My Superhero In Nursing

Everyone knows nurses are superheroes. If Hollywood has taught us nothing, its that every superhero has an origin story. Mine is just like everyone else’s. A family member became ill, and experiences with nurses is what shaped my future. Other the Little Mermaid, a nurse is the only job I have ever wanted.

At 19, I was accepted into nursing school. I graduated at 21 with an Associate’s of Applied Science in Nursing.

I accepted a job at UMMC in Jackson. Originally I wanted to work with neonates, but lack of openings in the NICU led me to an adult medical-surgical unit. It was the antithesis of what I thought I wanted. It did not take long to I figure out I knew nothing about being a nurse. UMMC was a learning curve for me. I knew the book knowledge, but I had to quickly figure out how apply that knowledge to manage my time and care for 6 patients. I also learned that I wanted to do more. I was not satisfied being complacent with an associate’s degree.

After almost two years, I made a change in focus, moving to St. Dominic’s in Jackson on an adult medical oncology unit. That is where I fell in love with adult care. If UMMC taught me how to be a nurse, St. Dominic’s taught me how to

The population is living sicker longer. Overall patients in the United States are grossly under treated by primary care providers, likely because there simply are not enough of them. 60% of physicians in the US are specialty care providers. Shi summarized, with increased access to primary care overall health of the population is positively influenced. Mortality and disease rates decrease; as do hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Life expectancy and satisfaction with the healthcare system also increase (Shi, 2012). I sometimes wonder if my cancer patients had better access to primary care would the outcome be different? Could the cancer had been caught in time for more curative measures, instead of