When Jasmine Hart first served as a junior volunteer at FirstHealth in 2010, she discovered a passion for caring for others. Years later, after working as a safety sitter and certified nursing assistant, she has come full circle as a registered nurse in the emergency department at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital (MRH)-Richmond.
Her path to nursing was shaped by both personal experience and the support she found along the way.
While volunteering sparked her interest in health care, it was a family medical crisis that confirmed nursing was her calling.
In 2020, Jasmine’s mother was hospitalized in FirstHealth’s Reid Heart Center and suffered two cardiac arrests. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and visitation restrictions allowed only one of her children to be with her. Throughout the ordeal, the nurses caring for her mother kept the family informed, provided reassurance and delivered exceptional clinical care.
“The nurses consistently demonstrated incredible compassion, expertise and advocacy,” Jasmine said. “They made one of the hardest times in my family’s life a little easier, and I knew I wanted to become the kind of nurse who could provide that same comfort and reassurance for other families.”
As she worked toward her nursing degree, FirstHealth continued to invest in her future through a nursing scholarship funded by The Foundation of FirstHealth.
Before receiving the scholarship, Jasmine balanced working while paying for nursing school. The financial support eased that burden, allowing her to devote more time to her studies and clinical training.
“The scholarship gave me the opportunity to focus more fully on becoming the best nurse I could be,” she said. “Just as meaningful was knowing FirstHealth believed in me.”
That support extended beyond the classroom. Leaders and coworkers, including MRH-Richmond President Christy Land and Jan Scholl, nurse executive at MRH-Richmond, attended her nursing pinning ceremony, a gesture Jasmine said reinforced that she was valued as both a student and a future nurse.
Today, she is part of the emergency department team at MRH-Richmond, where she says every shift brings an opportunity to make a difference during some of the most difficult moments in a patient’s life.
“What I find most rewarding about emergency nursing is providing calm, clarity and compassionate care during moments of crisis,” Jasmine said. “Patients don’t choose to come to the emergency department. They arrive unexpectedly, often frightened, in pain and facing uncertainty.”
Whether recognizing subtle changes that lead to early intervention, supporting families through emergencies or simply taking time to explain a diagnosis, Jasmine believes nursing is about much more than clinical skills.
“I realized nursing is about being present, offering comfort and showing compassion when patients are at their most vulnerable,” she said. “Knowing I can provide reassurance and hope during those moments is what inspires me every day.”
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Contributed article/photo.
