Future nurses get a career close-up at camp

There's a nursing shortage nationwide, but the future of patient care won't be in much jeopardy -- not if the passion inspired by the region's first Summer Nurse Camp is any indication.

To get invited to the weeklong camp, Puget Sound-area teenagers wrote essays on why they're considering nursing as a possible career. Many recalled personal experiences when a caring nurse helped their families cope with fear and trauma.

Thirty students were allowed to attend Summer Nurse Camp, sponsored by Multicare Health System. The camp gives high school freshmen and sophomores the chance to try out nursing for a week at Tacoma General Hospital and Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

Campers started yesterday and will spend the next four days getting a taste of what being a nurse is all about. They will observe actual surgeries and participate in mock emergencies.

Here are excerpts from some of the student essays:

"Summer of 2001 my little sister was born at seven months and was transferred to the neonatal unit. My whole family was upset and the nurses made everything so much easier. They were a great comfort. I realized then how hard they had worked to save her life. One day I want to be able to provide that comfort for someone else in the situation I was in."

-- Rachelle Geis, 16, Wilson High School, Tacoma

"When I was 7 my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. It was a hard time for my whole family. Now my grandma's cancer is gone and she is alive and well. After this experience, I realized that our family's support and prayer wasn't the only thing that helped my grandma, but her nurses as well. Not only did they do a good job of treating her medically, but they did a good job keeping her spirits up and kept her going through her long journey back to health. The nurses came with plenty of medical experience, but the real reward was adding a smile to my grandma's face when she needed it. Nurses help people in a rainbow of ways, and I want to accomplish this as well."

-- Jillianne Soria, 16, Todd Beamer High School, Federal Way

"Helping people has always been a priority for me, which is why I want to pursue a career in nursing. Making a difference in the community is one of my main goals. Growing up as a child, I realized that my community has done so much for my family by helping us. All I want to do in return is give back to the community what the community has given to me."

-- Somalis Heng, 15, Spanaway Junior High, Tacoma

"I have researched online about nursing and found out that less than 6 percent of all nurses are men. This type of statistic really finalized my decision to become a nurse. I want to become a nurse because I enjoy helping people. I'm a dedicated young man who feels this is the career I want to pursue in my life."

-- Travis Henderson, 14, Lakeridge Junior High, Bonney Lake

"Helping other people is what I'd like to give back to my community. I'm an achieving student who'd love to spend the rest of my life nursing others back to health. With the training of First Aid and CPR I'll receive at camp, I'd be prepared to help anyone on a daily basis, whether it be at school, home, work or during sports. I will take nursing seriously, and try my best to give all the help I can give."

-- Amy Nguyen, 15, Foss High School, Tacoma

"I have been passionate about being a nurse since I was a little girl. When I was little I would go to the doctor and admire the nurses for all that they did. I always wanted to be like them. I have been told many times that I am a calming person and I am able to use that ability to make people feel better. This is why I feel that labor and delivery is the right field for me. I also adore babies and love to work with them; I have a thirst for knowledge."

-- Keli Lynch, 15, Steilacoom High School, Lakewood

"Ever since I was a young girl, I have pondered the thought of becoming a nurse. My mother, Andrea Gannon, has been involved with the medical field for as long as I can remember. I see her love for her job, and hope to find the same satisfaction in the career I choose for my future."

-- Alexi Gannon, 15, Cascade Christian High School, Puyallup

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