I was born in Haiti and did most of my growing up there. There isn’t a great deal of cultural diversity within the country. Therefore when I was fourteen and my family and I moved to Massachusetts, it was a major change for me in many ways. On arrival I had to learn a whole new language and adapt to a very different culture. Furthermore, the state of Massachusetts consists of many culturally diverse communities. Although this experience was difficult for me, especially as I was part way through my school education, I revelled in the variety of people I was meeting and the amount of new situations to which I was having to become accustomed.
In dealing with any patient or colleague, effective communication is the key to creating a healthy and trusting rapport. Possibly as a result of the move to MA, I now revel in learning new languages and am fluent in English, Spanish, French and Creole. My proficiency in these languages will help in communicating with immigrants or people whose first language is not English.
While working towards my undergraduate degree I lived and studied in Montreal, Canada. My colleges there attracted many international students and therefore I was able to meet people from all over the world. Being able to understand that people from different backgrounds and cultures have different perspectives is crucial in the nursing profession.
There is a strong need in developing countries for healthcare workers to teach preventative medicine. I aim to work not only in the United States but also in developing countries, and to make a positive impact on the health of people around the world.
