A Career as a Nurse
I work in an inpatient behavioral health unit, which is a subset of psychiatry that focuses on people between the ages of 5 and 18. I work with an interdisciplinary team to stabilize kiddos in crisis, namely those with suicidal thoughts or who are in psychosis. I love combining critical thinking with creativity. Therapeutic communication is an art! My favorite part of the job is helping my kids identify reasons to live, or qualities they admire in themselves. Those little breakthroughs make it all worthwhile. The experiences I gained throughout my time as a nursing student gave me critical thinking and assessment skills, which prepared me for other experiences as well. Such as helping a patient with serotonin syndrome to prevent a fatality.
Why Mount Union?
The small class sizes, attentive staff, and advanced simulation lab set it apart. Building professional relationships with faculty helped me gain confidence in my strengths and improved my faults. During my time at Mount Union I was the president of the student nursing association, and participated in French club. I chose nursing as my major because I was born with a heart defect, and have spent a great deal of time in the hospital. Nurses defined my experience. Therefore, I strive to provide the quality care that I was provided.
Advice to Future Nurses
The best advice I can give a new nurse or nursing major is that you must become comfortable with “failure.“ I started my career in a different field. When that fell through, my self esteem plummeted. However, it led me to a field that I am passionate about! I just applied for a seat in a PMHNP program. It’s true what they say—when one door closes, another one opens!