A long time ago, I thought my dream was to become a veterinarian. I loved animals, all kinds of them, but especially dogs and rabbits. I still remember my dad asking me as a tiny 5- or 6-year-old, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And I specifically replied, “I want to be a veterinarian.” “You don’t want to be a nurse and take care of babies?” At which I replied with a “Noo” and with a cute, little giggle that kids that age would make.
As I got older and wiser (I suppose), I noticed how many registered nurses were part of my family, near and far! My aunt, my uncle, multiple cousins, my sister-in-law, including her cousins and aunts and uncles, etc... And I thought, “I don’t want to be a nurse when every other relative is doing it.” If you have been in the medical field for some time, you may realize that a number of nurses are Filipino, but even if you’re not and you’re like me who knows many nurses, you know. And I completely stigmatized the idea of another stereotypical Filipina nurse!
“Oh, but you’ll make a lot of money, Noelika!”
Oh, sure, nothing wrong with that, right? I’m just going to become a nurse because it’s the last thing I can think of to do with my life [Edit: and it pays great money] because I realized veterinarian is out of the question since it takes years to complete and just wouldn’t work out.
I don’t want to doit am not going in it for the money. I forbid it.
If I haven’t made it clear already, I want to do it because I care for other human beings. I want to be a beacon of light to give them hope. During my first semester clinical of the Psych Tech program, I clearly recall having an elderly client whom I had become close to, give me this big hug and said “Thank you” with a trembling smile as she kissed my cheek. It honestly almost made me want to cry, seeing how deeply my care for her impacted her life.
Even just that, the thought of being so impacting on a patient, has led me to where I am today.
Not mention my PT instructor, who I deeply respect and look up to as a registered nurse, who gives me courage to pursue even more than I am. She knows how determined I am to do the best I can with everything I set my mind to, plugging in many hours of studying to understand concepts (which has really paid off). When I was considering RN but hadn’t set my mind on it, she further encouraged me when I needed it most to keep moving forward, rather than staying a PT (which don’t get me wrong, I’m sure can be a wonderful field to be in).
From August-December I will be finishing my last semester of Psych Tech classes, and the following year or so I am going to finish the prerequisites and apply for the Registered Nurse program at my college, to obtain my ADN. It’s more than just exciting. I’m doing it for me, my beloved fiance, and - if God permits - my future family.
Man, if it wasn’t for being in the Psych Tech program, I don’t think I would have chosen this path. All the glory belongs to God!
Cheers to anyone who has reached the bottom of my post!
