Why I Care

Guest Column by Bethanie C.

When my great-grandparents were getting older, I watched as their caretakers came in to help them do everything that they could not. I felt helpless, knowing that they were suffering; but I also saw how much love their nurses had for them.

George, my great-grandfather, began to decline when I was in high school. I was able to help him each day so he could stay at home as long as he possibly could. When he fell and caught pneumonia, I saw as hospice came in and cared for him.

When his time came, the hospice nurse made him comfortable and helped my family feel that everything would be okay. They cared for him like I had never seen another person cared for.

A range of emotions, grief, sadness, and hope, run through a person and their family members as they go through what seems like the hardest moments of their lives. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to help--not only one person, but their families-- get through some of the hardest times in their lives. I wanted to be that comfort for another person and their family as they went through the same thing. I wanted to be the safe place to find comfort in while they work through their heartache.

At Pittsburg State University, I decided to become a nursing major. I completed the course to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and got my first dream job, working in our local nursing home.

This job changed my views, not only of myself, but of my residents and their families. I see how a disease can take over a person’s life and change their personality-- sometimes so much that their families do not recognize them. I have seen how some people do not have families. I have seen how some have many caring family members.

A nurse I work with once told me: “You cannot blame the person, you must blame the disease.” Throughout two years of working with dementia patients this has stayed with me. Working with mental diseases, physical diseases, and rehabilitation has shown me that no matter the illness, everyone needs support from someone--whether it be caregivers, family, or friends.

In the next few years, I plan to learn and study to become the best nurse that I can be. I have these years to decide what field of geriatrics I want to work in as a BSN, RN. After graduating, I wish to work with older adults and their families as a hospice nurse. Eventually, I want to become a nurse practitioner for hospice and help people in their last stages of life. I will contribute to the care and compassion of older adults in the years to come.

The Roman poet Decumius Magnus Ausonius said, “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” To me, this means that we cannot be held back by our age, and that at no matter what age we are we can bring happiness to others.

Bethanie is a third year nursing student at Pittsburg State University. She recently received the Irv Hoffman Nursing scholarship from the Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature. For more information on the SHL scholarship program, visit www.kansas-shl.org. This article appears in the latest edition of Keynotes (First Quarter 2020). Please contact us to receive your own copy of Keynotes.