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I wanted to share with all of you a tip that I wish somebody would have shared with me sooner....

During your prerequisites, or even if you are currently in nursing school, I would highly recommend getting involved in any clubs or organizations that do volunteer work to serve the community.  

I say this because a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go on a medical brigade to Ghana, in West Africa. While there I was able to practice many hands-on skills and was also able to shadow many healthcare professionals such as nurses, doctors, ophthalmologist, etc.  

As a pre-nursing student getting your hands a little dirty is something that is very useful in your learning experience because it gives you a chance to practice on real patients, practice therapeutic communication, and it allows you to practice many other skills that you would not be able to do in a classroom setting. At first, I was nervous to see real patients because this was something that I had never been exposed to in the past, but we were always working alongside a licensed healthcare professional, so it made it easier to ask questions and/or get guidance in areas that we were not comfortable in. 

I cannot begin to explain to all of you how much this trip changed my overall perspective on health care and how it gave me the confirmation that I needed to become a nurse. If you can get involved, whether that’s at your community college, university, or even a local volunteer center, I say DO IT- there’s NOTHING to lose and everything to gain from an experience like this! 

It has taught me to be more humble, to not take life for granted, to give back to the community when I can do so, that there is more to life than what I’ve become accustomed to here in my town, and of course, it has shown me how much I love serving others. There’s just something about giving back to the community and seeing others smile that lights a fire again. 

I came back from this trip more open-minded and eager than ever to become the best nurse that I can possibly be, not only myself but ultimately for others! I encourage all of you to travel the world and experience healthcare in a different way. I promise you when you do this you will start to look at life from a different perspective and, in my opinion, it just makes you a better person all around. If you can have the same feeling of fulfillment and excitement, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?