Elkhart General nursing assistant learns invaluable lessons working beside hospital caregivers
Rayven Jarvis, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Elkhart General Hospital, talks about how her colleagues have helped one another through challenging times, and how she is more determined than ever to be a nurse. Rayven is a Beacon Health Foundation 2021 nursing scholarship recipient.
Working through COVID has not been a walk in the park. I remember policies and procedures changing almost daily due to new research and discoveries regarding the virus. Although this time was difficult, to say the least, I also remember becoming so close with our staff that we truly were a family. I knew coming into each shift that I could rely on my coworkers to get me through the difficult times the pandemic brought upon us. Without my hospital family’s support, I don’t think I would have been able to make it through the pandemic.
Being a Certified Nursing Assistant for two years has shown me so much about health care. It has pushed me to want to be a nurse so I can be the patient’s shoulder to cry on when times get hard, and so I am able to provide some relief for the patients both physically and mentally. During my time on the COVID unit, there was a COVID patient whose wife was not doing the best health-wise in our Critical Care Unit. My charge nurse and I were able to coordinate a visit between these two patients so the husband could say his final goodbyes. This was extremely emotional for all staff involved and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I was so thankful to be able to do this for my patient. I want to be able to provide all of my patients with this kind of support. This pushes me to be a nurse even more.
My hope after I obtain my degree would be to work alongside the amazing nurses I have had the pleasure to meet during my time at Elkhart General Hospital. I have already learned so much from them. Every shift I am shown something new that helps me in school. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I can only hope to be half the nurse that these nurses are.
Click here for more information about how you can become a Beacon nurse.
