For my Health Profession Project, I decided to interview Paige Sharp who is an LPN at Fort Belvoir Military Family Clinic. Paige graduated from North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, New York with her LPN.  

What inspired Paige was her grandmother who has been an RN for the last 46 years. Her grandmother graduated from the same college that Paige had attended, North County Community College. She graduated as number 1 in her call and on the dean’s list. Paige’s grandmother is who, rather than what inspired her to get involved in the nursing field. 

Paige started her path into the nursing field in her junior year of high school where she worked hard to become a Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) at the age of 16. She then started working in local facilities with adults with developmental disabilities. When Paige started college she then decided to work in a lab as a phlebotomist while she work to get her LPN. 

A few of Paige’s basic roles and responsibilities would include; intaking patients’ history, taking her patient’s vital signs, answering patients’ questions, sending patients to their respective doctors for the information she can not provide. 

One of Paige’s favorite aspects about her job would be the diversity that comes with it. Paige said that she loves the fact that there is no set area that she has to stay in, she likes the feeling of being able to move around to different areas of the hospital and still have the same level of helpfulness. Paige got the opportunity to become a float nurse, she got to float into 12 different clinics within just one year. She said the best part about that experience was that it forced her to learn so much about each field that she was put in in such a short amount of time. 

Paige stated that the most surprising aspect to her about the field she is in is that someone can be certified in certain elements of the job. She gave the example that “you can certify as a nurse in Geriatrics or in OB.” 

When it comes to the most challenging part about the job Paige said that sticking up for herself when a care provider that is of a higher rank than her asks her to leave her own scope. Paige then says, “ Know your limits and what you can do in your area and say no. Embrace your title, but don’t risk it.”

A small piece of advice from the LPN Paige is, “ don’t limit yourself. Push your experience, gain the most knowledge you can. As a nurse you will NEVER stop learning, we learn and adjust. There are so many opportunities out there you have to be willing to open your mind and try them and experience them fully!”