Meet Kendra P., Registered Nurse on 2 Main at UPMC Muncy. Kendra spent 16 years working as a nursing assistant, and for many years she was completely content in that role. “I was totally comfortable, and I loved what I was doing, because I was frontline with the patients,” she said.
A lot of the responsibilities of a nursing assistant, like bathing, feeding, and dressing patients, are the tasks that people are eager to leave behind as they move on to other nursing roles, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for Kendra. Options to change career paths or go back to school never even crossed her mind.
“People say that you have to be a special person to enjoy some of those less glamourous tasks, but I don’t feel special,” Kendra said. “I can’t imagine being any other way.”
When management started changing at the nursing home where she worked, Kendra decided to make a change for herself, accepting an administrative role working for the Director of Nursing at UPMC Williamsport Divine Providence Campus. It was that leader who first gave her the confidence that she could go back to nursing school and become an RN.
"I am very happy with my choice as a registered nurse because I love being around and helping people. What made everything worth it was having my daughter see me graduate nursing school and loving what I do.”
“I honestly felt as if my time had come and gone when it came to furthering my education,” Kendra said. “I was thirty at the time and had a small child at home. My boss at the time, Deborah, helped me to realize that it was still a possibility. I knew that I wanted a career in health care, but I was unsure of what that looked like. I am very happy with my choice as a registered nurse because I love being around and helping people. What made everything worth it was having my daughter see me graduate nursing school and loving what I do.”
While in nursing school, Kendra had a clinical rotation on 2 Main, a Med-Surg floor at UPMC Muncy. One of Kendra’s clinical instructors in nursing school was also a Clinician at UPMC Muncy, which made the transition easier for Kendra. Her clinical instructor introduced her to the people who would become her future coworkers. “I fell in love with the people up there,” Kendra said. “It’s truly like a family. Plus, we have so much fun together – I thought they were hilarious, and I’m somebody who loves to laugh and be funny.”
After graduating from nursing school, the nurses that she had met on 2 Main told her that they wanted her on their team. Kendra accepted a role at UPMC Muncy in the spring and has been there ever since. “I know that I followed a more non-traditional path,” Kendra said, “so it feels like a big accomplishment.”
“The advice I would give someone who was even considering a career in nursing would be to DO IT. There is such a wide variety of avenues to pursue when considering a nursing degree. There really is something for everyone."
As a Registered Nurse, Kendra’s role is much different than it was during her time as a nursing assistant. “As an RN, I have a lot more to do, and I have the responsibility to step in if one of our nursing assistants or other members of the team is struggling,” she said. However, Kendra still makes sure to take time for that one-on-one connection with her patients that meant so much to Kendra as a nursing assistant.
Looking back, Kendra is thankful to have loved her role in both phases of her nursing career – first as a nursing assistant, and now as an RN. “The advice I would give someone who was even considering a career in nursing would be to DO IT. There is such a wide variety of avenues to pursue when considering a nursing degree. There really is something for everyone. Nurses are in such high demand and that job security is a great feeling.”
The exciting thing for Kendra is that this is just the beginning. “Outside of work, my life started to settle down a little,” she said. “I recently celebrated my daughter’s 10-year birthday. Our family got a golden retriever puppy, and we just love him.”
“However, it will soon start to get pretty hectic again and I feel pretty excited. I am going back to school, yet again. I plan to start back in early 2025. I will be pursuing my bachelor’s degree in nursing!”
