“Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires as exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts”. I think Florence Nightingale accurately describes nursing by realizing not only is there a certain art and care, but also realizes that nursing takes the kind of devotion that anything worth it is going to take.
When asked as a little girl what I wanted to be when I grew up I never had an answer. The generic response of veterinarian or teacher were never spoke in return, rather just a questioning look portraying that I too would like to know the answer to that question. As a child I seemed to know early on that the answer would be something very complex and serious that I would think long and hard about before making. I got the first glimpse of the answer unexpectedly during a trip to the doctor’s office.
Taking a trip to the doctor’s office had become a routine that typically ended with frustration and no one knowing what was wrong. Dealing with medical professional after another, and visit after visit, it was a nurse who had a suggestion. This woman was the only one who took the extra time, got to know me, and then came up with the appropriate treatment. She went out of her way to help me. From then on, I wanted to be the nurse who took the time to offer some explanations, not the doctor who I saw for a measly five minutes . The thought of nursing grew as I learned more about the human body.
As I began to take science and health classes, I became fascinated with the incredibility of the human body and all that it does. I am astonished at how all the organs work together to make the big picture work. After graduating from high school, I still didn’t have the big picture. I took a year off, against everyone’s wishes, and worked as an office manager at a local grocery store. I quickly learned that the job that I was doing with the mediocre paycheck was just not going to cut it.
At this time I was dating a man whose mother worked as a registered nurse for a plastic surgeon. She and her husband were older, and for the first time in my life sat down and talked to me about certain options, never leaning towards one thing or another. With the help of a patient boyfriend, it wasn’t long before I found myself at the nearby community college.
During the first year, I researched every nursing program in Tennessee from Tennessee State University to Vanderbilt. I would soon find that every program was just missing that little something. Distance, money, and reputation were just part of the iceberg that would become my decision. In the midst of everything, Belmont stood out for their reputation and values. This is evident by the high regard the students hold it in, as well as the awards and accreditations it has received. Every student I have encountered has only good things to say about Belmont. It is evident that Belmont takes pride in their school due to the reputable programs including music, business, and nursing.
Another attribute of Belmont that is appealing is the importance and practice of morals. A school’s atmosphere and morals are important to me in that they provide a comfortable learning environment. For example, Belmont has 30 students or less in 90% of their classes. The average GPA of a student is 3.55. If students were not being given the tools and education they need, the GPA would be much lower. It puts me at ease knowing the faculty and staff will go the extra mile for a student’s benefit.
I’ve worked really hard to get here and I want the best of the best. Belmont’s excellent reputation, Christian values, and adequate preparation in which their students receive make it a first rate choice, but they also happen to have a reasonably new nursing building, The college has a $34 million, 100,000-square-foot health-care education complex.
After Belmont, I plan on enjoying working as a nurse for two years. After those two years, I will make the decision between anesthesia school and getting my masters. Both offer great opportunities that will enrich my life when the time is right.
I cannot wait until I am officially Alix Copeland RN BSN!!!
