different appreciation and broadened perspective."
Santali Vazquez
"A career in nursing to me is not only an opportunity for job security, it is also an opportunity to be a part of something larger than myself. I personally have always felt called to be a caregiver, and I love being able to help others when they are most vulnerable and need it the most. Nursing as a career takes a lot of work, determination, and motivation and is not meant for everyone. There is an innate level of caring that a good nurse has to have. In order to be successful in this career, you not only need to grasp the technical/book knowledge, you also have to have a bedside manner that promotes healing and shows tremendous empathy and caring. If you have those two things and do them well, you will have success in this career. There is always room for growth in nursing and opportunities to continue to develop yourself. Nursing has a vast amount of areas you can specialize in, and there is something different for everyone.
Because it takes a tremendous amount of work and determination to become a nurse, there is a sense of pride that I carry with me in my career and the work that I do that I think is so important to have in this career. Nursing has a vast history and there is an endless network of nurses around the world; there is so much fulfillment and lots of support that we carry this title with honor."
Shari Roland
"Nursing is an opportunity to give back to my community in so many ways. Being a 'local girl' is a great comfort to many."
Alison Hall
A poem by Melodie Chenevert, RN:
“Being a NURSE Means…
You will never be bored.
You will always be frustrated.
You will be surrounded by challenges.
So much to do and so little time.
You will carry immense responsibility
and very little authority.
You will step into people’s lives
and you will make a difference.
Some will bless you.
Some will curse you.
You will see people at their worst…
and at their best.
You will never cease to be amazed
at people’s capacity for
love, courage, and endurance.
You will see life begin…and end.
You will experience resounding triumphs
and devastating failures.
You will cry a lot.
You will laugh a lot.
You will know what it is to be human
and to be humane.”
Lisa Robinson
"Being a nurse means bringing comfort, compassion, treatment, education, and friendship to people when they need it the most and caring for those who cannot care for themselves."
Katie Reed
"Being a nurse has never been just a career for me. It is truly part of who I am. My greatest callings in life have always been to love and serve people. Being a nurse provides endless career options and opportunities to help others."
Jennifer Boronkay
"To me a career in nursing is very rewarding. It’s a great feeling to help patients and families through difficult times."
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