Growing up my goal was to become a nurse. My mother was my first patient; she had rheumatoid arthritis and heart valve disease. I cared for my mom and assisted her with her daily activities though I was often sad I couldn’t relieve her pains. When I was 12, my mom died, and I realized even more that my calling was to care for people who were sick and to show mercy to those who were hurting.
After finishing high school, I applied immediately to a school of nursing, but they said I wasn’t old enough to enroll. So, I completed one year of junior college, and as soon as I turned 18 (the minimum age to apply to nursing school), I enrolled in the practical nursing program. After graduating as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), I realized that I wanted to specialize as a Pediatric Nurse. I loved my rotations in the pediatric units and in the high-risk nursery (a precursor of NICU).
As a young nurse, doing rounds with the pediatricians was one of my favorite assignments. One day while doing grand rounds, one of the leading pediatricians said to me, “One day, you will become a charge nurse, and I hope that you continue to advocate for your patients and keep up the interest in learning how to give them the best possible care.” That statement motivated me to apply to continue my studies as a registered nurse. If I were to create change, I thought, I needed to be able to be in a place of influence and be knowledgeable enough to lead change.
To this day, I’m left startled by his remarks and the way his words motivated me to continue my nursing studies.
I applied to a school of nursing despite caution from my peers about how difficult it was for a practical nurse to become registered nurse at that time. Determined to create change and to continue to care for patients and to learn more about how diseases affect patients, families, and the communities in which they live, I graduated in 1991 as a registered nurse and excelled as the valedictorian of my class. In my graduation speech, my topic was “Nurses must engage in lifelong learning.” I remember encouraging my colleagues to continue to learn and intentionally give the best quality care, using evidence-based knowledge to guide us. My dream of becoming the first pediatric nurse for Belize was soon overshadowed.
I later met my husband while working as a final year student in my professional nursing studies. We got married and started a family. My initial career goals were deviated by my life choices, and looking back now, I shouldn’t have felt like I failed because things didn’t work out as planned. We should be encouraging each other to chart our own journey. To be a successful and fulfilled individual, I believe you should follow your dreams and make sure they are in sync with your values.
At its simplest, you have to do what is best for you and your family. In my case, I chose to ensure that my family life had the right balance. My husband and my children were always my priority. I was comfortable knowing that even though I was a working mom, my family never felt that they had to compete for my time or my passion. With God’s help, I managed to balance both, and I am so happy with the outcome.
Even though I never became a pediatric nurse, I later completed my post-RN degree with a focus on nursing leadership and management from the University of the West Indies, a path that the pediatrician had envisioned for me way back in 1983. I graduated with honors, and accomplished this while working full-time, raising two children, and living up to my duties as a partner.
That’s not to say it was easy, but it is to say it was worth it. I was later promoted to the post as the registrar (administrator) for the Nurses and Midwives Council in Belize. I felt like I was walking in shoes that were too big, but I soon found myself learning about new and innovative ways to improve the standards and practice of nursing in Belize. I continued to grow professionally and was accepted to attend the International Council of Nurses’ Global Nursing Leadership Program in Geneva, Switzerland. I met some of the top nurse leaders from around the world and was trained on policy development by two of the world’s most renowned nursing leaders.
You don’t have to follow the status quo while fulfilling your dream of becoming and practicing as a nurse. We must continue to learn to adapt and to embrace changes. Life may not go the way we initially envisioned it, but in the end, if we are able to adapt to life with its many challenges and stages, it will be worth it. Just ensure that whatever area you choose to serve, you do so passionately. Because then you will give your best to those lives you touch and that will make this world a better place.
Catherine Godinez, BScN (Hons), RN, recently retired as a registrar at the Nurses and Midwives Council of Belize and is currently pursuing her MBA in Healthcare Administration at Edinburgh Napier University. She is a member of Sigma’s Delta Beta at-Large Chapter.