When I was in Kindergarten, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and because we lived on a small island with few health care resources, she traveled to New York to receive treatment. When Christmas break rolled around, I was able to fly to New York to see her. After a long day of flying, I arrived at the hospital only to be told I wasn’t allowed on the ward because of my age. I was crushed and couldn’t imagine not being able to see my mother after I’d flown all this way. A nurse came out of what seemed like thin air and the next thing I remember, I was being snuck into the ward in a large Macy’s shopping bag. I remember thinking if this is what nurses do then they are the best people in the world.
I’ve worked as a nurse in pediatric emergency departments since 2006 and have been consistently amazed and inspired by children’s courage, spirit, tenacity, resilience, selflessness and unconditional love even in the face of debilitating illness and abuse. I wanted to be a part of a team that gives children their future back and a lifetime to grow up and fulfill their dreams. The gift of time is immeasurable and so even if all I can do is facilitate a goodbye, one last kiss, one last moment of being held in a parent’s arms, then I will have accomplished what I set out to do.
I was impressed by the caliber of the faculty at Duke and the curriculum that there wasn’t really another choice when it came to choosing a program to pursue my acute care pediatric nurse practitioner degree.
Throughout my acute care pediatric nurse practitioner program, one of the key messages is that not only are we the future of nursing but that everyone at DUSON is personally vested in our success. The curriculum and the unique learning opportunities have prepared me to embark on this new scope of professional practice. From an emphasis on the importance of scholarly inquiry to high fidelity simulations to panels with both industry experts and patients to free access to mobile applications for use in clinical practice, DUSON has really thought of it all while delivering academic content in a variety of modalities to enhance the learning experience.