Hannah Lazenby: Finding My Why
I was filled with both nervousness and excitement as I drove myself and my roommates, whom I had just met a day or two before, from our apartment at Greenville Technical College to the USC School of Medicine in Greenville to start Tier 2 of the Prisma Health Medical Experience Academy Summer Program. Each tier of MedEx, ranging from 1 to 4, has a different focus, starting at introductions to healthcare and going all the way up to implementation of your chosen career and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) prep. The focus of tier two being career exploration was a perfect fit for me, being someone who was open to any kind of career in healthcare, not just a registered nurse.
Before figuring out my career choice, I had to find my reason for wanting a career in healthcare, which I accomplished through one of the many personal and professional development exercises I participated in.
My anxiety began to bubble up as I walked into one of the medical school lecture rooms and saw forty plus college age kids, all of whom were wearing masks. With not a single familiar person, or rather face, in sight, I began to wonder if I had made the right decision to participate in this program. That feeling quickly faded as my tier mates and I were given the greatest welcome by our peer interns, and throughout the day, the cofounders and director of MedEx Academy. By the end of that first day, I was glad to be a part of such a unique experience and was excited for the upcoming weeks.
My first clinical shadowing day of the program is mostly a blur, and I don’t recall much from it, except for meeting a patient I will never forget. She was a young girl who had been in the hospital for most of her life due to many medical problems. She was also unable to go home due to none of her family being able to take care of her. She was known as the queen of the pediatric intensive care unit floor to all the doctors, nurses, and other health care providers taking care of her. I still remember her face, how big her smile was, and the joy she brought to so many people including observers like me.
As I passed the little girl’s room as she was in the doorway sitting in her highchair, waving and smiling at everyone in sight, I couldn’t help but see myself in her. I was once that little girl, in the hospital for an extended period and unable to leave because of how sick I was. Despite everything going on, I was always trying to stay positive, just like her. Even though I barely saw, let alone interacted with, the little girl, I realized that want to help and be a positive sight for kids like her, just like the doctors, nurses, and anyone else involved in my care did for me.
Just like that, in only the first few days into my month-long program, I began the journey to finding and realizing my why for wanting a career in healthcare.
A couple days later, my tier mates and I participated in an activity called “Finding Your Why” that was meant to help us figure out our reasoning for wanting a career in healthcare. Having just had the unforgettable patient encounter a few days prior, this activity helped me articulate exactly why I wanted a career in healthcare, and nothing else. My open mindedness, kind nature, and people person personality would allow me to interact with patients effectively and successfully. The relationships that I have seen between healthcare providers and their patients as both the patient and an observer would allow me to form the warm and trustworthy relationships with my patients that nurses are known for developing. My experiences with having an unimaginable number of surgeries and procedures and seeing countless numbers of healthcare providers would allow me to relate to patients in a way that no one else could. Finally, my beliefs in helping others and that everyone should have compassionate, reliable, and supportive care would allow me to be the healthcare provider that I would want to have for myself.
The finding your why activity was unlike anything I have ever participated in before. I had to look in myself to find things that I truly thought and believed in to figure out why I want to go into the healthcare field. As the oldest of three kids, and being the only girl, I have always tended to look after my siblings and others more than I do myself. I have found it difficult to have my own values, beliefs, and reasonings for actions without looking to others to see what they have done. In a way, because of my medical issues and perceivable differences from others, I have always thought of others and what they thought to be “normal”. It hasn’t been until I went to MedEx that I realized that I am my own person, and no one else’s.
I went into MedEx thinking that I would confirm that I wanted a career in healthcare and maybe meet some cool people along the way. Not only did I do that, but I did so much more. I met others who wanted to be in the healthcare field and that I now call family. I became a part of a network of people that I can look to for support and guidance for years to come. I confirmed that being a registered nurse, and maybe even a nurse practitioner, is what I want as a career. What I was not expecting, however, was to find not only who I am as a person but also my why.
My fellow Tier 2 MedExers and I
Hannah Lazenby is a junior Nursing major from Spartanburg, SC. She participated in Tier 2 of Prisma Health’s Medical Experience Academy Summer Program in June of 2022. She plans to graduate in May of 2024 and work as a pediatric nurse.