My Nursing Career: A Career As A Heodialysis Nursing

“I am a nurse. I made it. I really just made it!”. Shortly after getting my nursing license, I spent hours and hours submitting and resubmitting my resume to dialysis companies. To my surprise, my persistence paid off, and I began my journey as a hemodialysis (HD) nurse in 2015. Many times, conversations with other nurses from different specialties consist of questions such as, “Why are you a dialysis nurse? Isn’t it like retirement job” “Isn’t it boring?” “Don’t you want to get yourself involved in something else before this?” or “You’re too young to settle!”. Contrary to what others believe of hemodialysis nursing, it has been a fulfilling career. After each treatment, I go home knowing that I made a difference in a patient’s life. It is

The hard work I put in earned me Latin Honors and a position on the Dean’s list with distinction. DaVita, my current employer, recently recognized my academic and career achievements. They awarded me with the Redwood Scholarship, which is a generous academic scholarship given to a few employees with outstanding academic and career records. The entire amount is set aside to pay for my doctoral studies, beginning Spring 2018. While it is fulfilling to have a career that directly helps extend each dialysis patient’s life, my love for education has left me wanting to do more and be more. After months of research about the role of FNPs, I concluded that FNPs manage acute and chronic illnesses, conduct physical exams, perform diagnostic tests and procedures, and diagnose and treat all age groups from childhood to adulthood. The thought of caring for patients as an FNP that manage, diagnose, and treat diseases, became an intriguing ambition and a new career goal. Throughout my RN-BSN excursion, there were discouraging times when the topic of FNP programs came up. For example, some nurses from different floors told me hemodialysis is not a solid foundation to get accepted into FNP school. However, I know that I have a clear direction and goal in mind. These goals are to graduate from Rutgers University with my DNP FNP and specialize in Nephrology and hypertension. My deep passion

My main contribution is to focus on the kidney disease and hypertension population to enhance patient outcomes. After many years of being in this profession, my first long-term goal will be to become a nursing instructor. Like many instructors who do it to pass on their knowledge, I want to be able to give back to the nursing community in some way. It is important for someone, like myself, who is thoroughly invested into nursing education to dedicate time teaching the next generation of nurses. Like the great professors I had in my undergraduate studies, I aspire to be an inspiring educator someday. My second long-term goal is to dedicate volunteering time with Doctors without Borders and as an FNP, where my expertise will be needed. Volunteering with Doctors without Borders has been a lifelong career dream and see myself joining the team in approximately fifteen years. Because I have a small toddler and want to have more children in the future, the best time to join Doctors without Borders will be when my children are independent young adults. Until then, I will make it my duty to educate and improve myself to be best and most reliable FNP for Doctors without