At 17 we are told to make a life-changing choice that will forever sculpt our careers and professional development. Or so I thought. At 17 I knew I had a passion for science, I had been groomed for six years to take on a future in science academia. Through AP course work, my active role in the Science Olympiad team and Intel Science Research program I paved a path for myself in science research.
Currently, I work in what I thought was my perfect career match. I work as a Research Support Specialist in a Physiology and Neuroscience research lab at Stony Brook University. My original path projected that I would be pursuing a graduate degree in physiology. But I am thankful that I am not. This is not to say that I do not love the work I do, it is everything I expected it to be. I wanted to follow a career in research because I wanted to help people and I wanted to ease the burden of illness and injury.
Basic science research provides me with the opportunity to be the mind behind medicine. I am in a position where every day I am discovering something new and creating new hypotheses. In this career I utilize my love for science to be at the forefront of scientific innovation, developing knowledge and predictions that will be the foundation to medicine. I know that the work that we do will one day be essential to someone’s life.
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But there is still something I cannot achieve. The personal aspect of a patient-centered job. Nurses do so much more than administer medicine; they must care for their patients providing comfort and compassion. This job is about so much more than medicine, it is about being an educator, counselor, support system and advocate for those in your care. You must possess crucial skills to gain the trust of those you treat and be sensitive to their needs as well as the needs of their families.
I want to be a nurse because it’s a career where you can really know you’re making a true difference. Sure, not every day will necessarily feel that way, but in your heart, you know that you’re making an impact and you can see it in the faces of those you help.
The beauty of nursing is that there are so many fields and specializations that you can probably find an area that suits your needs and interests. Before accepting my current job the first question I asked my employer was, “will I have the opportunity to further my education here.” Medicine is a complex career in that we are always questioning and learning about new innovations and how physiology works. Being a nurse offers career opportunities from entry-level jobs with an associates or bachelors degree to doctoral level research. I’m excited to find a specialization that I am truly passionate about and continue to educate myself.
It’s an incredible job and a job we need people to do. The nursing workforce is expected to grow by over 1 million by 2030, which is incredible. But we are still experiencing a nursing shortage. It is projected that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 500,000 nurses.
