First Day, New Heart - Written by : Samantha Rite
Jasmine took a deep breath as she stood in front of the entrance to Oakwood Senior Care. The glass doors shimmered in the morning sunlight, but her reflection showed only her anxiety. At 24, this was the moment she had worked so hard for—finally starting her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant—but her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. She adjusted her scrubs for the third time, as if that would somehow make her feel more ready.“What if I mess up? What if they don’t like me?” The doubts buzzed in her mind.
She had always been the one to overthink things, to plan every possible scenario. But nothing in the textbook had prepared her for this exact moment. As she took her first step inside, the familiar scent of antiseptic hit her nose. The soft hum of the building, the murmur of voices, the squeak of rubber soles on linoleum floors—it was all there, like the heartbeat of the place. Jasmine clutched her clipboard tighter, her pulse racing. She had spent months studying, attending clinicals, practicing on mannequins.
But this was different. These weren’t plastic figures lying in hospital beds—they were real people, people she’d be responsible for. Just as her nerves threatened to get the better of her, an older nurse approached. Her name tag read "Ms. Gloria," and she had the gentle eyes of someone who had seen everything but still cared deeply. “You must be Jasmine,” she said with a welcoming smile.
“We’ve been expecting you. Come on, let’s get you settled.”Jasmine nodded, her words caught in her throat. She followed Ms. Gloria down the hall, the faint echo of her footsteps blending with the activity around her. She glanced into the patient rooms they passed. An elderly man was watching TV in one, while a nurse helped a woman adjust her pillow in another.
It was all happening so smoothly, like second nature to everyone around her. They all seemed so...confident. As they reached the nurse's station, Ms. Gloria turned to Jasmine, her eyes kind but serious. “You’re going to be just fine. It’s natural to be nervous. We all were at some point.
But the moment you step into a room and look into the eyes of the people you’re helping, it’ll come to you. Trust me.”Jasmine nodded, though the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen just yet. Ms. Gloria handed her a patient file. “Room 203, Mrs. Ellis.
She’s one of our sweetest. Go introduce yourself and check on her.”Jasmine hesitated for a split second, her grip tightening on the folder. But then, something inside her clicked. Maybe it was Ms. Gloria’s confidence in her. Maybe it was the realization that she was here now, and this was the moment she’d been waiting for. Either way, the trembling in her hands stopped.
Walking down the hall to Room 203, she felt a wave of calm wash over her. As she knocked gently on the door and stepped inside, she saw Mrs. Ellis—a frail woman with silver hair curled neatly into soft waves. She turned her head, her face lighting up with a smile.“Good morning, Mrs. Ellis,” Jasmine said, her voice steady and warm. “I’m Jasmine, your new CNA. How are you feeling today?”
Mrs. Ellis reached out a hand, her fingers cool but soft. “Well, aren’t you a breath of fresh air! You remind me of my granddaughter,” she said, her voice raspy but kind.In that moment, all of Jasmine’s fears melted away. This was what she was meant to do. To help, to care, to make someone feel seen, feel safe.
It wasn’t about perfection or knowing everything right away. It was about being present.As the morning unfolded, Jasmine found herself moving with more ease. She checked on patients, adjusted beds, and listened to their stories. With each smile she received, with each “thank you” whispered from a bedside, her confidence grew.
By lunchtime, Jasmine walked the halls not as a nervous newbie, but as someone who had already begun to belong. Ms. Gloria passed by, giving her an approving nod.Jasmine smiled to herself. She had made it through the first day, but more importantly, she had found her place.