By Jacob Russell\/\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has been 476 days since the U.S. reported its first case of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, this country has seen its medical institutions pushed to the absolute brink. There have been 578,000 confirmed deaths so far in the U.S. from the virus, a number that continues to rise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone has seen the horror stories of how hospitals struggled and still struggle to handle this virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, despite knowing that this field of work puts you on the front lines of the wars we don\u2019t fight with guns and bombs, nursing majors are actually increasing in number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to surveys conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, baccalaureate nursing programs actually saw enrollment increase by 6% in 2020. Additionally, medical schools saw an 18% boost in applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the driving cause behind these increases during the toughest period the medical field has faced in 100 years? That answer is impossible to pinpoint; every applicant has a reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some nursing students are guided by their drive to do whatever they can to help people. Natalie Thrift, a freshman in Hood College\u2019s nursing program, shares this motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to help people, specifically older people who have trouble taking care of themselves,\u201d Thrift said. \u201cI want to be someone who has a positive impact physically, emotionally, and mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thrift\u2019s mentality is common for many aspiring nurses, and although she hasn\u2019t personally been dissuaded from pursuing nursing due to COVID, it would be easy to understand if she was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nursing doesn\u2019t translate as seamlessly to an online learning environment as other programs do. Much of the material is learned through clinicals, which are labs that give nursing students hands-on experience with the skills and tasks they\u2019ll need to perform in their career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of the students in Hood\u2019s nursing program haven\u2019t been able to participate in as many clinicals as they normally would because of COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One such student is Aaron Delph, a senior in Hood\u2019s nursing program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen COVID first hit, everything stopped. No more clinicals, no nothing,\u201d Delph said. \u201cTo make up for lost time, we\u2019ve been cramming into three-week long sessions of much more immersive clinicals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This race against time creates a stressful environment that is certainly being felt by students and catching them off guard. Delph himself said that all of this is not what he expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the students continue to trudge through this less-than-conducive learning environment to conquer their aspirations. Many still don\u2019t understand why or how nursing students are willing to plow through these obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s an old adage that says, \u201cpressure makes diamonds.” It\u2019s a concept that Linda Kennedy, the department chair of Hood\u2019s nursing program, takes to heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe selflessness it takes for one to become a nurse during these times is unreal. Nursing school changes you, it\u2019s difficult, but it grants you confidence,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cIt\u2019s normal to have self-doubt, but we (faculty) know how hard it is, and we\u2019re rooting for them every step of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"