In 2019, the World Health Organization announced 2020 would be the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. At the time, they had no way of knowing how important nurses, as well as other healthcare professionals, would become in 2020. With the prominence of medical professionals, some Bluffton students took the time to reflect on their future in the healthcare field.
Abby Broseke
Junior nursing major and psychology minor Abby Broseke. Photo courtesy Abby Broseke.
Abby Broseke is a junior nursing major and psychology minor. She said the loss of her younger brother is initially what made her want to be a nurse.
“My aunt is also a nurse, and is one of my biggest role models,” Broseke said. “I started shadowing her at the hospital and fell in love with the profession from there.”
According to Broseke, the pandemic has only made her want to be a nurse more.
“I think that in times like these when people are vulnerable, they need someone who cares enough to listen,” Broseke said. “During this time, visitors have been restricted in nursing homes and hospitals and for many, nurses and nurse’s aides are the only people that some have had contact with.”
She believes the pandemic has brought more attention and respect to the nursing profession.
“The nurse’s role is to be on the frontlines when tragedy strikes, and this pandemic only shows the world even more how much nurses care,” Broseke said.
While Broseke recognizes it would be scary to be a nurse right now, she said she could imagine herself being a nurse in the emergency room during the pandemic.
“I know that if I were ever in this situation, I would be sure to keep myself and my loved ones safe,” Broseke said. “But I also would make sure that my patients know that they are not alone even though family cannot always be there.”
Broseke is most excited to be an advocate for all of her patients and to help them in any way she can.
“Being a nurse is so much more than just a job to me, it is a passion to help people, and that is what drives me,” Broseke said.
Ben Heck
Sophomore pre-medicine, chemistry and physics triple major Ben Heck. Photo courtesy of Ben Heck.
Ben Heck is a sophomore pre-medicine, chemistry and physics triple major. His plan is to attend medical school to become a doctor, and is considering specializing in radiology. Heck said he’s been interested in becoming a medical doctor since he was young, but what really made him want to be a doctor was breaking his wrist during his freshman year of high school.
“I was fascinated by how the doctor could read my x-rays, diagnose my fracture and help me get better,” Heck said. “I wanted to learn how to do these things too, and I realized that a career of helping people through medicine could be very fulfilling.”
Heck doesn’t think the pandemic has greatly changed how he feels going into the healthcare field.
“Although this pandemic can be scary, I feel that things like this are part of the job,” Heck said. “Firefighters must be willing to run into burning buildings, and medical professionals must likewise be willing to risk infection from patients. Fortunately, there are many procedures and pieces of equipment available to minimize this risk.”
The pandemic has served to amplify Heck’s view of a medical professional’s role that he already had.
“I believe medical professionals are people who care for and help their patients no matter what and seeing the compassion and service of doctors and nurses even amidst the dangers of COVID-19 has helped to strengthen this view,” Heck said.
Heck said his views of the pandemic have also been influenced by his dad, who is an orthopedic surgeon. His dad has performed fewer surgeries to conserve personal protective equipment and has been doing telemedicine through Zoom.
“My dad has said that he wishes more had been done sooner to prevent this outbreak, and he worries that the worst is yet to come,” Heck said. “This has definitely informed my own view of the pandemic, as I feel many lives could have been saved if measures had been taken to contain the disease even a week or two earlier.”
