“What makes my unit at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh strong is that we’re always communicating and able to get support from each other.”
Angela C. didn't originally study nursing in college. Instead, she majored in biological sciences and minored in theology.
After graduating, she knew she wanted to work in the health field, but she wasn't sure what path she should take. So, she decided to take a year off to work with children at an orphanage in Bolivia.
It was a life-changing experience that gave her the career direction she needed.
"I really fell in love with the service aspect of that and with the interaction that I had with the children there," Angela recalls. "So, whenever I came back, I knew that I wanted to do something related to children."
She eventually enrolled in nursing school, and, as she puts it, "the rest is history."
"Nursing really combined a lot of the service aspect that I loved, and I knew that it would be a career that I would enjoy that incorporated a lot of my values," Angela says.
As a nurse at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, she strives to make medicine and health care more relatable for her patients so they can better understand what's happening.
Angela believes she's always related best to kids, making her a good fit for pediatrics. Her role allows her to bring an element of fun that might otherwise be more difficult with adults.
"To build trust with kids, it's making things fun, having everything be less scary," she says.
Angela and her fellow nurses on 9B care for pediatric cancer patients from infancy through young adulthood. They build bonds with patients and their families, supporting them during challenging times and celebrating with them during moments of joy.
Angela thinks nurses in her unit need to be able to think critically while balancing different emotions and situations.
Most importantly, they need to work together.
"Nursing is definitely a team profession," Angela says. "What makes my unit at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh strong is that we're always communicating and able to get support from each other. A lot of them have become like family to me."
She’s also learned from her own experiences. Having a son gave her new insight and awareness into what a child's parents and family are experiencing while in the hospital.
"Having my own child really showed me that the families and caregivers need just as much attention and care as the patient does," Angela says.
As for those patients and their families, Angela says they've inspired her through their resilience. She's grown a lot since first starting her nursing journey and credits the lessons she's learned for helping her along the way.
Her work and dedication to her profession have not gone unnoticed. Angela has received the DAISY Award for extraordinarily compassionate and clinically excellent care. More recently, she was honored with the Frank LeMoyne Award for nursing excellence.
"I think, for me, it was a reflection of my professional growth and my professional development," Angela says.
"There's a lot that every nurse contributes to the nursing profession, and there's a lot that we work on together. But being able to be recognized and honored for both of those awards, I think, it was really a reflection of thanks and gratefulness for everything that I have been able to do over the years."
It's why she believes she's found her calling at UPMC Children's. Sometimes, that means working long shifts or holidays. But it's why she remains so passionate about being a nurse.
"I was inspired to become a nurse because I love serving others," she says. "I cannot imagine doing what I do anywhere else."
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