Back To School

When I was little, I wanted to be a veterenarian.  I was always attracted to what it was about the practice of medicine (in animals or humans) that combined art with science - two of my favorite things!  As I grew in age, I also began to grow out of my shyness, which allowed me to enjoy meeting and working with members of the same species.  I realized that animals could not tell you what was wrong or what was hurting, and I could only imagine feeling frustrated and helpless in that career path.  So I decided to be a doctor - a MD - a human practitioner. 

After graduating with my first Baccalaureate degree in Biology, I decided that I really needed some experience before I could make that decision.  I worked in a small outpatient oncology clinic for over four years.  It was there that I found what I believe to be my calling.  I found a couple of nurses there who were terrific mentors to me and really opened up my eyes about patient advocacy, patient safetly, and quality patient care.  I realized that having that hands-on interaction with the patient is really what I desired, not just to be the one prescribing their medications.  Please don't get me wrong...that is not all I think about physicians (especially oncologists!) but I have oversimplified to make a point.

So here I am, five years after my first college degree, in school again for my second Baccalaureate - this time in nursing.  It took me a long time to get here, and each day that we learn a new skill I am not without doubts and reservations about whether I will good enough for my patients, but I finally feel like I am in the right place - like this is something I could do for the rest of my life.

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be well.