My Journey to Becoming a Registered Nurse: Angels Along the Way How the Devil was Defeated

By Yvonne JM Gregory

From a tender age, Yvonne JM Gregory wanted to help those who were unable to help themselves. But little did she know at the time that the path she would take to realize her ultimate destiny would be filled with so many twists and turns.

In a retelling of her journey through life from childhood to current times, Gregory shares insight into her family background and childhood in Jamaica where she was bullied and mistreated while seeking spiritual guidance from her Christian grandparents. As she leads others through her personal story, Gregory chronicles her eventual immigration to Canada, the struggles she endured while working to find her place in life, and the hardships she faced while becoming a nurse that included a brain tumor, brain surgery, and a stroke. Throughout her retelling, Gregory inspires others to rely on their faith, angels, and the Word of God for inspiration and strength to persevere through life’s greatest challenges.

Journey to Becoming a Registered Nurse is the true story of one woman’s experiences as she searched for her true calling in life and overcame her challenges with faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385011292

Yvonne JM Gregory

Yvonne JM Gregory was born in Kingston, Jamaica. After immigrating to Canada, she was baptized and earned an accounting diploma, a medical administration diploma, and a degree in nursing. She is a licensed RPN who is married with six children and seven grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2024 Yvonne JM Gregory.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Zondervan King James Study Bible, copyright 2002, by Zondervan. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1128-5 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1130-8 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1129-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023920952

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/19/2024

CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1Where it all started

Chapter 2Life as a mother after dropping out of school

Chapter 3Welcome to Canada…New Country new life

Chapter 4Scarborough A place to call Home…

Chapter 5Preparation for post secondary education

Chapter 6Back to postsecondary school…no job

Chapter 7Collaborative Nursing Program with Seneca College & York University

Chapter 8A Second Chance – College Redemption – After Withdrawal From The Program

Chapter 9Seneca College struggles… transitioning to York University

Chapter 10York University as a Nursing student

Chapter 11Final year at York University…

Chapter 12Graduation and beyond…

Chapter 13After Graduation…and after the RPN Exam (CPRNE)…

Chapter 14The STROKE

Chapter 15The Incubation Period after the STROKE

Chapter 16Spiritual Reflection

Chapter 17The Recovery Period…During and after the Hospital

Chapter 18After Discharge…Outpatient

Chapter 19The Recovery Period after discharge…

Special prayer

Acknowledgements

About the author

Inspirational

Bibliography

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my children, and my grandchildren: may you always put God first in your lives, never give up and never hold back on anything you want to achieve in life, just go out there and work for it and believe in yourself. Just follow your heart and remember in everything you do, put God first and you cannot go wrong.

A special dedication to Robinson House Shelter that was there for us when we had nowhere to go. To all the nurses who are struggling to pass the nursing exam to become a Registered Nurse, remember to continue to persevere in the face of adversity and never give up, and in all things put God first.

To my family: Husband, mother, sisters, brothers, cousins-God First everything else after.

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Family group

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Picture with sister daughters and niece, author in silver hair

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in a Christian home led by Christian grandparents and I went to various Bible classes when I lived in Jamaica. My sister and I and some cousins and other girls in the community joined correspondence Bible classes and continued it temporarily when I immigrated to Canada. It was called the Crusaders Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, USA. I lived with my siblings, under the guidance of Christian guardians. I, along with my siblings attended Sunday school and regular Church services throughout the week along with regular school, Mondays to Thursdays but never Fridays. We had a full schedule. Our grandfather was big on education and taught us how to read and our grandmother and aunt sold produce in the market. I am living proof that our guardians were everything to us and did more for us than what any other would have done if given the same circumstances.

God was working through me then, but I just could not see it; or maybe because I did not have true spiritual guidance. At one time, I knew the Bible inside out. My sister and myself and some of our cousins and girls in the community were champions in Sunday school for memorizing verses while we lived in Jamaica. There was no verse in the Bible that someone would quote, and this group did not know where to find it. I loved the younger and older people in and around the community and was always in their company. My peers were never sociable in this manner and never cared for these people as I did. The people I cared for were often bullied and mistreated. I was also bullied and mistreated. It was my solemn promise that I would take care of these people who could not take care of themselves and fight for the ones who could not fight back.

