Michelle’s Path to Nursing: A Story of Resilience and Faith
February 2, 2023
“I’ve always just had it in me; I want to help take care of people—ever since I was a little kid.”
Michelle grew up in North Philadelphia, raised by her mom, a hard-working single mother of eight children. They were often homeless and spent a lot of time in shelters, which was a big part of Michelle’s drive to become a nurse. Looking back on this time in her life, Michelle regales her mother’s strength and determination to do everything she could for her family. It wasn’t easy for any of them.
“I remember one night we were at the Salvation Army. I will never forget this. I had to be about six years old, and one of the rooming people fainted and collapsed. One of the other people there came over and tried to wake her up and do CPR. I remember getting a wet washcloth and putting it on the lady’s head. I just felt like I wanted to help her.”
Michelle uses her faith and life story as a vehicle for inspiration to anyone coming from humble beginnings – it’s a testament to the strong, caring, and uplifting nurse she is today!
“God brought me from being homeless to helping people, and if God can do it for me, he can do it for anybody— that’s what I want to share.”
Today, Michelle spends her free time with her husband and two children and enjoys the flexibility and supportive nursing environment she has found with us at GHR.
A few years ago, Michelle worked full-time at a long-term care facility when she met a GHR nurse who made a lasting impression. She thought to herself, “’this lady is so happy. I want to be that nurse. I want to be the nurse that’s happy every day coming to work, looking forward to it, singing my way in.’ And I’ve been that way ever since I’ve been at GHR. I’ve been happy every single day, coming to work every day. I look forward to it.”
Every nurse has their own story and path that brought them to the field. The one thing they all have in common is the compassion, care, and strength they bring to work and into their lives each and every day.
“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can, in spite of all we go through… that is what it is to be a nurse.” — Rawsi Williams
Do you have a story to share with the GHR community?
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