Nightingale made amazing contributions and ideologies to the field of nursing that shaped the plan of treatment for many patients in the current day . Hunter-Bellevue is very proud of its early history and strong foundations .
As I enter the fall semester of my final year , I am more than ready to become a registered nurse . Although I am thrilled to be graduating in the spring , I still have clinicals to complete . After all the countless clinical shifts and hours of hospital work , I ’ ve learned many things about the nurse-patient relationship .
While sitting and talking with patients , I heard stories that I never would have heard elsewhere . Each patient had something to share . The nurse-patient relationship is a twoway street , patients have plenty to offer . I think this relationship is an opportunity to grow and appreciate the little things in life .
I feel that my personal health journey has allowed me to be more cognizant of how patients feel being poked and prodded for lab work . I grew used to the needles and scans . Many children I met during my hospital stay did not . They were scared and worried . Fear and loneliness are common components of patients ’ experiences . Wondering how their bloodwork and scans will come back . Unable to interpret the results themselves , they need someone to talk to , to sit down and listen to their stories . Someone who will comfort them and tell them they are not alone . You can never be too pretentious to listen .
I still find it hard to believe that I ’ m coming to the end of my nursing school journey . As the day of graduation inches closer , my dream is looking more like a reality . In less than a year , I will be a nurse . It sounds too good to be true . My journey as a student is almost at an end , but the real journey is just beginning . I ’ ve come far along a long hard road , but I would not have changed a single step . My journey has been full of countless sleepless nights and early mornings that included the constant search for the closest coffee shop . I don ’ t expect life as a nurse to be easy , but I look forward to not having to juggle school and work .
The journey through nursing school has been intense . Every minute has been worth it and will continue to be . I can ’ t even begin to count how many patients I ’ ve worked with and how many lives I ’ ve already made an impact on or how many lives have already made an impact on me . I ’ ve learned something from each of them . I can ’ t even begin to fathom how much more I will learn in the future . I now know how to help patients fight like I did to win their health back . n
Reference Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association Records , 1873-2010 ( MC19 ). ( 2022 ). Foundation of New York State Nurses , Guilderland , NY . www . cfnny . org / archives / bellevue-hospital-school-of-nursing-alumnaeassociation-records /
Bradley-Sanders , Collen . “ Bellevue Schools of Nursing .” The Lillian & Clarence de La Chapelle Medical Archives . www . archives . med . nyu . edu / collections / bellevue-school-of-nursing .
Daniella Rao is a senior nursing student at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing in New York , NY
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