Saint Elizabeth Home and Community Care Award

I first wanted to become a teacher before a nurse, though when I found myself in nursing, I realized that I got the best of both worlds. I soon learned that nurses embody many roles; they are communicators, team members, advocates, innovators, leaders, confidants, and researchers. What drew me most to nursing and what I continue to love about it is the patient-nurse relationship found in caring for individuals and becoming a small part of their stories. Whether it’s being with a patient during their baby’s first cry or watching a patient take their last breath, getting to know those you care for, the life they have lived and what makes them “them” is what makes the work nurses do so special. I find much privilege in getting to be invited into these moments of deep joy and sorrow, to provide comfort in the midst of suffering and to care for individuals and families in the most intimate of moments. I currently work as a registered nursing in hospice and palliative care, and I am excited to be able to continue my nursing education by pursuing a master’s thesis-based nursing degree. My research focuses on measuring and evaluating the quality of end-of-life care and I am thankful for CNF for helping to make this work possible.