“There are so many moments that remind me why I chose nursing as a profession…”
Caitlyn Horton, RN, ECU Health Chowan Hospital shares her story:
“When I think about my journey in nursing, it really started in high school. I was a part of a student organization called HOSA, which stands for Health Occupations Students of America, an international career and technical student organization. My HOSA teacher, Linda P. West, RN, encouraged me to learn more about the human body and professional careers in health care. She was amazing! She helped me develop my passion for nursing and I knew exactly what to expect before I started nursing school.
Obtaining my nursing degree was challenging but I felt well prepared when I entered the program at Beaufort County Community College in Washington, North Carolina. The hands-on clinical experience helped me transition into working in the hospital. I completed my clinicals at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a campus of ECU Health Medical Center and when I graduated from my nursing program, I applied to the new graduate residency program at ECU Health Beaufort. The residency program at ECU Health Beaufort allowed me to have experience on each unit. I was paired with amazing preceptors who were able to orient me on each unit. After a few months, I decided to transfer to ECU Health Chowan Hospital for a shorter commute to work and there I began working on the Medical Surgical Unit. I love the population on MedSurg mainly because I am able to spend time with my patients. Working on the MedSurg floor allows me to see their progress. One of my most memorable experiences is caring for a patient I called my adopted grandma. I felt like I could talk to her about anything. She was admitted to the hospital and became a patient on my floor for quite some time. The day she was leaving, the whole floor felt it. We were happy to see her get better but definitely missed her warm spirit.
There are so many moments that remind me why I chose nursing as a profession — from the many opportunities at ECU Health to grow in my career and the chance to give back to the upcoming nurses through preceptorship. Every day I’m reminded of my journey and how my HOSA instructor inspired me. I still keep in touch with Linda to this day. She is the reason why I am a nurse and I am forever grateful.”