The story of one of the most famous American Nurses
At some point in your life, you may have to go to a hospital or to a doctor’s appointment. Usually, this is a result of some injury or illness. You’re already in something of a diminished capacity, mentally you’re worried and exhausted and physically, you’re in pain or distress. While your doctor may offer explanations, your initial relief will most likely come from a nurse.
Nurses are the compassionate, knowledgeable touch that lends comfort to an otherwise painful, stoic, sterile situation. As important as your doctor is to you, is how important the nurse is to your doctor. The nurse is the right hand woman or man, who facilitates everything the doctor has to do to make you get well soon. One particularly famous nurse from whom the medical industry still draws inspiration is Mary Breckinridge.
Who was Mary Breckinridge?
Married at a very young age, an attempt by her mother to enforce a more “traditional” lifestyle on her, Mary Breckinridge entered the nursing program at St. Luke’s – after the death of her husband. By 1910, she obtained a Degree in Nursing and moved to the South with hopes of beginning her career and pursuing a new life. Full of hope, she re-married and gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl and for a short time she felt centered in her choice. Tragically, this new life was not without Herculean trials – her daughter died after a premature birth, her son died at four years old due to appendicitis and her husband was wildly promiscuous and unfaithful.
What did Mary do?
Devastated by the turn of events in her personal life, but not defeated, Mary turned to nursing for strength and purpose. Through her travels in Europe via the American Committee for Devastated France, Mary became interested in midwifery. She saw the immediate benefits of it for women and families in rural America. After achieving certification in England from the Central Midwives Board Mary returned to the United States and went on to found the Frontier Nursing Service, still in operation today.
What a career in Nursing can do for you:
- Nursing graduates have the opportunity to specialize in a number of sectors of patient care – geriatric, disabled, pediatrics, just to name a few.
- It is an excellent stepping stone to a full medical career if for some reason you are unable to enter into a Doctorate program.
- Nurses have a wide range of options regarding where they work. You’re not limited to a hospital or doctor’s office – nurses work in prisons, on cruise ships and can travel the world.
- Nursing programs are an excellent gateway to Public Sector and Health Service Management opportunities.
If you or someone you know is considering a career in nursing, there are many opportunities available to you. You are not limited to location, especially since there are several online course options to cater to today’s modern student. Nursing is a selfless pursuit and isn’t for everyone, but if you’re ever questioning the impact nurses have on society – remember Mary Breckinridge.
Image: healthinhistory
Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8157390_careers-nursing-benefits.html
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