Emily Rice, BS 2019
From new nurse to a frontline worker, Emily Rice BS 2019 tells the story of her nursing journey.
Background
Emily Rice is a 2019 graduate of the UMass Amherst Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and is currently a critical care nurse in Boston. After graduating and feeling ready to jump into the world of nursing, Emily packed her car and moved down to our nation’s capitol, Washington, DC.
After finishing a new grad program and coming off orientation, Emily thought she was ready for whatever the then COVID-19-hit Cardiac ICU had to throw at her.
Working through COVID-19
For Emily, that year of gowning up in full PPE and caring for the sickest patients taught her a lot about life, death, and what it means to truly care for others. Emily says of her time in a COVID-19 ICU, “I have always seen it as a privilege to be with someone at the end of their life. Being there and making people feel comfortable, connected, and cared for is an honor.”
Lessons to Share
Reflecting back on her first few years in the nursing field, Emily couldn’t imagine a more rewarding profession to have chosen. One of the biggest lessons she’s learned through this tumultuous start to her career is that there are times when things don't go as planned, and that's okay; it's actually part of life. Take advantage of the changes and keep evolving with them.
Emily is now working in the Cardiac Cath lab at one of the big Boston hospitals. The Cath lab was never originally on her radar, but as life changed, she found this incredible opportunity to practice critical care medicine in a new way and is beyond happy with her choice.
Plans for the future
Emily would like to to continue to master her critical care nursing skills and explore leadership or educational opportunities in her hospital. She also enjoys writing and hopes to create a way to share her nursing knowledge with larger audiences. She feels fortunate that nursing offers endless opportunities to grow and learn.