Kaitlyn Carey

My name is Kaitlyn and I am currently attending Mississippi College where I am working toward my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I graduated from Belhaven University in 2014 where I received my first Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science. I am currently employed at Bob Boyte Honda so that I can work while attending school. My goal once I obtain my BSN is to work as a pediatric nurse at Blair E. Baton Children's Hospital, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Texas Children's Hospital. I have a passion for pediatrics because of my personal medical experiences. As a child I was scared of doctors, nurses and ambulances because they meant that I would be poked and would have tests run on me. The scariest thing for me was having an MRI done. Lying inside of a small area with loud noises would make me hyperventilate and panic. Not knowing what was happening and if my tests results were good or bad would worry me. Paramedics and Ambulances became words of terror. When I was 7, I fell off of the monkey bars and had a seizure. I remember coming to and my mom was on the phone with 911 because I had stopped breathing. I immediately jumped up and ran around the house screaming “DON’T CALL THE AMBULANCE! DON’T CALL THE AMBULANCE!” From this day on I knew that I wanted to help people when I was older. The only question was how I wanted to help them. Being a nurse worried me and I was not sure that nursing was the field that I wanted to be in. Therefore, I sought out education in another area and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science. I knew that I wanted to be in the medical field and that I wanted to help young children because I know how traumatizing it can be to go to the doctor or hospital. However, God had another plan for me and I got a job working with four Retina Specialists. I loved my job. Speaking with and helping the patients brought me the greatest joy. However, I felt helpless when something went wrong and there is nothing worse than feeling like you cannot do anything. While working at Mississippi Retina Associates my mom was sent to the MAYO Clinic and my dad was involved in a motorcycle accident and the helpless feeling did not go away. I wanted to help but I could not do anything. I knew about ailments and the body but I knew minimal about treatments and medical terminology. It was at this point that I realized I knew what my calling and God’s plan for my life was. I knew that I was meant to be a nurse and was meant to use my life experiences, compassion and love to help others. The day I received my acceptance letter was the greatest day of my life.
Being a nurse means more than just taking care of a person. Being a nurse means giving all you have into helping someone or devoting every ounce of the energy you have to making them happy or comfortable and not wanting anything in return. Being a nurse is about the joy that is felt from making another person smile and it’s about the hurt you feel when a patient passes away. Being a nursing student is similar to being in the work force. A student has to devote all of their love and energy into school. As a student I will have to put forth the effort to mold and nurture my education. I will grieve when I am not having a good day but on the days that I am white coated or pinned I will celebrate and want nothing in return. Being a student has and will continue to teach me to be grateful for every opportunities I am given and instill in me the drive I need to finish every task at hand. I look forward to the day I am a Registered Nurse.
For these reasons, I know that my patients will benefit from the experiences that I will have and the value that I place on my education and career. I will work my hardest to make sure that every one of my patients is happy and taken care of. I will strive to listen to each patient, love them when they are down and be an ear when they need to speak. I will promise to myself and to my patients that even on busy day I will do my best to go above and beyond expectations. Sometimes people just need a hand to hold and be still with the. If I can do anything for the patients I hope I can be that person and give them the compassion and care that they not only need but deserve.
Mississippi has been my home for 18 years. I was taken under the wings of my teachers, neighbors and friends and have grown to be part of a big family. As I get older I realize that I am establishing my own community with my very own neighbors, friends and their children. As a nurse I want to be a role model for the people that I come in contact with. I want children to look up to me and I want to be someone that can be admired not only because I am a nurse but for the things that I do for my community. I currently serve as a childcare worker on Sunday mornings at Pinelake Church and I have served as a pee wee cheerleading coach for five years. While being a coach I was given the opportunity to take my squad to a local nursing home and let them cheer for the residents. It brought the children, the residents and me so much joy and completely filled my heart. We also had a “Bake Sale for A Cure” and were able to raise $250.00 to go to Susan G. Komen every October. Through working with the community I was able to light a spark in these young children’s lives to help others, however; I strive to be more involved. I want to be a leader in the community and use my stature to serve and teach.