b.

5. Good Life ft. T-Pain✨

My long awaited grad pics that are finally getting to see the light of day. I am officially done with nursing school!! It’s such a crazy thing to say. At the start of every semester we do a discussion post that always says the same thing: “why do you want to become a nurse?” My answer is always the same & it all comes down to me being born with sickle cell, a chronic illness. Having a chronic illness that not only physically takes a toll on you, but is also highly judged and misunderstood, can be tough to deal with. I chose nursing because I wanted to go into pediatric hematology/oncology to be there for children who have my disease, & others. I wanted to be a nurse that when I walk into a patients room with my illness, they would see me & feel safe, because we shared the same skin color. Having this disease, has made me who I am today. I was able to persevere through nursing school with this illness. There were times where I went into crisis from stress, having to take exams in a hospital bed or at my hematology clinic. While receiving blood transfusions, fluids, & pain medications, I would be studying for exams. My nursing school journey was like no other, but it also shows that no matter what you’re going through, if you put your mind to anything, you can achieve it. I cannot even put into words how ecstatic I am for officially being able to say, I MADE IT THROUGH NURSING SCHOOL!!! I am so thankful for God, who always has protected & guided me through this journey. I’m thankful for my parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, peers, & professors, who supported me. I’m thankful just for myself, the strength & courage I endured during this crazy journey. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me, but I know that whatever it is, I am up for the challenge. Now let me reintroduce myself, Beatrice Akweley Nortey, BSN. 🤍🩺✨

📸: @hj._photography