I am researching nursing and the person I am interviewing is Akijah Palmer. Akijah is a registered nurse working at Saint Francis, and she graduated with her BSN in 2018. Contrary to what I expected, the interview started with her asking me loads of questions. She asked about highschool, where I committed to this fall, and why I chose nursing. I explained my passion for helping others and she completely related to it. she told me she felt helpless when those around her got sick and from a young age she knew she wanted to do something about that, so that she never felt helpless again. I asked her about the schooling and she admitted that it was a pretty intense and difficult degree to obtain. I vocalized my fear of failing and falling behind and she was so reassuring. Her advice was to always set aside time to study, but to always set time aside for myself too. Too much of either is never good. I asked her what the worst and best parts of the job were. she started off with the best, saying it's the most rewarding job she could have ever imagined. She gets to help people every day and her job never gets boring. She told me the worst was how stressful the job itself can be. Having families and patients yelling at you, alongside your coworkers and superiors all while trying to decide what the best care is for someone can be a lot to manage. In Connecticut, the average salary of a regular nurse with a BSN is about $81,220, but can be lower or higher depending on the hospital or years of experience, Akijah shared she was very satisfied with the amount of money she made, and she liked how much freedom she has with her schedule. I asked about the benefits and the main one she focused on was how much of a blessing it was to have good insurance. As someone who grew up with two sick parents, I too understand the power that having a decent insurance has. Medical bills are so stressful and can tear families apart. We talked a bit about the jobs I currently have, and she told me I seem like the perfect fit for nursing because I am already so used to working hard. She said that is a lot of work and time on your feet, and people who like to slack off have no business in the field. I really connected with Akijah and talking to her really elevated a lot of my stress about nursing school. She made me more confident in my decision to pursue my BSN and I will definitely stay on this path. She did not go to school beyond her four years and both before and after this interview I did not plan on it either. Maybe one day I might have the desire to pursue another degree but as of right now I do not plan to. I am very thankful for the opportunity to talk to Akijah and get her insight.