At Your Service, Jocelyn R. Smith

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Jocelyn R. Smith

Updated: March 7, 2012 8:03AM

Age: 23

Residence: Whiting

Employment: Home health aide and certified nursing assistant for Help At Home, Merrillville

Duties: “Taking care of elderly people who reside at home instead of in a nursing facility.”

Education: 2006 graduate of Thornridge High School in Dolton, Ill. “I continued my education in the medical field a few years after when I attended Brown Mackie College for the medical assistant program and graduated in 2010; also took a CNA class to become a certified nurse assistant. Currently, I am enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College, taking my prerequisites for the R.N. nursing program. When I am finished, I will transfer to the University of St. Francis in Crown Point for the nursing program.”

What will you do once you’ve earned your degree? “After I receive my associate’s degree, I will work at a local hospital for experience. During this time, I also plan to go back for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I have learned growing up you just don’t stop there — you must aim for the highest goal possible. That’s what I plan to do, even with two kids, anything is possible because if I teach them that I never gave up they will do the same.”

Why did you choose this profession? “I chose the profession of becoming an R.N. because, as a child, my grandmother passed when I was only 12 and I couldn’t do anything. This made me feel like I just had to be a nurse when I got older — to help people when they got ill and needed someone. Another life experience which really drove me toward this goal was giving birth to a beautiful baby girl at 25 weeks. Having to watch my baby fight for her life for two-and-a half months just to make it in the world made me want to become a nurse even more. Just all the things those nurses did for my daughter to survive made me more excited and interested in becoming a nurse.”

What is the most challenging part of your job? “I would say sometimes it can be challenging when you work with a client every day, or more than most family members, and they try and tell you how to do your job. It’s a challenge because you don’t want to seem rude or to step on anybody’s toes, so sometimes you just have to sit back and be quiet.”

What is the most enjoyable part of your job? “The enjoyable part I love about my job would be my clients. I love elderly people — they are so amazing and they have a lot of knowledge to spare and can teach you a lot of things about life that you may think you already know.”

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen since beginning your career? “I would say a big change for me would be that, at first, it was kind of hard to except death. It’s hard when you get attached, but I have learned that it’s better to see a person at rest and at peace than to see them in so much pain.”

What changes do you foresee for health care? “I see a lot of changes, especially with all of this technology they are coming up with. Regarding my daughter being a premature baby, all the nurses told me that if it had been many years before, she wouldn’t have been able to survive. But because of the technology today, she was able to make it and I am so thankful for that.”

What advice would you give someone considering a career in healthcare? “The best advice I could give a person who wants to pursue a career in the healthcare field is to ‘go for it’ if that’s your interest and your goal. You won’t be disappointed. You learn new things every day and the majority of the people you come across are so amazing.”

Are there any common misconceptions regarding what home healthcare professionals do? “A lot of people may think that home healthcare workers may not do a lot, because you are in a person’s house. But that’s not true. You actually do more — because you have a lot of one-on-one time with your client.
— Compiled by Sue Ellen Ross, Post-Tribune correspondent