Biology News
Nursing Graduate Building Relationships
Becky Rodriguez puts the principles of the EMU nursing program — service, spiritual love, justice and grace — into practice in her work as a nurse in the oncology department. Photo by Thomas J. Turney
By Joe T. O'Connor, Rocktown Weekly
www.rocktownweekly.com
Being in a hospital can be hard, especially as a family member watching a loved one cope with a disease such as cancer or Alzheimer’s.
But working directly with patients, day in and out, can be just as painful.
Becky Rodriguez, a registered nurse at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, has worked with patients there for two years. Most of her days are filled with patient assessments in the oncology ward at the hospital, performing blood transfusions and administering chemotherapy. Some days are harder than others, and seeing the rapid regression of some patients’ health has shown her the difficult aspects of her profession.
“Sometimes, it happens so fast,” said the 24-year-old native of Lancaster, Pa. “It can seem unfair.”
But that’s also why Rodriguez chose to be a nurse. She says its part of the job and a way for her to give back to the community.
“Being a nurse is a way of service,” she said. “It’s a way I can help, and there’s a shortage of nurses these days, especially as the baby boom generation ages.”
A Christian approach
Six years ago, Rodriguez, then Becky Lengacher, moved to the Harrisonburg area to attend school at Eastern Mennonite University. She began as a biology major and planned to go to medical school. Then she realized she didn’t want to be a student for eight years, so she transferred to the nursing program at EMU.
Growing up in a Mennonite family, Lengacher easily took to EMU’s nursing philosophy, which is centered on a Christian approach, including service, spiritual love, justice and grace.
Throughout the program, 6-8 students followed a professor on clinical rotations, learning ways to both treat patients and talk to them.
“It was a great hands-on learning experience,” said Rodriguez, who married Eloy Rodriguez, a science and history teacher at Montevideo two years ago. “They taught us how to establish relationships with patients.”
And that’s not always easy. “You can’t get too attached. You have to be professional by keeping the relationships separate from your personal life. It’s tough, but I can do it.”
Since graduating two years ago, Rodriguez has learned some tough lessons that school didn’t teach her.
Last year, a patient diagnosed with cancer was assigned to Rodriguez. He died within a year.
“That was the most difficult situation I’ve had to deal with since I’ve been here,” Rodriguez said. “We became pretty close and I enjoyed all the time we spent talking.”
She thinks some nurses may become numb to these types of situations, but she hasn’t arrived there yet.
“I’ve been here almost two years, so I’m still new,” Rodriguez said. “Some people choose to desensitize themselves, but I think you just can’t get overly attached.”
Moving on
This summer, Rodriguez and her husband plan to move with their cat, Emma, to the northern part of North Carolina. “We’re thinking maybe Raleigh,” Becky said. “Right now we’re just working on plans. That would be a good area because we wanted to be somewhat close to our families.”
Though she’s unsure what aspect of nursing she’d like to pursue in the future, Rodriguez says she will stick with the profession.
“In this field, I’m always learning,” she said. “It’s a continual learning experience.”
