School of Nursing

B.S. in Nursing

Alumna

"I am a Registered Nurse at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in pediatric oncology. Upon graduation, this was my dream job. After interviewing for a few pediatric positions that I didn’t get, this one opened up and I applied - it was the right one from the moment I stepped into the interview.

You don't learn a lot about oncology in nursing school, but from the chapter that we did go over, the pathophysiology behind tumors, all of the cells and how they work, and how different treatments are targeted for individuals and different genes really interested me.

My first experience with kids was during my pediatric clinical at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children| Nemours my senior year of nursing school and ever since then, I just really loved the pediatric population. I think it fits best with my personality. I love the kids, and I love meeting their families and the relationships I build with them. Being away from home, I see them more than I see my own family, so you become a part of theirs and they become part of yours.

I work with ages zero to 25 at Hopkins. You get to learn little ways to keep your patients happy: Wearing different scrub tops with their favorite animal on it or playing their favorite music in the room.

The kids are a lot smarter than you think. Even the toddlers know when something is wrong. They go to school when they can, their friends come and visit, they go on vacation when they can. It becomes the new normal for both them and their families. These parents are the strongest, greatest humans I have ever met in my life. During the hard times, you remember that they are going through something that no parent should ever have to go through.

You have to be very strong to care for kids with cancer. You have to have a good mentality and know when to separate work and life. This job can consume you as a whole - every second of every day, in your dreams, everything. If you are not resilient and you don't do things that make you happy outside of work, this job won't be for you. I learned to take the good with the bad. There are really bad moments, but most of my days are really good. We see miracles happen all the time.

People think that working in pediatric oncology is sad and miserable, and they don't know how I do it, but these kids are a gift to me. They have taught me more about life and have given me a better outlook than I ever had before. It really makes you appreciate what you have."