For Samikshya Dhital BS '20, Nursing is a Journey and a Destination
In 2018, Samikshya Dhital BS’20 was traveling with her family in Nepal when they witnessed an accident involving a couple on a motorcycle. “The woman was injured and screaming to be in pain,” Samikshya recalls. “I jumped out of the back seat and rushed over to her and assured her to remain calm. Then I just asked her if she hit her head, what hurts, just simple assessment questions… She had injured her arm and I was able to make a sling from a shawl and give some support. The ambulance would have taken a couple of hours to reach us, so we ended up giving them a ride to the hospital.” Even without training, she adds, “it was exhilarating that I was able to help her in any way I could and I was so grateful that she was okay.”
The next year, Samikshya, who studied Applied Psychology and Human Relations at Pace University, enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Nursing program at Regis College. “I knew I always wanted to help people,” she says. “My parents since childhood instilled values of giving back to our community and always be a helping hand. My mom is the number one reason I want to be a nurse,” she explains. “She wanted to be a nurse when she was younger however she never continued her studies after high school after her arranged marriage, which was the expected thing to do back in the ‘90s in Nepal.”
There, her dad worked for an agricultural organization, her mom was a schoolteacher, and the family moved to the United States “for a better future.” Her dad put in 12-hour shifts six days a week, her mom worked as a clinical nursing assistant and helped out at the family’s restaurant “so my brother and I [could] focus on our studies and participate in extracurricular activities. My parents have definitely instilled the value of hard work onto myself and the rest of my family.”
Following their lead, Samikshya juggled rigorous academic demands with a position as a Graduate Assistant. It wasn’t easy. She recalls her first day as “full of nerves and self-doubt. However, as we started our days in clinical, I was so amazed by the experience. To be able to practice my skills and have skilled nurses and PCAs train me at one of the best hospitals in the world was truly a privilege. We also got to experience a little bit of different parts of the hospital such as the ambulatory care, emergency department, Neuro ICU.”
What’s in the future?
“I [would] like to pursue my master’s in nursing allowing me to become a nurse practitioner,” she says. “With this I would like to start free clinics in rural areas giving access to regular checkups, free health educational classes, vaccinations etc…five years from now, I hope to be immersed in my career hopefully as a travel nurse, working around the United States or even internationally. I hope to start my master’s degree and further my education, all while being happy doing what I love.”
And if that doesn’t work out?
“I also wanted to be a flight attendant,” Samikshya recalls. “When I started traveling and stopped growing, I realized it was going to be a little difficult considering I am five feet tall. Maybe I can be a flight nurse if they ever make that a career option.”
