The Beginning

      I decided that I wanted to be a nurse at a young age. In going to hospitals with my grandparents and learning more about their heart conditions and how to best care for them I discovered my passion for nursing. Interacting with the nurses at Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Washington County, and numerous doctor's offices I increasingly became impressed with how they cared for my grandparents and our family. Fast forward to me finally finishing enough pre-requisites to apply for the Nursing program. In March of 2009 my life changed forever. My husband (who was my fiance at the time) brought the mail in and handed me an envelope from HCC. In it was what I had been waiting for for so long, my acceptance letter to the nursing program! I was so excited I wanted to start right then, pre-reqs were awful for me, I hated having to take many of them because I knew what I wanted. Orientation was not until May so I had some time to calm down and prepare for the hardest schooling I would have to take.
        In the weeks I was waiting for orientation I went through a difficult challenge, my grandfather passed away. He was always my cheerleader and always knew how to pick me up when I was down, he gave the best advice and was the one who taught me about the importance of hard work. I wasn't sure how I could do nursing school without his support because he was my best friend. Yes, I still had my grandmother (who was and is amazing), my parents, my husband, and my best friend but losing Pappy was a huge blow to me and my confidence. On the day we were going to go out shopping for my supplies (white pants, shoes, stethoscope, and all the other fun nursing school items) I was cutting my grandfathers hair for the last time and prepping for his viewing and funeral. I learned a valuable lesson that I still carry with me today- tomorrow is not promised, don't take for granted people and situations instead take advantage if the time you have.
          I made it through orientation, made a good friend and managed to still get all of my supplies and books together in time although I was more nervous than I had ever been. I realized as I received my uniform tops, my books, my sphygmomanometer and things from my mother-in-law (she is an RN) that my dreams were finally coming true. Although I was dealing with the hardest time of my life, I was still managing to be truly happy. Throughout the summer I became increasingly nervous for my first day of class. Finally, it came.