“He’s my inspiration, and he’s one of the reasons why I continued going into medicine and healthcare.”
Tasnim Ismail is talking about her ten-year-old son. He’s why she’s graduating with her Accelerated (UCAN) BS in Nursing degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus.
He was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when he was two weeks old. Ismail and her family were in and out of the hospital during his diagnosis and treatment, allowing her to interact frequently with the nurses who cared for him.
“The nurses who worked with my son and our family had the biggest impact on me because we spent the most time with them,” she says. “I experienced the patient side of things and knew I wanted to get involved in that.”
Ismail’s son was severely sick when she was earning her bachelor’s degree in biology and her master’s degree in pharmacology and physiology. She and her husband had to educate themselves about her son’s sickness so they could make the right medical decisions.
“I wanted to be a nurse because I was an advocate for my son, and I want to be an advocate for other patients,” she says. “I want to be the nurse that patients will rely on and be honest with. I want to be the nurse that provides the best care possible and gives patients and their families the best possible experience they can have.”
Offering the Best Care
Ismail uses her experience with her son’s illness to connect with patients because she understands what they’re going through. She had one experience during her clinical rotation caring for a patient who was, at first, difficult to work with.
“I went up to her, introduced myself, said I was a student, and asked if I could do my patient assessment. She was refusing at first because she was in pain and didn’t want to be there,” she says. “I came back to her room and started making conversation with her, and I was able to help manage her pain. She told me I was so patient and respectful with her, and was happy with the care I provided."
She hopes to earn her master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at CU Nursing so she can offer more care to patients.
“I want to see a patient’s progression and see them get better,” she says. “I know not every patient will get better, but for me, knowing that I did my best and offered them the best care at each stage of their illness is the most rewarding part for me.”
