6 May 2008

 

Q. When did you decide that a career in health care was right for you?

A. I like science; I enjoy communicating with people; and I love helping people.  Nursing seemed a natural fit.

Q. Were there any particular people or experiences that influenced your decision to pursue a career in the health professions?

A.  It was only natural for me to follow my sister’s footsteps into nursing.  She is a pediatric school nurse and has been a huge influence.

Q. What kinds of summer or academic year enrichment programs did you participate in to help prepare you for nursing school?

A.  I took advantage of Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing’s summer enrichment program, which helps students strengthen their science, A&P, and chemistry.  It also teaches test taking strategies. 

Q.   You also participated in a study abroad program that took you to Africa?

A.   Yes. I participated in an internship program to Rwanda arranged by The City College of New York (CCNY) Service Learning Program.  The international department oversees it and coordinates it.  One can apply for different countries, and the students travel either in the summer or during the winter recess. 

Q.  What insights and experiences did you gain from spending time in Rwanda?

A.  The internship afforded me the opportunity to see what it will be like to work in a health care setting in a developing country with limited resources.  I have returned to the United States determined to appreciate even more the privileges I have simply because I was born in another part of the world. I have access to excellent education, a comprehensive health care system, and a variety of foods.  I am emboldened to use whatever talents I possess, not for personal gain, but to be of service and provide hope and care for others.  I have learned a number of important life lessons during this internship—one of which is the realization that true contentment does not come from material possessions.  Seeing the Rwandese people struggle, love, and survive with so little has started to mold me into a much better health care provider and person. 

Q. Can you describe an average day in Rwanda during your summer program?

A.  I interned as a nursing student at Rwanda’s King Faisal Hospital, assisting in the Accident and Emergency Department, Radiology, and the Operating Theater.  I also spent three days in a remote mountain hospital clinic in Shyira, which is located in the northwest part of Rwanda. I have an EMT license, so being in the Emergency Department allowed me to use my skills.  I participated in everything from assisting stabilizing trauma patients injured in construction mishaps to sitting in on triage. 

Q.  Talk about a particularly memorable “Rwandan” experience with a patient or a local health care provider.

A.  One of my most memorable experiences was assisting the surgical team with a male burn victim in the operating room to remove his necrotic (dead) skin.  I also spent time in a remote missionary hospital called Shyira.  High in the mountains, this village hospital provides the only care that these remote people have access to.  There I traveled with a health team to even more remote clinics to discuss the progress of care that was being delivered and also made rounds with the doctors and helped triage patients (to decide which patients would be treated first based on the severity of their condition).  I blew bubbles on top of the mountain with the children who were staying at the hospital, and their faces are indelibly impressed in my memory.

Q.  What surprised you most about your experiences in Rwanda?

A.  The ingenuity of the people was amazing.  For example, the hematology lab consisted of a hand cranked centrifuge bolted to the wooden top of a table.  A soccer ball was made out of plastic bags and wound in a tight ball held together by string.  Or a bicycle made entirely out of wood was used mostly to transport heavy loads.

Q. What gives you hope about health care in developing countries like Rwanda?

A.  I met many persons who were either patients or care providers, and they were optimistic that universal health care will be provided to the Rwandese people.  I, too, am optimistic.  I strongly feel that despite man’s failures, good health care is attainable.

Q.  Would you recommend study abroad programs to other students?

A.    Yes, if one does not mind uncertainties, a lot less creature comforts, and wants an opportunity to see how the rest of the world lives.  The experience makes you appreciate the potential we have to provide good to others, and reminds you about how good we have it in this country.

Q.  How did you end up in nursing school?

A.  I looked into several different health care related fields.  Nursing appealed to me for several reasons.  It offered the three things I wanted in life -- worldwide mobility, a flexible work schedule, and adequate compensation for work performed. I also like teaching, and as a nurse you are always educating your clients.

Q.  What is the name of the school and what degree will you obtain upon graduation?

A.  The Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing is a New York State-accredited associates degree program.

Q.  How are you paying for school?  Did you receive any fellowships, scholarships, etc. that other students should know about? How did you learn about those funding sources?

A.  I was fortunate to receive a full scholarship called the Hillman Scholarship.  Mrs. Hillman died this year, and I never got to meet her.  But she truly felt that nurses are instrumental in caring for patients.  She dedicated her efforts to ensuring that persons like me who want to pursue nursing are financially and emotionally supported.  I was not aware of the scholarship until the assistant dean mentioned it to me during my admission interview.  Subsequently I applied and was accepted.

Q.  How is your first year in nursing school going so far?

A.  It has been really fun.  As students, we have really formed some close bonds.  The administration is unbelievably supportive and really wants you to do well and become leaders in your field.  It has also been challenging.  Critical thinking is really important, and knowledge without application is worthless.  So it has been challenging, but I love it!

Q.  What surprised you the most about nursing school?

A.  I knew it was going to be rigorous, but I did not expect so much reading.  I am a very slow reader, so I really have to plan ahead to get everything studied. Also, the time is going by so quickly.  Before I know it I will be taking the NCLEX exam.

Q.   What obstacles or hurdles have you experienced along your career path and how have you overcome these challenges?

A.    Since I have a learning disability, I struggle to acquire knowledge.  Sometimes my first attempts are very bitter, yet the knowledge I eventually gain is sweet to the palate.  What helps is keeping the goal that what I am learning is not just for me, but to assist other people.  I then am able to focus on something more important than just me, which is an incentive to keep going.  Study groups are also helpful, because I then can reinforce my knowledge by verbalizing it to others.

Q. How do you plan to give back to your community and what do you wish to accomplish by doing so?

A.  In the short two semesters as a student nurse, I have seen how readily patients light up to me. I would like to take that trust that seems to come so easily and use it to help all my patients benefit the most from what the health care system has to offer.  To that end, I wish to continue working in the urban medical centers in NYC and also travel abroad to developing countries.  I hope to achieve a measure of skill and knowledge that will allow me to become an independent nurse practitioner one day.  In addition, I hope to qualify to become an educator and help train future generations to become excellent caregivers.

Q.  How do you feel about your career path now?

A.    Everything is happening in ways so much better than I could have ever planned for myself.