Evelyn Medeiros - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science University

After working on a med surg floor in Boston, I decided to challenge myself to explore a new area of nursing by taking a position in an endoscopy unit here in New Jersey. While learning from incredible endo nurses, doctors, and techs, I have had the opportunity to explore a different side of healthcare in a specialty where I feel more fulfilled as a nurse. On my unit, we perform several different types of endoscopic procedures for patients suffering from a vast number of gastrointestinal and pulmonary issues. As an endo nurse, I get to admit patients, participate in a wide variety of procedures, and also recover the patients afterwards. I love that I am always doing something different than the day before and I am constantly learning more about the human body, meeting new patients that I get to connect with, and participating in such highly specialized procedures. From comforting someone before their first colonoscopy, to emergently stopping a GI bleed, to caring for my patients’ post op complications, I now have the opportunity to help patients in a way so different from before. I truly feel that I have the ability to more directly and more effectively care for my patients due to my unique position as an endo nurse. I am so thankful for how far I have come since first starting nursing school to where I am now as an RN, and none of it would be possible without the generous help from MVYouth. As part of my growth this year, I have even been able to train other new endoscopy nurses, as well as teach new grad nurses skills not taught in nursing school such as how to start an IV. This year has been so rewarding and I look forward to what my nursing future has in store.