Wanting to Help Others
On her journey to becoming a nurse, Sydney Hurst traces her inspiration to a childhood television show.
“When I was five years old, I got a Doc McStuffins kit. I was so intrigued by everything about it that I started focusing on becoming a nurse, and it’s been that way for me ever since.”
Now entering the final weeks of her sophomore year, the Fremont native took a slight veer off that path after her first year at Midland. “I had been so focused on nursing that I kind of cocooned myself into that career. When I got to Midland, I started seeing people doing other things, and I started psyching myself out and thinking maybe nursing wasn’t for me. I did some exploring that second year, changed jobs, but none of it gave me the satisfaction of that one-on-one patient care you get from being a nurse. I think being away from nursing for that time gave me more motivation and passion when I returned because I knew this was what I wanted.”
The opportunity to be a caregiver for someone in need, and make them feel a little more confident about their situation, is what drives Sydney in her quest to be part of the nursing field. “I want to be involved in someone’s life where I can make things a little better. You have two complete strangers getting to know each other and I want to be able to do something where it makes their day better.”
She is getting to practice that philosophy in her new job at Methodist Health Fremont where she has interactions with patients on a daily basis. “I help with making sure they are following their care plan, and anything else they might need. Being around nurses has really reinforced my decision.”
While Midland wasn’t exactly high on her radar for colleges when she first started her search, she realized one of the best nursing programs around was in her backyard. “When I started looking at nursing programs, Midland kept popping up as one of the best. I came here for a tour and loved the campus, and after that visit, I applied for the nursing program.”
Being close to home was important to Sydney, but she also wanted to make sure she was able to differentiate college life from home life. “One of the reasons I chose Midland was to be close to home, but I thought that might mean not being able to enjoy the full college experience. But that wasn’t the case. I’ve been able to get involved on campus, which has been amazing.”
Her involvement has included being part of EcoWarriors, Warrior Welcome Days, and the Student Nursing Association, a group for which she will serve as president next school year. But her greatest joy has come during her two years as an Admissions Ambassador. “I just love being involved in the Admissions office and around campus. I love giving tours and meeting students from all over.”
As she spends the next two years preparing for her career, Sydney is ready for whatever lies ahead, although she would like that to be somewhere close to Fremont. “I’m going to embrace anything and everything that comes my way. I’m going to keep my mind open and see what falls in my lap. I would like to stay in Nebraska. This is my home.”
Sydney Hurst is a sophomore nursing major from Fremont, Nebraska.
