I graduated from New York City College of Technology in May of 2007. My collegeexperience started five years earlier. At that time it felt like an insurmountable task. I could not see an end; all I had to hold on to was hope and a desire to not remain in the same place. My ambition to return to school was discouraged many times by friends and acquaintances. Thinking about it now, it seems as if they acted out of jealousy and fear and a desire to keep me where they were
I migrated to the United States from Jamaica in 1995. I was young, impressionable and really did not know what to expect of this journey. In Jamaica we heard stories of America, the land of milk and honey, where the streets are lined with gold, and yes, I took it literally. After arriving at John F Kennedy International Airport and travelling to Crown Heights I realized that this was no place of milk and honey. The streets were filthy with garbage and I have never seen rats so huge in my entire life. It was a culture shock.
A few months after my arrival, I landed a babysitting job in Manhattan. This I thought to be the dream job. The hours were perfect. The children were well behaved and the money was good. After a few years on the job I self evaluated, the children were getting older and the job was going nowhere. My motivation was low as I was tired of doing the same routine every day. I wanted to do more; my calling was to help others.
In 1998, I enrolled in a Patient Care Technician course at the Municipal Training Center in Brooklyn. The course lasted for eighteen months. Upon completion, I graduated and became very hopeful. A short time later I gained employment with Lutheran Medical Center in the capacity of Patient Care Technician. While very excited I was also very nervous. This was a real job, in a real hospital. A few years into the job, this too became monotonous for me. I had an overwhelming urge to do more and to go further. Taking vital signs or giving bed bath was not cutting it anymore. I admired some of the nurses with whom I worked and wanted to do what they did.
This led me to enroll in the Fast Tract program with the 1199 union for beginners. Classes were held at the Union Headquarters in Manhattan in the evenings. It was especially difficult for me as I attended classes after work every day. At times I felt like quitting. I was so tired at times; after work that I would often fall asleep on the train. I had no family support and I felt like a heavy burden was closing in on me. The thought of seven years working part time made me feel very despondent. I thought, “How my bill would be paid”? How would I continue to support my family in Jamaica, as they depended upon me? Classes ended at 9:30 p.m. After completion, two years later I was transferred to the Nursing Program at New York City College of Technology. Now I felt like a college student.
The program was very competitive and only the best were accepted. The course was very tough but I survived. Out of a class of 39 only 7 of the original class graduated. I was employed as a Registered Nurse at Lutheran Medical Center in October 2007. This was the proudest moment of my life, except when I got married and when my daughters were born.
Being a nurse changes the whole spectrum of nursing for me. Imagine I have this wonderful opportunity to nurse someone back to health. I am the patient’s advocate. With this job come great responsibility, accountability and challenge. I welcome this whole heartedly.
My experience as a nurse has been most fulfilling, the challenges are many and the gratifications few. Perhaps the most challenging issues relate to interacting with peers and leaders who sometimes are not conscientious and as such do not adhere to standards or else leave tasks undone. This to my mind leads to a compromise of the patients’ health; the hospitals standards and the integrity of the profession. As a nurse I see part of my role to be maintaining and building on these standards. It then becomes incumbent on me to say something when I see poor or shoddy work. To this extent I have been recognized as one with high standards and have been offered promotions.
I have not limited myself to bedside nursing. There are other fields which I desire to pursue. This includes leadership and administration. Currently I am enrolled in the Baccalaureate Program at Lutheran through New York City College Technology. Although nervous, I embrace this challenge, as it will move me at a higher level and closer to my ultimate goal.
