A student’s journey to CNA certification

The most important thing I’ve learned as a CNA student is to always keep an open mind.  When you keep an open mind, amazing things happen.  Going into this class I thought I was going to dread working with geriatrics.  However, I kept an open mind and a positive attitude towards everything I was learning and experiencing and it actually found a very special place in my heart.  I have grown a love for elders and geriatrics that I never knew I had.  Although I do not plan on going into strictly geriatrics, I believe my experience as a CNA student will shape me into being the best healthcare provider and person I can be. Whether the person I am caring for is a year old or 100 years old, I feel that my heart will always be beaming with passion to care for them and provide them with sympathy and empathy.

My plans for my future are to become an RN and potentially start out my career in the Emergency Department.  I am an adrenaline person, so I feel it would be a great place to start to be able to explore and see everything. I have also considered possibly taking it a step further to become a trauma nurse.  One day I also might be interested in becoming a NICU nurse.  However, I plan to just keep an open mind throughout my career and allow my heart to explore and take me where I belong throughout the different times in my life.  Next year I am going to be attending Maryville University in St. Louis to pursue a BSN degree and play NCAA Division II lacrosse.  I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up in life, but my goals are to: make a difference in the lives I touch, follow where my heart takes me, and to live in the moment.  Although I am very passionate about healthcare, I am also very passionate about lacrosse.  I am not only passionate about playing, but I am very passionate about coaching and giving back to the lacrosse community.  I have been coaching my own youth team for three years and have run free fall clinic series for the past two years. So even after my days of playing lacrosse are over, I hope to coach and keep it apart of my life forever.  I hope to not only be a positive impact on lives through my profession as a healthcare provider, but also as a coach and mentor to our youth.

The journey of life is what one should be living for, not the destination.