M
y name is Azeb
Kidane. I come
from Eritrea.
I have 3 little
boys. I have been living here
since 2013.
I got my diploma at Maihar
Technical School in Eritrea
where I studied Electronics.
Currently I am a student at
Carlos Rosario Public Charter
School. I am taking the Nurse
Aide Training class. My goal
is to be a registered nurse and
work at the hospital.
I was inspired to be a Certified
Nurse Assistant when I was 12
years old. My older sister and
I suffered from a severe malaria
infection. I stayed at the local
hospital for 3 weeks and my
sister, who was in worse condi-
tion than I, was immediately
referred to a large hospital in
Azeb Kidane
the city. I remember one night
when I was alone because my
father went to help my sister.
The nurses stayed with me,
helped me and treated me like
part of their family. I hated
the hospital smell and medi-
cation, especially the injec-
tions, but the nurses helped me
go outside to get fresh air and
encouraged me to take medica-
tion and food.
Finally, my sister and I recov-
ered from our illness and
survived. After this experience,
I began to imagine myself as a
nurse and help others who are
not able to help themselves.
When sick people are in the
hospital, they feel lonely and
hopeless. The nurses play a very
big role for these patients, more
than other hospital members,
because nurses spend the most
51
time with them. Another inspi-
ration for me was my brother
who always encouraged me
to be a nurse. As an anatomy
teacher in a university, he really
likes the field and he told me I
can be a good nurse because I
am a people person.
My short term goal is to
finish my Nurse Aide Train-
ing successfully and work at
the hospital for one year to
get experience and explore
the field. My long term goal
is to get my associate degree
to become a registered nurse
and work at the hospital with
elderly patients.
Working with the elderly inter-
ests me because they need to
talk about their past and I am
social and good listener. Step
by step, I am working hard to
achieve my goals.