Nursing aides and nurses are known to be society’s superheroes, as many of them are on the frontlines of many ongoing diseases and are the ones to be the helping hand to many people who are suffering. Luckily at Sunlake, students have access to learning about the medical field and the ways as a nursing aide when they begin their senior year. The CNA program guides students to be able to learn about what being a nursing aide is all about, knowing the basics of taking care of patients and residents.

A student who is currently taking this course is Kimberly Phillips—a senior at Sunlake who has a passion to become a nursing aide and eventually a nurse. She says she wanted “…to be in the CNA program because I’ve[sic] always wanted to be in the medical field. Once I saw that Sunlake offered the program, I jumped at the opportunity because it was a chance to be around so many healthcare workers who work endlessly to help others and to learn from them.” Kimberly emphasized her “why” and that’s because “I wanted to become a nursing aid because I felt like it was a good place to start since I wanted to be able to understand more of what being part of this field means and take the chance to build my skills up so that I could feel more confident later down the road.” Her dream is to be able to have the opportunity to help others and be the first one to call whenever help is needed. Kimberly thinks later down the road, things could change could probably partake in a different profession in the field, but she “…really [wants] to be an ICU nurse. I’ve always wanted to help as many people as I can and still have a positive outlook like I’ve seen so many times while being in this program.”

She talks about these from her heart as she wants to care and help for people in her life and had always thought about this for a long time. When Kimberly came into this program, she believes it “…made me [sic] a better person. I saw so many people in the hospital and nursing home who, despite their situations, were so kind and patient with me when I was first starting out in the CNA program. You never really know what someone’s going through in life, which is why it’s important to be kind to everyone because they could be going through something tough, and you never know. I try to treat more frustrating situations with that mindset because I want to set an example and carry that with me as I move forward. I’ve learned that within the medical field, a good heart is an important necessity.”

Becoming a nursing aide and eventually, a nurse is something that is hard for many people. It is not only the amount of work that needs to be done but the amount of sympathy and empathy that must be developed and the way you approach certain situations. A lot of times people do not have these acquired skills and don’t show many of the patients the amount of respect and care they deserve. Kimberly is one of the many people in the medical field that belongs to be there because of their heart and desire to help others and not just for the money.