“Mommy can I hold Austin, just for a little bit? Pleeeeeease? ”
From the day Austin was born these were my most famous words (until he grew :). “Sure,” Mom would most often reply, “As long as you don’t upset him!” I happily took him from his crib to my blanket on the floor, my imaginary nurse check up table. I would then proceed to listen to his heart with my doll stethoscope, or pull out one of mom’s “pink medicine syringes” from my proudly worn blue nursing cape to give him his “flu shot”(needleless to say:). I’d then move on to take his temperature with our child friendly thermometer and finish with weighing him on our portable bathroom scale. At my mercy, Austin often laid on my little blanket and smiled or gazed at me quizzically, wondering what in the world I was going to do next. I would end by placing a “good boy” sticker on his onesie and then excitedly run to tell Mom that indeed, Austin was healthy. She’d always look at me with a smile and ask how I knew. “Because I’m a nurse, Mommy. Just a pretend one now, but I want to be a real nurse someday”. With a look of complete confidence Mom would immediately kneel down to my eye level and reply, “Never lose sight of that goal, Emily. You’re going to be a great nurse!”
Now, nearly 20 years later, by God’s grace that goal is in site. With nursing school behind me, the first step of this journey has really just begun. People often ask why I want to be a nurse. Without hesitancy I reply that my greatest motivation is and has always been my mom. From the age of 4, mom constantly pushed me towards my desire to become a nurse and later on continued to ask what I was doing to work towards that goal. She also inspired me and set an example through her unending dedication, perseverance, and care for my grandparents, specifically her mother. Mom is not a nurse professionally, but has the medical knowledge (if not more) of nearly every nursing graduate I know. Along with doing every ounce of physical care for my grandma who has battled several physically straining illnesses, Mom researches every medication, new treatment, or medical procedure Grandma has had prior to the procedure or medication administration. Regardless of the physical labor my grandparents have needed, Mom doesn’t look at the obstacles or difficulties the tasks have entailed, but takes them on without complaining and with joy. With each passing year Mom has given me more of a desire to pass on this kind of compassion and advocacy to the needy people I will have the privilege of caring for as a nurse.
With great excitement and anxiety in January 2010 I began the wild, demanding, strenuous, yet WONDERFUL journey of my childhood dream. This week, just over 2 years later, I took the NCLEX RN boards and will hopefully soon be setting foot in a nearby hospital. After gaining experience interculturally it’s my utmost desire to use nursing cross culturally, ultimately proclaiming the good news of our greatest need and provider Jesus Christ.
Because of Austin’s willingness to be my first patient, my mom’s incredible example as a caregiver, my boyfriend Lane’s continuous wonderful encouragement, and my Savior’s beautiful strength, direction, and grace,
Emily Joy Davis, RN
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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