Shanice Johnson
Inspired by Her Nurses
Shanice Johnson was born in Jamaica and emigrated with her family to New York when she was 9 years-old. “It was freezing,” laughed Johnson who arrived in Brooklyn during a cold January. She described several experiences with nurses that made her choose the profession. These experiences have also given her a window into the type of nurse she would like to become.
What made you decide to become a nurse?
When I first came to America, I had to get immunizations and I was terrified of needles. When I went for shots the first time, the nurse actually hugged me. She was so nice.
My family would return to Jamaica to visit my aunt who had cervical cancer. My aunt didn’t trust anyone except for one particular nurse and this nurse ensured my aunt took her medication. I don’t know how the nurse did it, but she got my aunt to stay in the hospital. My aunt was a difficult patient. She would pull out IV’s and scream and, in general, was in denial about her condition. To this day my family talks about this nurse. She was an angel.
How has nursing school changed you?
It gave me the opportunity to experience and learn about different cultures. It’s easy to only have one view of the world, but nursing school enabled me to work with people of different races and religions. The more I worked with people from a variety of different worlds, the more I realized how similar we all are.
Do you know in what area you want to specialize?
Pediatric intensive care. When I worked there during my clinicals, I thought to myself: how can you work here and not be motivated?
What do you believe will be your greatest strength as a nurse?
I believe that everyone should receive the best care possible. Optimal care is the goal for everyone. I will go above and beyond to be sure I provide that care. I also self-check to see if I’m doing my best. My goal is when I finish that I will be able to sleep at night knowing I did right.
