A Lasting Impression

by Britta Aadland
(Minneapolis)

Emily was one of my nurse preceptors at the VA during my leadership/management clinical rotation as a nursing student last spring. I considered myself so fortunate to be with her, because compared to other nurses I had worked with in previous rotations, Emily was the first one to really treat me as part of the nursing team, and not a shadow in her footsteps. She gave me such confidence, as it was also my last semester in nursing school. This was just before she moved to the ICU, and I finished my rotation with another nurse; while our time together was short, her influence was lasting.

I recall her enthusiasm for her new position as well as the classes she was preparing to take for her master's degree. I was so struck by her passion for public health and the people she served, which was obvious by the photos she shared in the break room of her trip to Guatemala (if I remember the country correctly).

Emily seemed to really care about my learning and could relate to where I was at as a student with genuine understanding. I sensed she was interested in knowing me more than just a student but as a fellow servant. It definitely helped that she could still remember what it was like to be in school and the inexperience and doubt that goes along with that! One day she took me off the unit for a relaxing break, and we shared conversation over mochas--her treat as she insisted.

This generosity Emily displayed was yet another quality I really noticed about her. One example that I have already frequently recalled is when one of our patients requested some milk that wasn't regularly provided on the floor or available at the time from the hospital's dietary services. Emily went down to either a vending machine or public refrigerator in one of the shops to buy some of that particular milk with the money out of her own pocket. I knew from the patient's appreciation that her thoughtfulness had really brightened his day.

It's now been a little over a year since Emily and I met for those few weeks, but those memories have popped up across my mind here and there ever since. More recently, this January I remembered her trip from those photos as I did my own volunteering in India. I compared her willing guidance and patience to the preceptors I had as I began orientation for my first position as a registered nurse. Just last week I was sharing my experiences at the VA with another Bethel alum, and when she told me about Emily, I was devastated.

I hurt for all her family and friends and share my deepest sorrow with you. If she made this much of an impression on a girl she barely knew, I know God made her shine even brighter for everyone else she encountered in her life. I trust in Christ's promise that her spirit will be reunited with all who love her one glorious day for eternity.