By Sarah Morgan Johnson
For Anna and Sarah Russell, nursing is a family affair. Both sisters are enrolled in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Anna as a third semester student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and Sarah as a Pre-Nursing student. Only two years apart, Sarah and Anna have encouraged each other in their paths towards nursing.
When asked what sparked their initial interest in nursing, both sisters cite their mother’s nursing career as a tremendous source of inspiration.
“For me the person who has inspired me the most has been my mom, who is a nurse. Growing up with her caring personality made me want to care for people too. We also have a lot of family members in health care, so hearing their stories and how they’re making a difference has really motivated Sarah and me,” Anna said.
When it came time to apply to nursing schools, Anna and Sarah said the UAB School of Nursing was their dream school. They have many family members who are UAB alumni, including their brother, David Russell, who recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with multiple degrees and, and their brother, John Russell, who is currently enrolled in UAB's Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
“Having so many of my older siblings who I look up to at UAB helped make the transition from high school to college easier. The UAB School of Nursing is one of the nation’s top nursing schools, and I knew it would give me the opportunity to work so closely with such an amazing hospital. I’m just so excited to be a part of it,” Sarah said.
Over the course of her three semesters at the School of Nursing, Anna said her experience has exceeded her expectations.
“I love it here. I’ve made some of my best friends here at the School of Nursing and get to walk through the program with them every day. I love all my classes, and the professors here are incredible. Learning from them gives me the confidence to be a nurse,” Anna said.
As a pre-nursing student, Sarah also participates in a program at UAB Hospital, which places students with Guest Services as a Patient Transporter for six months, then they move to Food & Nutrition Services as a Food Service Worker for six months. After that, students have an opportunity to transfer into a role as a Patient Care Technician. Sarah works as a PCT at the Head, Neck, Plastics and Urology Unit and is thankful for the experience she has gained through the program.
“At UAB Hospital I’m surrounded by so many people who are willing to go the extra mile to take me under their wing and help me develop my clinical skills. It’s made me feel so much more comfortable and confident in my abilities. I’ve gained experience that I never imagined I would have before I was in the BSN program or working as a nurse,” Sarah said.
As children, Sarah and Anna lived in the Philippines, where their father worked as a private equity professional and the family served in various ministries. During this time, their younger brother had a life-threatening accident. Remembering the outstanding nurses that cared for her brother drives Sarah to make a difference in her role as a Patient Care Technician.
“Our younger brother had an accident in Asia, and part of what drew me to nursing other than looking up to my mom and Anna was seeing how the nurses really helped us through that. They were the calm in the storm at that time. Now that I’m working at the hospital, my goal is to make one small difference in someone’s day through my interactions with patients. I want to show them in little ways that they matter, and their life holds value,” Sarah said.
When Anna started her first clinical rotation at UAB Hospital, Sarah helped her sister get acclimated to working in the hospital. Anna especially admires her sister’s ability to connect with patients.
“Communication is Sarah’s biggest strength. When she gave me a tour of UAB’s hospital and I got to see her interact with patients, she was incredibly good at it. Part of why I have strong patient interactions now is because I watched Sarah do it first,” Anna said.
The Russell sisters are looking forward to overlapping at the School of Nursing when Sarah begins the BSN program in August.
“Walking through every stage of life and growing up together has been such a gift. Having Anna by my side through the highest points of my life and knowing I can always count on her has been incredible, and I am so excited for this next phase as students together at the UAB School of Nursing,” Sarah said.