Zahra Rangwalla, a 5th-semester MSN (Entry Into Nursing) student, spoke to prospective students during Accepted Students Day. She shares why she chose Hopkins, her experience at the School of Nursing, and how the school has prepared her for a career in nursing:
Watch Zahra’s Speech
I am originally from Southern California where I attended the University of California, Irvine, as a Biological Sciences major—similar to many of you, I am sure! After graduating, I began working as a unit assistant in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and later, the Neuroscience Unit, at a children’s hospital in Orange County where I was able to figure out what role I wanted to have in healthcare. I was able to work closely with the nurses and the more I decided that I wanted to become a pediatric nurse, the more they allowed me to observe various procedures, interact with the patients, and fall in love with the profession. While working, I began taking the remainder of the prerequisite courses that Hopkins’ SON required that I had not taken for my undergraduate degree and began applying to various nursing schools. I applied to three schools— University of California— Irvine, Cal Baptist University, and of course, Johns Hopkins! I never thought I would get into Johns Hopkins’ SON but my friend told me to apply to the number one program in the country and offered to pay for my application. I could not turn down that offer, so I applied! And here I am, five semesters later, so so grateful to have made the decision to apply and accept my admission to Hopkins!
My decision to come to Hopkins, however, was not easy. I did not know if I was ready to leave the comfort of home, my family and friends, the beautiful weather and beaches, or my job, but I figured, I would never have the opportunity to live in another state and experience a different side of the country again, if it was not to attend Johns Hopkins (because I refused to leave California for any other reason). I also knew that if I left California, there was a very real possibility that I would not make the connections needed to work at a California hospital immediately after graduation. I also knew that UCI had a more affordable program, however, Hopkins had the name, the prestige, the connections and network, as well as the clinical hours and experiences that I wanted to gain from my time in nursing school. I also saw that Hopkins offered curriculum enhancement programs such as the Fuld Fellowship, Research Honors, Policy Honors, and Birth Companions which was something that I had not seen at other schools. I love quality improvement and patient safety work, so Fuld looked really interesting to me. So… after making a pros and cons list, talking to my friends and family, and taking a leap of faith, I made the decision to grow and learn and live in a different state and come to Hopkins. I attended my Happy to Include You Hour and Accepted Students Day which was my first exposure to Hopkins and my final deciding factor that convinced me to commit to and attend Hopkins. The way the current students at the time described the program, the free time you could have with immaculate time management, and all of the various activities they had gotten involved in by living in Baltimore (like auditioning to become a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens) really inspired me and made me want to come to Hopkins. Little did I know, I had also made some of my best friends that day! I went back home to California, enjoyed the beautiful weather and beaches, and counted down the months from April to August when I would get to start my first semester here and got ready to begin nursing school.
August came, I packed my boxes, filled up my car, said my goodbyes and began my 3.5-day road trip with my mom to drive cross country to Baltimore. I got here and remember feeling so nervous, overwhelmed, excited, and unsure of what was to come. BUT, I called the friends I had made at my Happy to Include You Hour the night I arrived in Baltimore and hosted a dinner cooked by my mom with them, and I haven’t looked back since. The Zumba Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Friday night outings to Fells, Fed Hill, and DC, day trips to New York City, and the many more traditions that we have built have been the moments that I have treasured throughout my time here in nursing school. Being able to get involved with the Fuld fellowship and Health Systems Science programs (another curriculum enhancement program), become a Student Ambassador, and Cohort 17 Senator, and join the e-boards for various organizations on campus such as the Integrative Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) and Nurse Anesthesia Pre-Professional Interest Group (NAPPIG), have been some of the ways I was able to learn the leadership and time management skills I will use in my future career as a nurse.
The Fuld Fellowship was by far one of my favorite activities that I engaged with because it taught me so much about research and quality improvement that I did not know prior to being paired with my Fuld mentor. I worked on a systematic review with my mentor and team, and learned how to perform academic research on a topic that could benefit nursing students and the future of nursing. I not only got to spend two semesters working on this project as a Fuld fellow but was able to continue this research in my fourth and fifth semesters and have been able to actively contribute to tabulating data and writing the manuscript. I loved the program so much that I applied and was also accepted to become a TA for the course! And this has been so much fun! I truly enjoy getting to serve as a guide and resource for current Fuld fellows and provide information about the program to first semester students who are interested in applying to the Fuld fellowship.
I say all of this to encourage you all to get involved on campus, as you see fit for yourself! There are so many opportunities, and they can be overwhelming to look at and hear about, but I recommend for you to do what is best for you. If you are interested in any of these programs and ways to get involved, I always recommend applying because you can always say ‘no’ before you accept the position. It is better to give yourself an opportunity to say ‘yes’ than to not apply at all and regret it.
Nursing school is not all fun and games though— it’s also a lot of hard work. From week one, we were in the clinical setting at the hospital getting to apply what we were learning in our Health Assessment and Foundations labs, getting to listen to breath and heart sounds and take vital signs and interact with patients. I remember my very first day of clinical during my first semester. I had just gotten report with my nurse from the nightshift nurse when my nurse asked me if I was able to perform foley care. Not knowing what was within my scope of practice or what foley care entailed, I looked at my clinical instructor and asked her if I was allowed to perform foley care. She said ‘yes’ so I told my nurse ‘yes’ without even knowing what I was signing up for. As the time got closer for me to do foley care, I sat with my clinical instructor while she explained to me the steps to perform foley care and reviewed the specific wipes I would need. I reviewed this with her three more times because I was so nervous and took one of my classmates into the patient’s room with me to make sure I was performing foley care accurately and to help me if I needed help. Ultimately, I was just making sure that the patient’s foley catheter was clean and not going to introduce any bacteria into his bladder, but it was the first thing I was doing on my own and was so nervous. But in the end, my friend and I thanked the patient for letting us learn and we left the room laughing about how stressed I was for no reason. The patient was a sweetheart, and my clinical instructor had talked me through the steps perfectly. Which really goes to show that clinical instructors are at clinicals to be your guide and help you through the first time you perform a new activity and need guidance or reassurance.
The classwork was the other side of business in this program and did not come without stress and moments of panic when due dates were creeping up with a busy schedule, but the supportive environment here at Hopkins makes you feel motivated and encouraged to get your work done- and it always seemed to work out! Students in upper semesters are always willing to give study tips and advice to new students and help them find their way. There is also a peer mentor program, and it is something that I have loved being a part of. As a mentee during my first semester and a mentor during my second, fourth, and fifth semesters, I have truly enjoyed being paired with first semester students and giving them my advice for how to navigate the SON, Hopkins, and Baltimore as a city. It is an easy friendship and resource for first semester students and can be really fun!
So, I hope you all choose to come to Hopkins and make the memories of a lifetime and you get to enjoy this school and city as much as I have gotten to over the past two years. The opportunities and moments I have gotten to cherish here have been some of my favorites. The friends I spend every day with are the ones I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with, and I cannot wait to take my Hopkins nursing education to my future new grad nursing career on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
As you begin your own nursing school journey, I would encourage you all to make the most of every minute you have here because the two years fly by! Get involved, give your all to your classwork and learning the material, ask questions and seek clarification in class, and do not be afraid to put yourself out there! We cannot wait to welcome you to Hopkins and be here for you as you embark on your nursing school journey!