National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th. This year, more than ever, it is important to recognize and celebrate these individuals. A&M-Central Texas would like to thank all nurses for their contributions, support, and care. As part of National Nurses Week, we’ve invited two nursing alumni to share their experiences as nurses.
Read their stories: Erica Contreras | Shelly Hill
Erica Contreras (Class of 2019, BSN)
Where are you working in the field?
I am working in a nursing home/rehab center, and I am the wound care nurse for the facility!
How long have you been a nurse?
This June [2020] will be three years of being a nurse.
Why did you decide on a career as a nurse?
I always knew that I wanted to do something where I could help others in need, but I just didn’t quite know what! I then had a very special loved one who passed away, and it was then when I realized I wanted to become a nurse.
What do you find rewarding about this job?
The most rewarding part of my job is the bond I create with my patients along with the many success stories of resolved wounds!
What is the most memorable experience you have had as a nurse?
As mentioned earlier, I work at a nursing home, and unfortunately some of our patients don’t have any family members that live near by, so the bond we create with them is very special! I remember one day I was having a rough day, as I was behind on my charting and late on some of the wound treatments, and I had a patient’s family member who stopped me and told me, 'honey, the way you work and treat your patients I just know you have a heart of gold!', and although these were very quick and simple words they meant the world to me especially on that rough day!
Shelly Hill (Class of 2018, BSN)
Where are you working in the field?
I currently work at Baylor Scott and White McLane Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Temple, Texas. I took on the Clinical Nurse Supervisor role last year and [am] in a leadership role.
How long have you been a nurse?
I have been a nurse for 16 years: two years on a cardiac and pedi[atric] overflow unit at Baylor Scott and White [and] for the last 14 years I have been in the NICU at McLane Children’s.
Why did you decide on a career as a nurse?
I have always wanted to do something that was meaningful and that was an extension of myself, values, and morals. To serve those in need.
What do you find rewarding about this job?
The reason I became a NICU nurse is because they [newborns and infants] are the most vulnerable population ... they have no voice of their own. Working in that unit you are the patients advocate and lifeline. It’s extremely rewarding, and I am grateful for my job! The parents as well are a huge part of the story in the NICU. So you are not only focused on the baby, but also the parents. You are their support, educator, friend, shoulder to lean on, and so much more during this unexpected, scary, anxious, and nerve racking time in their lives.
What is the most memorable experience you have had as a nurse?
The most memorable experience would be a couple days in a row in the NICU. I was caring for a 23 week infant that was only a few days old. She was born at 1lb 12 ounces so she was extremely vulnerable to illnesses and other issues that can occur being born so early. I was concerned about her, and my judgment and gut feeling told me something wasn’t right with her. I called the providers who were thinking it was related to her patent ductus arteriosus [an opening between two blood vessels leading from the heart]. I thought other wise. I watched her for the next 30 minutes and called the providers back and pleaded my case. At this point they decided to get a X-ray that showed no gas pattern in her belly which is not a good sign. She needed surgery which turned out to be necrotizing enterocolitis. The next day at work I knew I would have her back but I didn’t. I was assigned to be the nurse for our first ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation] patient ever in the NICU which was a few beds away from the other baby I cared for the day prior. That day the providers came to me and thanked me for speaking up and advocating for her. If I hadn’t of said anything, the baby might not be alive.