By Monica Tenhunen, DNP
Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
Full-time Lecturer at CSU Long Beach
Alumna of San Diego State

Monica Tenhunen visiting a church in Krakow, Poland, as she indulges her other passion – travel

Children have many dream careers.  For me, the dream was always to be a nurse. There was something powerful in caring for people – a type of joy that comes from touching the lives of patients and their families in a time of need. 

Now well into a career as a nurse practitioner I understand the less appealing sides of the job: long-hours, the loss of patients, mental stress and physical strain.  Yet, the most challenging situations often bring the greatest reward.

I once cared for an older adult who was dying of cancer.  Her bravery approaching the end of her life was remarkable.  Her grown children, however, were struggling with the prospect of losing their mother.  They became absorbed in their own fears and emotional turmoil and were not able to provide their mother with the support she needed.  As a nurse practitioner, I was able to pull her children aside and work through the end of life issues with them.  With a little more information and support, the family was able to pull together during this terrible time and provide comfort to a dying woman. More …