Before I immigrated to Canada, I began buying and selling in the market. My aunt and some of my cousins were doing the same thing. I opted to do the same in the hopes of earning money that I could use to support my children. I borrowed a loan from one of her cousins that had already set up herself in the buying and selling business. The father of my children was also in the buying and selling business in a little shop he has set up close to our home. My mother sponsored my four siblings and myself to Canada and I had to leave my three children, the youngest one being nine months behind with family members and their father in Jamaica. I was expecting my fourth child during this time but through these struggles I worked and sponsored them to Canada to live with me. I later gave birth to my fourth child and went back to Jamaica for them, then married, and sponsored their father to come to Canada and later we had two more children. When I first came to Canada, I started upgrading my education doing night classes. I started with English classes then continue at adult day school where I took other classes and earned my OSSD. My first job in Canada was working in a cologne factory and I was paid $5.30/hr. At this company I met the person I would call my first angel. We both went to work for another factory, where we were paid $6.50/hr. My husband joined the children and I months before my last semester from the first college program. I graduated when I was 6 months pregnant.

I tried looking for a job in the most unlikely place for an educated individual with a college diploma in accounting. I worked in contract jobs for months at a time but none of them has given me the skills that these employers were looking for. I sent out so many different resumes and cover letters, each one tailored to the job I was applying for but was never successful in any of them. I went to various job clinics and resume workshops, and nothing helped. I remembered one employer told me; we took someone else who had Accpac accounting experience.

I went and bought the Accpac accounting software for over $200 and set it up onto my computer and practiced it, in the hopes that it would enhance my capabilities, improve my accounting abilities, and increase my prospects of finding a full-time job in the field. I was looking for any type of job in the accounting field either as an accounts/receivable or payable clerk but that did not help. I applied into the accounting designation program in the hopes of becoming an accountant. After my diploma was audited by the organization, I received a mere two credits with the three-year College diploma in accounting that took four years to complete. I looked for jobs for years, worked in different areas including (cemetery, construction, factories), and had nothing but part time contracts for two or three months at a time. I had a family to support, and the increased need to feel valuable in society. I wanted to give up but decided to try something else and so I did. God had a plan for me, it was not my time yet.

I had hoped that I could again apply for a student loan to cover the cost of furthering my accounting education or so I thought, but I was wrong. I went to the bank to get a loan and was unsuccessful because according to the bank I did not establish a credit yet as I was not qualified. Back then you must have a credit history before they will decide whether they will loan you, their money. It was not so easy to get a loan for newcomers to the country. I was new to the country and lacked awareness and despite already being in the country for six years I did not have any credit and could not get a loan. I applied to college into the Medical Office Administration and completed it with a 4.0 average but my overall GPA when averaged out with the first program was 3.25.

I was once a friend with a school associate with whom I shared everything. This friend changed and we never spoke again. We never had a fight or anything like that. We just went our diverse ways. She was lucky enough to have known someone who worked in an office and that friend got a job for her in which she sends out people to work for other companies. The friend promised that she would help me to find a job that needed the qualification I had, and that friend never did. In fact, I later learned this friend had bought a house and moved to another community. She invited my kids and myself to her child’s birthday party and this was where I overheard this friend sharing with another one of her friends’ details of her new life. She never gave her new number to me, and she and I never exchanged words after this party. As the saying goes, she got "rich and switched."

I felt the pressure coming down on me finally. I could not get a job despite having gone on countless interviews and send thank you letters for all of them. I had bills to pay and responsibilities, and said to herself "what do I do now?" After years of doing temporary and contract work, having a family, trying not to default on my student loan; I began to wonder to myself was this what I had gone to school for? to be unemployed and penny less. Will I ever be fully able to pay back student loans?

I eventually forgot about school and accepted a job working in a factory paying minimum wage. My husband was working there at the time. I tried out for college again and this time I applied for practical nursing and the pre-health nursing program. I received acceptance into the pre health program. I accepted the pre-health science program and studied it for three months while continuing to work in the factory. My mind was not fully made up about school because this was not what I wanted to do. I ended up with unsatisfactory grades because I did not attend the classes. It was very tedious for me to work in the factory and attend classes.

