Faith Fisher - Nursing Student, New York University

I sold my house, my car, and in May of this year, I said goodbye to my friends and family in Birmingham, Alabama. I never imagined how my world would open up…how rewarding nursing could be, nor did I imagine the experiences that this year would bring. Coming to New York University to study Nursing, would have been impossible without scholarships and student loans. I have waited for what seems like an eternity to fulfill this dream.

It was a breathtaking day in NYC-the kind that you are thankful for in the wake of the dog days of summer. The air was crisp and the sky was blue. As I emerged from the subway, on my way to school, I heard a loud rumbling in the sky. It seemed extremely close and out of place.

As the towers fell, I stood stunned at the reports. Terrorists had attacked New York and the Pentagon. One plane was still in the air.

It was my first clinical day in my med-surge course I arrived at New York University's Tisch Hospital; the plume of smoke grew in the distance. I prayed---"please God, let me be of service today." My classmates and I arrived in time to organize the blood drive that occurred in the hospital lobby. People came in droves, with tear stained faces. I was among a group of 6 students routed to Chelsea Piers. We gathered supplies and were quickly escorted to the triage site.

At Chelsea Piers, I was assigned to the Red Zone. Within 2 hours, an army of health care personnel managed to assemble 56 trauma stations. I received my assignment from one of the attending physicians. In a panic I realized that I had never started and IV before, and this task was included on my list of responsibilities. I quickly made my way to my clinical professor, Dr. Ayello. Within minutes, I learned how to start an IV and reviewed the priorities of patient care in an emergency situation. I absorbed a tremendous amount of knowledge in a very short period of time.

The day turned into night. A long night. We waited for patients. We treated firefighters and policemen. Where were the people who had been in the buildings? Were they dead? The police decided to further secure the triage site. I couldn't help but think we might be in danger. Dr. Ayello asked our group of nursing students if we wanted to continue. I stayed. Because my day had been so busy, it was midnight before I saw the first news coverage. I couldn't believe my eyes. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Dr. Ayello and I decided it was time to rest. We slept on a mat in the middle of the gymnasium with two strangers. One was a fireman; the other was a doctor. I don't know their names, but am touched by their courage and dedication.

On Thursday, I gathered supplies from area hospitals. Everyone was doing their part! The National Guard delivered a fellow student and myself to ground zero. We took our supplies into the war zone. Now veterans of this disaster, we looked to the North and East (noting the direction to run if and when the sirens go off). We wrote our names on our back of our shirts. The National Guard suggested we write our social security numbers somewhere on our body.

At ground zero, I helped organize a triage center. I held the hands of rescue workers, gave them Gatorade, IV fluids and encouragement. That was about the best I could do. And as I handed a respirator mask to one rescue worker, another one called to me from behind. "Hey Faith," he said. I turned around, remembering my name was written in bold letters on my back. And as he smiled, he said, "we could definitely use some of that." I agreed.

I have learned many things during these past few weeks. I learned that humankind is brave and resilient. I learned that people are full of hope and kindness and faith. I learned that listening is often all I can do. Most of the skills I used had very little to do with fancy procedures and more to do with good training, organization and caring. I am undone by the love and compassion of my New York University Nursing professors. I am proud to live in NYC. Most of all, I am honored to know that in 9 months from now, I will be a registered professional nurse.

Faith Fisher
Nursing Student
Accelerated, Dual Degree Program
New York University
Division of Nursing
The Steinhardt School of Education