Nursing and the golden rule
Name: Eunjeong Yang
Occupation: Hemodialysis nurse (St. Paul’s Hospital)
Union: BCNU
Eunjeong was inspired to be a nurse by her parents who instilled in her the strong work ethic she brings to her career.
“My parents always encouraged me to find a career that I would enjoy and where I can help others,” says Eunjeong. “I was drawn to the sciences, so when my mother suggested a nursing career, I didn’t hesitate.”
Once I entered nursing school, I enjoyed the courses so much that I was usually the top student in my class,” says Eunjeong. “That made my parents proud, so everything worked out very well.”
In her third year of her nursing program, Eunjeong travelled to the US for several months and visited the big universities she was considering attending. At that time, one of the most popular television dramas was “ER”, and Eunjeong thought to herself ‘that is my dream; I wish I could work like that!’
When she returned to Korea she made the decision to work and study hard. Her goal was to return to North America within five years to work as a nurse.
Eunjeong didn’t yet speak English, but she was determined. She relied on her translated Korean nursing textbook and the English original to help learn the new language. “The amazing thing is that I made it all happen within five years,” says Eunjeong.
She started her first full-time nursing position in Winnipeg. After a few years she moved to BC and trained to be a Hemodialysis nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Eunjeong was active with her nurses’ union in Korea, so as a BCNU member she already knew that unions were working to improve nurses’ rights and patient care at St. Paul’s. In Canada, she’s able to build on her Korean experience through the educational services BCNU offers to union stewards and working members.
“I’m very happy being a nurse,” says Eunjeong. “I enjoy a professional career and learn so many things from my patients.”
Eunjeong says that she often sees her life through her patients. “We are all human and we’re all going to get older and get sick one day,” says Eunjeong. “When I see my patients I think about the treatments they go through, and I always want to give them the quality care I hope to get if I was in their position.”