TYLENOL® Fund to Advance Diversity in Nursing and Health Equity Research

My name is Lena Bhatti, and I am a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus. Although now my profession is set in stone, it has not always been that way. My career path in high school was undecided. The number of possible career choices was daunting, as I was overwhelmed with the possibility of taking a wrong turn and choosing the wrong career. Through taking mandatory high school career planning courses, I had to research different types of jobs. During my search, I came across nursing. Healthcare has surrounded me all my life, having a big family. I was unaware of how many nursing disciplines I had encountered solely through my life experience until exploring the profession. From the sidelines, I have experienced maternity, home health, public health, rehab, medical-surgical, critical care, emergency, oncology and hospice nursing. Everything clicked for me when I read up on a registered nurse’s description: the purpose, intention, independence, collaboration, diversity in specialties and areas for growth. From this point onward, I was all in for the profession of registered nursing. I jumped straight in and started volunteering at a long-term care home, leading to a summer job as a dietary aide at that same facility. Being in the health care setting before starting my nursing education only highlighted my love for helping others and confirmed I chose the right career.