Emma Jaworski

West Milford, NJ

I’m in my final year of Penn’s traditional BSN program and I’ll be graduating in May 2022!

My nursing interests have definitely shifted over my time at Penn. When I first came here, I gravitated towards NICU nursing and working with moms and babies. But after having an externship at Hackensack University Medical Center in their surgical ICU, trauma nursing/ICU nursing has become something I can see myself perusing in the future. Not only do these nurses have so much control over their patients care, it’s amazing to see these patients who often start off in the unit clinging to life, needing such high levels of care, leave the unit able to return to their families. Although the unit and these patients have their ups and downs, and some sadly don’t experience these same levels of recovery, it’s the moments where the patient’s neuro exam changes for the better or their respiratory status improves that I feel so empowered and grateful to have taken part in their care.

I hope to start off after nursing school in med-surg or an ICU step down unit to improve my nursing confidence and critical thinking skills. Hopefully from here I’ll find myself in a surgical ICU environment again!

During my time at Penn, I’ve been heavily involved in the student environmental community and have been a leader/co-director for Penn’s sustainability focused pre-orientation program for incoming freshman!