Why Aging Matters by Shelia

Why Aging Matters by Shelia - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

“Why would you want to become a nurse?” “I could never wipe buts for a living.” That is just a snippet of responses I’ve received when asked what career I would like to pursue. Sadly many people have forgotten the reward and influence being a nurse brings into this world. But I didn't and haven't let that stop me and my passion. While in my senior year of high school, I decided to work in an assisted living home. Knowing I wanted to pursue a career in nursing, I knew this would be a great stepping stone into my future career as a nurse. At first, I was told by people that I would be burnt out, disappointed, and displeased by staring off this way, but little did I know I would be the exact opposite.

Early August comes around and I knew I would have to let some of my residents know I was leaving for college. Getting close to many of my residents, it made it very hard to say goodbye. I cared for many of them as if they were my grandparents, and wanted them to receive the best care possible. “I probably won’t be here when you get back, but I will miss you” stated a petite endearing elderly lady. Hearing this from one of my residents made me so upset. I replied, “Don’t say that you will be here.” But she simply smiled at me with the most delightful smile. Considering sometimes I would have to help her eat during dinner, this resident would talk to me about her childhood on her dad's farm. How much she missed her sister and old friends. But the most important thing was throughout all of the ups and downs with her health, and how much she missed her past life she continued to be the most pleasant resident of mine. She never took her frustrations out on me and made my job so enjoyable.

Fast forwarding to December, I come back from college on winter break. My favorite resident is still there but her health was at an all-time low. Her progressive Alzheimer's had gotten so bad, that she practically lost her ability to talk and express her needs. She no longer could tell me her jokes and her childhood stories like she once had. Although her personality and manners were different her friends and family who would come to visit her, always reassured me how happy and content with her past life she was.

Working around many residents from different walks of life, I’ve experienced the beauty and resilience of the human mind. One of my residents was once an Organic Chemistry professor. With his success in his past career, he would sit and talk to me about the organic chemistry lab he taught and how he used to love teaching about the synthesis of aspirin and carbonyl compounds. He expressed such joy and happiness looking back on these times in his career. The most important thing about working with the elderly population for me, was to never let them forget or feel unappreciated about their past. To always make them feel young and encourage them to never feel embarrassed or ashamed of their age.

My experiences working with the geriatric population have above all taught me why aging matters. Aging matters because beauty exists at every age. True beauty isn't physical, it resides within. It is how good of a person you are and the marks you leave on the people within your life. The older I get the more I appreciate the experiences and memories I’ve once had. I can only hope that one day I will leave a mark on someone's life the way my residents have on mine.

I always ask myself “Why is it so hard for some people to remember they were once young just like them?” Seeing and dealing with behavioral health often, I strive to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Past work surveys have shown that only 4% of nurses work in the behavioral health field. Considering the lack of help this field has, they need more people who truly appreciate and care for the human mind. That is why I choose to pursue nursing and follow this path. It isn't easy, and it definitely isn’t something you can get into without the uttermost passion for it.