During my time working in this factory the devil almost destroyed my family. We faced issues and went through storms and have crossed the desert to where the family is today. I worked for this company for six months and then left and took a contract job in a finance company filling in for someone who went on a sick leave. I worked as the accounts receivable clerk, entering receivables documents and answered the telephone. It so happened that an accident prevented me from returning to this job. Despite it being an accident that prevented me from going back, it did not matter because I did not want to go back to work for that place. I loved the company and all, but they were not hiring directly.

This was the first time I really put my focus into nursing but unfortunately, I did not have the science prerequisites. I applied to the college that I had gone to before, hoping that as a two-time Alumnus of this college, I would have priority for acceptance. I soon realized that this was not so. Sometimes your address plays a role in your college application and job opportunity despite you may have the requirements. I had no prerequisite for the Nursing program, but I still hoped that they would give me a chance. I did not receive an acceptance, but I kept trying for three years with no acceptance.

My sister got me a job at her place of employment, and I spent nine years there. I worked at this job part time four hours Saturdays, and four hours Sundays, while upgrading university prerequisite courses. I went to another adult day school Mondays to Fridays and completed the prerequisites for nursing and then I reapplied. I tried other colleges and the ones I had gone to before, but none gave me an acceptance into the registered nursing program. As a result of my application being denied into these programs, I applied for the practical nursing program and was successful at two colleges including the one I have gone to before. I went to the information session at one of the colleges at 7pm according to information I had received from them.

There was one college I did not apply to because it was so far away, my second angel introduced me to and told me to apply. She was accepted in the practical program which was what she was working towards. This was my second angel but sadly she is no longer with us, and we did not get a chance to share our success. They had changed the nursing program from a 3-years Diploma to a 4-year Degree and when I compared the two, I soon realized that eventually I might have to go back to school if the nursing organization decided to change again and considering my age, I might as well go all the way now and not wait until later. I applied for the Bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) degree program and was accepted. The program was a collaborative effort with college and university.

When I first began my studies of nursing, I did not expect that I would meet so many demons along the way. I did not know that there would be so much challenge; yet God provided me with angels to protect and guide me through every challenge, every obstacle, and every trial. I did not know that there would be so much challenge; yet God provided me with angels to protect and guide me through every challenge, every obstacle, and every trial.

In this program I had to do many courses, clinical placements, and a pre-grad placement, some of which were challenging with trials and tribulation, while others were a learning experience. During this time, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour and a later brain surgery. The pre-grad preceptor was an extremely helpful, loving, and caring individual. She helped me to become an effective nurse. Although she was not one of the people I classified as my angels, she has become that person that helped me develop those qualities. This was during my last semester in the program, and she taught me not to be nervous and to treat patients the same way regardless of socioeconomic status, and to treat the individual as a patient and not the disease. This individual and I exchanged religious articles and email messages, just two individual people serving and sharing our love for him. She helped me to affect those qualities of a caring nurse and tell me to try to position myself in a facility that is right for me and show my nursing skills effectively, as I embark on the process of becoming a Registered Nurse.

After graduating from university, you must write a comprehensive nursing exam to gain certification and become licensed and registered to practice nursing. The nursing college was allowing candidates three opportunities to write and pass the exam. I failed it two times than I did the practical nurse exam and passed. Days after receiving the results and was to divulge this information to my pastor so he could share it with the church congregation I suffered a stroke.

I spent days in one hospital, and then was transferred to another for a few hours, then back to the first one and then to the one where I spent many weeks in rehab to get rehabilitation and return to a pre-stroke life. Through the help of God and the love, support, prayers, and wisdom of family, friends, and prayer warriors, I could honestly say I was saved for a reason and as a Stroke survivor. After rehabilitation, I studies and tried the RN exam again which I failed. l made an appeal which was denied. Then the nursing board changed the number of attempts from three to unlimited changes. They sent a letter informing me of this, so I proceeded to follow this route and drop the pursuit for any further action into the appeal.

They sent me a detailed letter and instruction informing me that my nursing education that was acquired from the university had expired and a list of all the classes that I will have to retake and the number of clinical hours I would have to complete to meet educational requirements. Although my application was still opened at the nursing college and I was eligible to write the NCLEX exam, all the requirements had to be met before I would receive a registered nursing licence even if the exam is passed,

I applied into the program at one of the colleges and received acceptance into that program. I was not able to start the program right away until I had secured a nursing position in which I could work to earn some money to cover the cost. I got an RPN position at an ultramodern hospital. While working at this hospital, I met people who were going through the same hardship as I was, they too were working towards registered nursing status. Regardless of this setback, I will not give up. I will continue the fight until the dream of becoming an RN is realized having tried many times unsuccessfully.

