Ashely Daley is currently a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and Registered Nurse (RN) student working at Sunnybrook Hospital. She is looking to complete a Masters in Nursing with a focus on gerontology. She is passionate about working with older-age groups and is looking to promote health and care amongst the elderly.
"As a nurse, I focus on the holistic healing of a patient. I assess the physical effects of an illness on a patient and address those concerns the moment I step into the room. I see the effects of treatment firsthand and inform the doctor of any improvement or decline of the patient condition.
The moment I realized I wanted to be a nurse did not come to me until my second semester in the Registered Practical Nursing (RPN) program. I watched professionals do everything they could to make sure the patients were taken care of not only physically, but emotionally as well. I realized that nursing was more than following a doctor's order, but it was seeing the patient as more than their illness and providing them with the support they needed to live their best possible life.
One night, at the start of my shift I went to do my rounds. I heard one of the resident's crying and went to check on them to find out what was wrong, thinking they may be in pain. As it turned out, the resident was not in any physical pain, but they were upset. The resident started talking to me about how much they felt like a burden to their family, and how they wished they could just get better. So, I asked them what they needed. The resident told me that they just needed someone to hold their hand, so that was what I did. I reassured the resident the best I could and stood next to their bed holding their hand. I realized then how important it was to look past the illness and create a connection with the human being in my care.
Being a healthcare professional is not easy. As a RPN, and a RN student, it is easy for the stress and the emotional toll of my profession to get to me. Having people around me that I could relate to helped me see past the stress and look towards what I will achieve. Just take it one day at a time, you will get to where you want to go."
