SUE BILLBERRY
1991 Nursing Graduate

Many doors of opportunity are opened when an individual becomes a registered nurse.  As one's life changes or one desires to make changes, many job opportunities are available.  There are jobs involving direct patient care and there are jobs that allow the registered nurse to work from his/her home.  There are jobs in nursing that allow one to travel the world.  Few college curriculums prepare the graduate for so many different and exciting job opportunities.

Graduating from Louisiana Tech University's School of Nursing opened these doors of opportunity for me.  I will always remember when I enrolled in nursing school at Tech how scared I felt.  I had been out of school for 12 years.  I had one child in day care and another in elementary school.  School had been a struggle for me and now I was going to attend college.  Life changes made it necessary for me to search for financial security.  I believed college would help me acheive the needed security.  I never realized the possibilities that nursing education would offer me.  I believe that God gave me the strength to start the program and God showed me the means to pay for tuition and books.  The Tech nursing instructors helped me gain the strength to move forward independently.  With each passing quarter, I gained independence.  I found the instructors would find time to help any student who wanted to learn.

In May of 1991, I graduated from Louisiana Tech University.  At that time the state board exam was administered twice annually in New Orleans, Louisiana in the Superdome.  I sat for boards with hundreds of other new graduates.  To describe myself as scared is an understatement.  But my anxiety level was reduced with each question I read and answered.  I knew I was well prepared for the state board exam.  I felt as though my instructors were sitting beside me feeding me the answers.

Since becoming a registered nurse, I have worked on a medical-surgical floor and in an intensive care unit.  I have served as Director of Nursing for a home health and hospice facility.  I served as the Director of Nursing at a rehabilitation hospital.  I sat on the board responsible for opening a rehabilitation hospital in another location.

As a student nurse I often thought about patients with order for "comfort care only".  I was uncomfortable with the isolation and at times the lack of care provided for terminal patients.  My experience in the different areas of nursing helped prepare me for my present nursing occupation.  In June of 2004, I started my own company called Hospice of Caring hearts, LLC.

At age 52, I am happily married.  My husband and I have a thirteen-year-old son and a ten-year-old daughter.  I have two adult children, a daughter and a son who are independent and are making their way in the world.  My business keeps me busy but allows me to schedule time with my family, friends, and be actively involved in my church and community organizations.

Of the six nurses I employ, five are Tech graduates.  They, like I, love hospice care.  It is our ministry.  I am currently working on extending my capability to serve the terminally ill patient.

I hope that my story can be an inspiration to any person considering attending nursing school.  The journey is not easy.  Much study, hard work and dedication are required, but the rewards are many.