I was one of those straight A, AP, National Honor Society kids in high school, so I was a little shocked when things didn't go my way at the University. It was very hard to figure out how I was going to get myself into nursing school without getting myself in a lot of debt. While my story probably isn't the most tragic one you've ever heard, I have worked very hard to find a round about way to continue my dream of becoming a member of the healthcare profession. I began at the bottom of the food chain--- as a CNA.
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I wish I were one of those people who had a cool story about what compelled them to go to nursing school. I come from a family of doctors and nurses and have a caring soul, so I figured I too would go into healthcare from a young age. I originally started out as a Pre-Health major (biochemistry specifically) at the University of Florida, but unfortunately that didn't suit me. By the time I decided I wanted to go to nursing school instead of be a doctor or dentist, I had hurt my GPA with very hard weed out classes and couldn't get into UF's Nursing program (my GPA was around 3.35.) They also are the only school in Florida that does not offer grade forgiveness, so even if I retook the classes I got poor grades, they would have just averaged the scores. So from a cost-benefit perspective and with an Associate in Arts degree, I left UF and got my CNA license. I figured this would be my first step in becoming a nurse, and if nothing else, I would start to pay off some of my student loans.
This was one of the hardest things I ever did. I still wonder if I made the right decision sometimes. I gave up the amazing and fun university lifestyle for stinky patient rooms and endless evening shifts (sometimes 16 hour doubles.) What had I DONE?!
My first weeks as a CNA were horrifying. Being only 19, I had never even seen a catheter or colostomy bag. I challenged the state exam, so I had not even seen this stuff in a school setting before. My first two nights on the job I cried at the end of my shift and slept a total of two hours those nights (waking up frequently with images of colostomy bags in my head.) I was taking care of 13-14 patients, as we were heavily understaffed. I remember that all I could think about was the terrible smell of C-diff and how THAT MUCH of anything could come out of a human. I started looking into other schooling options--- I was so traumatized that I almost gave up on nursing. I couldn't help but think I had neglected a patient and was going to lose my license in my first week.
But I'm so glad I pressed on.
My time as a CNA was the most valuable thing I could have done to confirm that I would make it in the nursing field. My facility was very understaffed, poorly organized, and hard to deal with at times. They would call me at 5 in the morning asking me to come in and work a double. But I still loved my job. My patients adored me. My nurses trusted me to do the jobs that they couldn't trust the others to complete. My DON had me training new CNA's after only three months. And best of all, I finally was making a difference in people's lives. Even in some of the worst imaginable working conditions, I felt like I could do my job as well as some of the aides who had been there for years.
In the time that I was a CNA I was looking for a school that would accept me with my less than perfect GPA. This is a harder feat than you may think in this day and age. Many schools in Florida (especially BSN programs) will only look at GPA and MAYBE a TEAS or HESI test score (UF did not even look at that.) So finding a program that I was competitive for (that wasn't $40,000 a year) was nearly impossible.
Now, about a year later, I have been accepted for the fall semester at Palm Beach State College in their RN program. I start in just two weeks!
My story of becoming a nurse is just beginning, but in many ways I believe I am already a nurse at heart. When I finally came to peace with my job as a CNA, I began to truly enjoy my experience. I can't wait to start school in the fall and show everyone that the beaten path is not the only way to reach your greatest potential. I hope that I will find a specialty that truly calls to me, and I will continue my education as far as I possibly can.
