Shannon Scott, MSN, RN
Nursing Teaching Clinician

About five years ago, I had two students who began the nursing program together, and they were friends who decided to attend at the same time to support each other.  Melinda was a young, quiet, and unsure mother who was caring for her daughter while attending nursing school.  Her friend Emmy, who was eager to begin the program, helped her with babysitting so she could get through the program.  Both students began with uncertainty, but gained the knowledge that was needed to successfully complete the nursing program and obtain their nursing license.  Their relationship as friends supporting each other reminded me of my past when I was a single mother and had the support of my family to help me get through college.

Years later, I was the first in my family to get the dreaded call, my niece had been hit by a car while riding her bike and they had to rush her into surgery due to a brain bleed.  I arrived at the hospital finding my niece’s father on the waiting room floor in tears.  My sister was out of town and on her way to the hospital.  The trauma surgeon came to the waiting room after the longest wait of my life to tell us that he was able to stop the bleed and that my niece was being transferred to the PICU.

When we arrived to the PICU room, my niece was on a ventilator and sedated. My mind went blank; I could not think as a nurse.  There were two nurses who were settling her into the room.  Through the tears, I was shocked to see the two nurses were the two friends, Emmy and Melinda.  They both were working hard to ensure my niece was stable.  I cried in amazement as they both took charge and knew exactly what needed to be done.

Once my niece was settled into bed, they both came over and hugged me reassuring me that she was in good hands.  This created a trust and bond that grew over the few months my niece was hospitalized. They both continued to care for her until her discharge to rehab.  Emmy and Melinda both thanked me for the guidance and push to excel while in nursing school that enabled them to be such successful nurses now.

As we all were able to witness the miracle of my niece’s recovery, the two friends who have now arrived to becoming confident PICU nurses solidified that I am in the right place at this time in my life.  Teaching in the nursing program at LCC is a double reward, being able to help those in need along with helping new nurses achieve their goals of obtaining their nursing license so that they can also help care for the community.