Her Story
About Arnisa
I'm currently working as a surgical tech, and it'll be 11 years next month in this role. I work in surgery and have built extensive experience in the operating room over the past decade. I also traveled as a surgical tech on and off for 4 or 5 years, which took me to Colorado where I was living before moving back home. I just finished my first semester of nursing school, which represents a dream realized for me. I've known I wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a young child, but every time I applied to nursing programs, there was always something else I needed to get into the specific program. A vascular surgeon I used to work with last summer called me and said, 'Girl, when are you going back to school for nursing? You have all the other degrees, when are you gonna go back?' That conversation was a turning point. I had to talk to God about it, and I told him if you open this door, I'll do whatever I need to do. So I got accepted, and I moved back to Mississippi, which is where I'm from, to pursue this calling. I already have my bachelor's and my master's degrees, so now I'm adding nursing to complete my educational journey and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Arnisa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would most definitely say how my mom raised me. My mom didn't finish college. She had my brother, and she didn't finish school. She's always talked about going back to school. My thing is, I feel like every time I finish a degree, I finish it for the both of us. She chose to be a mom. She chose to be a provider. That's what I attribute to the fact of I never give up on my dreams, because she put her dreams on hold to take care of us. Every degree I complete is not just for me, it's for both of us, honoring the sacrifices she made and the dreams she deferred so that I could have the opportunities I have today.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never let someone's outlook on your life determine your outlook on your life. I'm a Black female from Mississippi. Statistics say I was once told by somebody when I was in my 20s, you're supposed to be 3 kids in. I don't have any children. You are the determiner, you are the person that determines how your life will go. You can't let circumstances determine your life, either. That's why I say, never let somebody else's outlook on your life determine your outlook on your life. Because everything we do in life is a choice. How you view yourself and your potential is what matters, not what others expect based on where you're from or what you look like.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
With nurses, there's an extreme shortage, and healthcare is consistently changing. One thing consistent about healthcare is that healthcare is consistently changing. You have all the AI coming in, but the thing is, it's only so much you can make AI. When applying for jobs as new grad nurses, I have people that talk to me who apply for jobs as new grad nurses. A lot of jobs want you to have all this experience, but the thing is, you can't get the experience until you get your foot in the door. That's one of the biggest challenges, this catch-22 where employers want experienced nurses, but new graduates can't get that experience without someone giving them their first opportunity.
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