Exploring Nursing: Sarah’s Path to Compassionate Care

Nursing is career that is all about helping people, whether it is through science, compassion, or just being there when someone needs you most. For Sarah, a 25-year-old nursing student on her way to becoming a RN, her journey into healthcare started with individual experiences and a passion for making a difference.

Why Nursing?

For Sarah, nursing is the perfect mix of technical skills and human connection. After seeing firsthand the impact compassionate nurses had on her family, she knew nursing was the path for her. “I was drawn to nursing because it’s a challenging and dynamic profession that requires both technical skill and compassionate care,” she says. “Nursing in my opinion offers the perfect balance- it’s both intellectually stimulating and deeply human.”

Whether you are into pediatrics, critical care, or mental health, nursing offers tons of different paths. It is a career where every day is different, and there is always more to learn.

Juggling School and Clinicals

Nursing school is not easy, especially when you are balancing dual enrollment like Sarah, who is working toward both an AND and a BSN. It means switching between classroom theory and real-world experience. “The dual enrollment means I’m constantly toggling between the theoretical knowledge required for the BSN and the practical, clinical experience required for the AND,” Sarah explains. “At times, the challenge lies in applying what I’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations in clinicals, and vice versa.” Even though it is tough, the mix of theory and practice is what makes nursing school so valuable.

What Sarah Loves About Pediatrics & Community Health

Sarah’s favorite rotations are in pediatrics and community health. She loves working with kids of all ages and learning how developmental stages affect care. “My pediatrics rotation has been the most fun I’ve had in nursing school so far,” she says. In community health she is gained insight into how social factors and policies impact healthcare access, which she will apply in her future practice.

Advice for Future Nurses

If you are thinking about a nursing career, Sarah has some advice:

·      “Go for it!” Nursing school is tough, but it’s not impossible.”

·      “Reflect on your discipline, resilience, and empathy.”

·      “Prepare yourself with stress management, time management, and healthy coping skills.”

Sarah is excited about the future of pediatric nursing, especially with innovations like atraumatic care, which helps reduce stress for kids and families. “I think the sky is the limit for pediatric nursing. There are amazing nurse innovators who are paving the way for atraumatic interventions for children to reduce physiological and psychological stressors in auto and nonacute settings. I am so excited to see where more research takes us to provide safer, more effective family centered nursing care.”