Why did you choose your specific health professional career?
I choose nursing because I like helping people. There was a big shortage of nurses in North Dakota at the time, and there still is. In general, there is a shortage of nurses. I also wanted a job where I could always be learning. Nursing has so many different roads you can take.
What experiences did you have to make sure this profession was right for you?
I had to make sure I was able to talk to people and that I was able to relate to people. This means being able to get along with people. I made sure I liked this, and I do.
Describe any obstacles or barriers to success that you encountered along your health professional career path and how did you overcome them?
An obstacle for me is being a new young nurse working with and alongside the older nurses. Older nurses do things differently. The older nurses coming in are dealing with new nurses and the changes they bring. Health care is changing every day. It is hard because if you do something that you have been taught that is new, you got to make sure you don’t step on anybody’s toes or offend them. New nurses don’t want to create friction, but it happens every day, you just have to learn how to deal with this. That’s probably the biggest problem with me is being young and moving up the ladder.
What do you do in your current job?
I am a pediatric nurse; in addition, I work on the Med/Surge floor.
What advice do you have for American Indian/Alaska Native students who are interested in health careers?
Keep trying!! Don’t stop. You can get caught up in a lot of stuff, but it’s so worth it. Health careers help you. You will struggle at times, but it’s still all worth it in the end.