During this National Nurses Week (expanded to Nurses Month as of 2020), we’d like to recognize one of our excellent nurses, Astrid Hagopian. Astrid is an IDD nurse with RHA in Nashville, TN.
Astrid knew from a very young age that she wanted to dedicate her life to nursing. When she was a child, her younger brother, Robert, was admitted to the children’s hospital where Astrid was only able to visit him through a window. This was very hard on Robert because he wanted to play with his siblings and missed being at home. Astrid was inspired by the compassion of Robert’s nurses as they cared for him and calmed him down. Watching them inspired her to become a nurse.
Astrid believes that being a nurse is a calling. She says to be a good nurse you need to have “patience, gentleness, diligence and absolutely have a passion for the field.” The most rewarding aspect of nursing for Astrid is seeing a smile on the faces of the people she supports. She describes it as, “winning a gold medal” when you see them improving.
Her advice to someone entering the field is to be ready to work hard — “nursing can be grueling and emotional, but if you love it, it’s all worth it!”
During Astrid’s free time she loves to cook. She also enjoys spending time with her family, including her two dogs, Charlie and Belle, and her very large cat Tigger.