I was exposed to the elderly population when my grandma was admitted to a nursing home and diagnosed with dementia. Seeing people who had lost their memories of their family, friends, and themselves was heartbreaking. This later influenced my decision to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. I started working at a memory care unit which I thoroughly enjoyed—the residents had many stories from their lives that were very touching and personal, and when you can help the residents open up to you, it helps you to realize that you are able to make a difference in someone’s life just by caring and listening to …show more content…
When I moved from Grand Forks to Fargo, I got a job at Sanford’s psychiatric unit and have become very fond of the work. This has helped me develop many useful quick-thinking skills, good judgement, as well as improve my active listening skills which are all necessities to be a successful nurse. Working alongside the nurses here at Sanford has been a very educational and beneficial opportunity for me. My experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant has helped prepare me for nursing because I see what goes on inside of hospitals and other health facilities because it has taught me practical skills needed for nursing and shown me the hard work and dedication that goes into patient care by the nursing