“In high school, my thought was ‘If it’s a C, it’s for me.’ I wasn’t very focused on my school grades, like some of my friends. Honestly, I wish I was more goal-focused, but life had other plans for me, like becoming pregnant during my senior year. It was a bit terrifying being a young mother, but the support of our family and friends eased the unknown.
My main goal was to graduate high school, which I did. I moved out at the age of nineteen with my son’s father. We eventually got married in 2005, but had many ups and downs along the way, and unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned; we went our separate ways just a couple years later. At one point, my sister and her husband took me and my son in so I could save money to get our own place, which we did a year later. When my son was eight-years-old, he was diagnosed with Asperger‘s. It was scary not knowing much about it at that time.
I knew healthcare was my passion and continued down that path by obtaining my CNA in 2000, right after having my son. A few years later, I decided to further my career and obtain my LPN in 2006. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined. As an LPN, my main passion was Wound Care. For many years, I worked as a wound nurse, taking care of patients in a nursing home. In 2007 I became wound care certified, which was always a goal of mine.
In 2009, I remarried, and we bought a home a year later. I continued working as an LPN full-time, went to school part-time, and had a baby girl in 2012. Over the next few years, a lot happened that was overwhelming, including failing out of nursing school. After that, I decided not to go back. I believe it was a mix of embarrassment and also the feeling of failure. I took a break from school for a while until people encouraged me to continue and push forward. One person in particular was my mother-in-law, who constantly told me, “The Lord will guide you. To trust in him to see you through.” I finally found the courage to go back. My husband and family were a huge help. I never thought I would finish, but I was determined to prove to myself that I could do it.
Finally, in 2019, I obtained my Associate’s in Nursing, and it was the best feeling in the world. And, while dealing with the craziness of everyday life, I was able to continue my schooling and make honors. This October, I will officially have my BSN in nursing.
I’ve been at a state psychiatric hospital as an RN charge nurse for the last three years. It was scary at first–we have very sick individuals, but all are unique. It takes a lot of patience, empathy, and dedication to be a psych nurse: all of our patients are court ordered to the facility. Some can be dangerous, confused, and even traumatized.We have a few elderly patients; unfortunately, they get stuck in the system due to no fault of their own. I have a soft spot for one of my elderly ladies. She can definitely be a bit to handle, but listening to her stories and hearing her sing and say she loves us is the best feeling. To know that we can help just one person succeed is a blessing. They didn’t ask to be sick, and it’s very sad seeing how so many people are dealing with mental health issues, and that we don’t have enough resources to help them in our community. Our mental health system is broken.
The moral of the story is to never give up on your dreams. It may have taken me a long time, and I could have quit, but the end result was worth it. I keep thinking about what brought me to this point and how anyone can be successful as long as you put the work into it. I believe that if you work hard, the rest will fall into place. Just keep swimming!”
Karen Baluta Learn, 2000
RN Charge Nurse, State Psychiatric Hospital
