2019 Award Winner Jerrisha Goines from Minneapolis MN
My Story
Jerrisha Goines, RN
Minneapolis, MN
Jerrisha (Risha) Goines of Minneapolis, MN just graduated with her BSN on May 25 from St. Catherine University in St Paul. Congratulations Risha on your graduation and for being our 2019 Education Award Winner! We know you are thrilled as the Education Award money is going toward your last semester tuition payment.
What was Risha’s path that drew her to Nursing? From the time she was in 5th grade, Risha was interested in the human body. She wanted to be a pediatrician and was also drawn to teaching in the medical field. Around this time, her cousin was born with a heart defect. Her family was told he had 2 years, but he lived until he was 5 years old.
The Nurse who took care of him was fantastic and had a huge impact on Risha and her family. This Nurse went above & beyond for her cousin and Risha’s family and became a very close family friend. They knew the doctor, but they really got to know the Nurse as she was always there helping in any way she could. They trusted her and built a strong relationship.
Because of this deeply personal experience and fascination with the medical field, Risha set her sig
hts on becoming a Pediatric Nurse. She loved the idea of working with children because “children are so resilient and adjust well to their circumstances. Kids are so fun and so cute!”
Risha just finished her preceptorship working in the NICU at Children’s Minnesota and hopes to work at Children’s full time. She’s taking the boards the end of June and hopes to be accepted to their new grad program that starts July 15. She’s taking the NCLEX around this time as well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that all goes well!
Risha stated that she’s been blessed with terrific internships. Her work experience includes being a Personal Care Assistant, Home Health Aide, and Customer Service Rep at a bank. She’s currently a CNA at Methodist Hospital in St Louis Park in Labor & Delivery. Her long term plans include becoming a NP with a specialization in Neonatology. She’s interested in preventative medicine too.
The Nurse who took care of her cousin is always on her mind. She thinks about how phenomenal she was in her caring and giving attitude. Risha said “your mood and attitude directly affects the patient. Even if you’re having a bad day, you have to try and hide it.”
She said “if a patient is being judged or was scared by a Nurse who treated them badly, it can affect their willingness to seek medical help in the future.” Risha is always cognizant of her attitude because of how it affects the patient. She said “if you’re a horrible Nurse, it impacts and makes a difference to the patient”.
I asked Risha what’s the best part of the work she’s done. She said “Helping is her Passion”. Creating relationships with her patients, helping them feel better, and doing the little things that make a difference is rewarding. Risha said “something as little as rubbing the feet and legs of a pregnant patient who is restricted tobedrest and seeing her gratitude makes me feel as good as the patient”. Again, it’s the little things that make a difference.
I asked her what is difficult about her work so far and she said “I get so attached to the babies and then they go home. I miss them”.
Risha is also a mother of a 6-year old boy. The end of May is a busy time for Risha and her son because not only did she graduate on May 25, her son is graduating kindergarten today, May 28.
Woohoo – Congratulations to you both!