KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� May 07, 2012 鈥� Reudi Correia said she has always had 鈥渢he caring gene,鈥� and she proved it by taking care of her family in good times and bad while she was growing up. As a nursing student at the 溏心vlog免费B站, she continued in that role as an ambassador for prospective students and their parents, welcoming them to the University and sharing her experiences so they would feel comfortable in the next stage of their lives.
As the North Providence resident prepares to graduate on May 20, she looks forward to caring for people and helping them avoid illnesses for many years to come.
鈥淚n high school I volunteered at Rhode Island Hospital, and I really liked watching the nurses,鈥� said Correia. 鈥淭hey were so knowledgeable and respected, and I could ask them anything. I knew that鈥檚 what I wanted to be.鈥�
At 溏心vlog免费B站, Correia quickly found allies among the nursing faculty.
鈥淚 became friends with many of them,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 built bonds with them, and they see how far you鈥檝e come and how much you鈥檝e grown. They see us as flowers blooming.鈥�
Correia鈥檚 enthusiasm for the 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Nursing resulted in her taking a leadership position with the College鈥檚 Nursing Ambassadors program.
鈥淲e represent the college to prospective students, like we鈥檙e mothers that welcome our new students and make them feel like they belong,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 as important that we welcome their parents, too, because their child is about to leave them and we have to allow them to realize that their child is in a great place.鈥�
Perhaps Correia鈥檚 biggest challenge at 溏心vlog免费B站 was in deciding what type of nursing career to pursue. During her clinical rotations, she spent a semester at Hasbro Children鈥檚 Hospital where, as difficult as it was to care for a sick child, it was more difficult for the parents.
鈥淭he children were usually very young and didn鈥檛 understand what was happening to them,鈥� Correia said. 鈥淭he hardest thing about pediatrics was explaining things to the parents, who were very concerned for their child. It was very difficult to explain what was happening and keep them calm.鈥�
Her rotation at Women and Infants Hospital was equally challenging.
鈥淚 initially came in wanting to be a maternity nurse, but I quickly realized that I might not,鈥� she said with a smile. 鈥淭he pressure is high, and the mother is not in her normal state of mind. It could be rough in there.鈥�
Eventually Correia realized that she wanted to work on a medical-surgical ward caring for patients suffering from a wide variety of ailments, like she did at Roger Williams Hospital in her very first rotation.
鈥淚t was my first real introduction to taking care of people with serious illnesses,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was nervous and scared, and that鈥檚 when you realize that it鈥檚 no longer a game. But I loved it.鈥�
After graduation, Correia will apply to the novice nurse program at Rhode Island Hospital, but she hopes to one day earn a master鈥檚 degree and become a family nurse practitioner to help prevent illnesses. She is also considering becoming a nurse in the Air Force.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a scary time to be in the military right now, and my mom doesn鈥檛 like it at all, but I really like the idea of taking care of the people who are fighting for our country,鈥� said Correia. 鈥淢aybe that鈥檚 what I was meant to do.鈥�
溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Communications & Marketing photo by Michael Salerno Photography.