Caring For My Great-Grandmother

Life experiences, rewarding or difficult, are the factors that influence us. My great grandmother has always been one of my key role models. I have always admired her independence, strong will, and caring nature towards all. For many years, she proudly lived by herself and independently took care of herself. At seventeen years old, she became very ill. When she became exceedingly sick, my family realized that someone needed to incessantly be with her, so my family and I moved into my great grandmother’s home to bestow quality care and make her comfortable. Living at my great grandmother’s home for the last six months of her life was the most emotionally and physically difficult experience I have ever had to endure or deal with, but it was the most rewarding and influential experience of my entire life.

Taking care of my great grandmother was physically stressful. Since she was immobilized, my family and I had the responsibility of assisting her when she needed to be transported to a different location. Since my siblings were too young and my dad worked full time, my mother, a registered nurse, and I primarily had the physical strain of moving her around the house and to her various doctor’s appointments every week. We also had the corporeal stress of keeping her healthy and clean by giving her baths and preparing nutritious meals that would fit her diabetic diet. Though the physical aspect was a burden, the most grueling part of taking care of my great grandmother was the emotional component. I not only abhorred the fact that she, my role model and best friend, was suffering from these debilitating ailments, I loathed that she was not able to be who she genuinely was. Since I was a child, I always remembered my great grandmothe...

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...physically being there for them as a knowledgeable, attentive nurse.

Through this life, I have encountered many difficult situations, yet the most challenging of these situations was the most influential and rewarding. I experienced immeasurable stress through taking care of my great grandmother; it was the utmost difficult situation I have ever had to deal with in my life, but it was the most rewarding because I learned how to deal with my emotions when caring for someone, and I was able to be there for my great grandmother. Moreover, I decided to become a nurse. Though nursing is a profession with many emotive and physical pressures due to the pain and suffering experienced on a daily basis through medically caring for patients, I know I will be able to confidently manage my emotions and be a strong advocate for the loved ones of the patient and the patient.