From Sorrow to Healing: My Motivation to Choose Nursing

When I think back on my journey as a nurse, it feels like tracing the threads of a tapestry—woven with sorrow, resilience, and purpose. My impetus to enter the field of nursing wasn't born in a moment of inspiration but rather from the shadow of a deeply personal and painful experience.

My Father's Battle with Cancer

It was my father's battle with cancer that etched the path I now walk, shaping my dedication to the profession and setting the cornerstone for my advocacy in patient safety. My father, a man of quiet strength, faced his illness with a courage that still humbles me. But his journey was not without its complications.

After one of his surgeries, a surgical sponge was mistakenly left in his abdomen. It wasn't immediately detected, and months passed before his discomfort and pain revealed this tragic oversight. By the time the sponge was discovered and removed, the disease had already taken its toll. He didn't succumb to the sponge but to the relentless progression of cancer. Despite his loss, the experience left an indelible mark on me, a scar that bore both pain and clarity.

A Moment of Reflection

At the time, I was a chemical engineer thriving in my field. However, my father's ordeal was a spark that lit a fire within me. I couldn't stop asking myself: 'How could this happen? How can it be prevented?' These questions became the catalyst for a career shift that many found surprising. I enrolled in nursing school with a singular focus: to make a difference, ensuring that no other family would endure what mine had.

The Calling of Nursing

Straight out of nursing school, I found my place in the operating room—a world of precision, intensity, and profound responsibility. It was here that I began my work as a "count advocate," a role that became more than a job—it became a calling. I dedicated myself to ensuring that every surgical sponge, every instrument, and every tool that entered the sterile field was accounted for. Patient safety, to me, wasn't just a protocol; it was a moral imperative.

I often said and still believe, 'If it’s not ridiculously safe, it’s not safe enough.' This principle became my mantra, an echo of my father's story, guiding every action I took in the operating room. I became relentless in championing safety measures, working to instill a culture where vigilance was second nature and errors were not just minimized but eradicated. Every time a surgical count was verified, I felt a quiet triumph—a victory for my father, for myself, and for the countless patients whose stories would not be marred by preventable mistakes.

Beyond Safety: Connection and Compassion

But nursing for me has been more than the pursuit of safety. It has been a journey of connection and compassion. From the sterile hum of the operating room to the quiet moments of reassurance at a bedside, nursing has taught me the profound power of presence. In those moments, I have seen humanity at its rawest and its most resilient. I've held hands through fear, shared smiles through tears, and witnessed healing in forms that transcend the physical.

A River of Grief and Hope

If I were to describe my nursing career, it would be as a river—beginning in sorrow, winding through valleys of learning, and flowing with purpose toward a sea of hope. It’s a career that has demanded much of me but in return, it has given me more than I could have imagined: a sense of meaning, a drive to improve, and the privilege of touching lives in ways that words often fail to capture.

My father's legacy is the foundation of my work. His story transformed my grief into a beacon guiding me to build a nursing career grounded in advocacy, safety, and unwavering care. Every day, I carry his memory with me not as a weight but as a compass—a reminder of why I began and why I continue.

In the end, nursing is not just what I do; it is who I am. It's the promise I made to myself, to my father, and to every patient I have the privilege to care for: to make a difference, to be a voice of safety, and to ensure that every act of care is an act of excellence.