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Pursuing her career as a registered nurse (RN), she would come to understand that it was more than just donning a pair of scrubs and administering medicine. Her journey would lead her to achieve and overcome more than she could have imagined. Starting as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) in 2004, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in 2005 while attending Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Shelbyville. After working a year on the medical-surgical\/progressive care unit floor for a year, she became a cardiology nurse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have been in that role since the end of 2006,\u201d explained Weatherspoon. \u201cDuring that time, I have performed several roles and grown in education and experience in these different roles. However, during this time of growth, I was also diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma. I have been in remission since 2018.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her battle with cancer led her to delve further into medicine. It would also help guide her through an unexpected and devastating time in her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s what stirred me up to go back and get more education,\u201d she said. \u201cI bridged from an LPN to an RN in 2021 at Motlow. In the last semester, my husband, Andy, suffered a dissection of his aorta and died suddenly. This only pushed me further to do more in the medical profession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is currently working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and plans to become a nurse practitioner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With all the adversity she has faced in her career, Weatherspoon said it has been a humbling journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOver the past 17 years, I\u2019ve experienced an amazing shift in my perspective on nursing,\u201d she said. \u201cI continue to be humbled. Losing my husband changed my entire profession. Now, in addition to doing everything in my power to assist the patient, I also remember the terrified family member seated in the chair next to them. I continue to achieve things daily that I thought I would never do. My biggest achievement would be making it through LPN and RN school during Andy\u2019s death. This all while working full time and raising two very active boys. The biggest challenge I think I have faced is working in the specialty, which was the cause of Andy\u2019s death. It\u2019s hard some days when the patients come through and have suffered the same condition.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Weatherspoon added that she is dedicated to \u201censuring that everyone receives top-notch treatment\u201d when it comes to her patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With almost two decades of experience under her belt, Weatherspoon understands that helping people far outweighs the demands of the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a simple job,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a person going to work in patient care while wearing cute scrubs. It\u2019s someone who will make every effort to serve a patient to get them the best care. Despite the fact that they don\u2019t always receive the credit they deserve, nurses still show up and take care of their patients\u2019 needs. Also, trauma can change your life. It puts you in a position where you choose to keep pushing forward or stop your life. You make that decision. I am glad for the sake of my patients and my kids, I chose to push forward.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IN THE face of adversity, pushing forward is a testament to resilience and strength. During tough times, we discover the depths of our character and capacity for growth. Each obstacle presents an opportunity for learning and transformation. It may feel overwhelming, but we cultivate courage and determination by embracing challenges. We find solace in knowing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":20755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/10\/1-1024x683.png\")