Augustine Kamara, RN
About Becoming a Leonard A. Lauder Fellow
Where He’s Coming From
Kamara came up in Sierra Leone, even engaging in three years of State Registered Nurse training at Bo University; however, he currently lives in the Philadelphia suburbs, working as a registered nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He says, “My childhood experiences with health care disparities and the tragic loss of my mother to a preventable illness due to limited health care access ignited my deep-rooted desire to help bridge the health care gap in underserved communities.”
Sharing Gratitude
I was filled with pure joy and excitement when I found out that I had been named a Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Fellow. I shared the good news with family and friends, who supported me along the way. I reviewed the scholarship terms and accepted the offer with an appreciation email expressing my sincere gratitude to the selection committee for awarding me this wonderful opportunity. I extend my warmest gratitude to Mr. Leonard A. Lauder for his generosity and kindness in making this possible.
Whole-Person Philosophy
People are more than just their health status, and that’s something Kamara takes to heart. He says, “The best nursing advice I’ve ever been given is to ‘treat the patient, not just the condition.’ This means looking beyond the symptoms or diagnosis and considering the whole person, their emotions, fears, and unique circumstances. It’s about practicing empathy, a crucial quality in nursing, and understanding that each patient is an individual with their circumstance. This advice shaped how I provide care to my patients, where I prioritize building a connection and showing genuine care, which makes a significant difference in their healing process.”
As nurses, we often put aside our needs when providing care... I remain hopeful that a genuine commitment to self-care will eventually become a cornerstone of nursing culture, leading to improved patient care and outcomes.