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Author in white suit with pink hair

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CHAPTER 1

Where it all started

I grew up in a Christian home and lived with Christian grandparents and my siblings and cousins. We had church activities and school as part of our everyday living. All the children in the home regularly attended Sunday school and church services at the church our grandparents went to. While living there in Jamaica we were regular attendees of the services and active members of the Sunday school. At one time I knew the Bible inside out. My older sister and myself and our cousins were champions in Sunday school for memorizing Bible verses while living t here.

As children, it was not taught but it was understood that church was a given and we attended without being forced or told to do so. We joined Bible correspondence courses doing Bible lessons. It was called the Crusaders Club, which was in Hobe Sound, Florida, USA. At the end of the first level all the contestants including Myself were rewarded with a KJV New Testament Bible. I moved to Canada before completing the course and continued it when I came to Canada. As the devil continues to soar seeds of doubt in our hearts those courses cease to exist.

During the years we were given skits and short verses to recite and act out Bible stories and attended regular practice for the final presentation on Christmas day. After the presentation, all the eligible children received their prizes for attendance and reciting our memory verses (or golden text as they were called) throughout the year. Part of the gift includes presents and ice-cream and cake. I remembered many of the gifts we received includes a doll. Some of the girls like me never own a doll outside of this time, so to have a doll the girls would use a soda bottle and put some grass inside it and use it as their doll and the grass as the hair. The girls and I looked forward to these gifts from year to year. If you just attended Sunday school but not regularly, you received one gift, if you attended regularly and recited your memory verse you get a second gift and those who just show up a few times also got cake and ice-cream with candy. Back then getting candy or a lollipop was the best thing for any child because they did not have money that they could use to buy candy.

There were other churches in the community that we could have attended, but this was the one our grandparents went to and was naturally the one we had to attend. For one reason or the other, many children in the community also went to this church despite their parents went to another church. There was a benefit to going to this church and by the end of year you would have understood why it was so well attended by the children in the community. The church leader was the pastor, his wife, and their children. Their children did not attend regularly because as they grew up, they lived in the city and attended school there. Their one daughter was usually there, and she played the organ along with her mother and she was also a Sunday school teacher. They always wanted the youths including myself to turn our lives over to Christ and get in the church and serve God. You could always find me in church with our grandparents. Even when I did not want to go, I was always there. It was something inside of me that always wanted to be there because I felt like if I was not there, I missed something, and I was not one to miss anything, I always had to be aware.

Although I did not know how to fully serve God, I believed in what I heard when I went to church. I was always there with our grandparents whether any other of the grandchildren was there or not. The children in my family always went to church with our grandparents. Sometimes two or three will go with them and other times as they get older, they take turns to go not as a plan but a choice; someone was always there. Sunday early morning service at 5-6 am, then 11am-1pm for breaking of bread service where they sang from the Hymns of Light and Love, and then at 3-5 pm we went to Sunday school and sometimes we went back to Sunday night service 7-9 pm and sang from the Redemption song book.

On Monday nights I and most of the girls went to prayer meetings and on Wednesdays to Bible studies at 7 pm consecutively and then most of the teenagers including myself went to young people’s meeting at 7 pm on Fridays. It is amazing how we humans often do things with an ulterior motive. Most of the children in the community and the ones in my family went to church on Fridays and Sundays and that was it. Some often went because there was something for them (treats). We also had church service on December 31, they called it a watch night to ring in the new year. I usually went to all those services because I was hungry for the word of God, and I hung onto every word. I was searching for something but I had no sense of direction and so I kept going. No one really took me aside and sat me down and really taught me the principles of God and his gift for us. I knew what I was hearing but I needed more, something I could feel enthusiastic about. Our grandparents served God religiously, but they could not teach me or feed me spiritually.

My church attendance record speaks for itself because I never missed a single service. Whether Sunday school, prayer meeting, Bible studies, convention/campaign, young people’s meeting, or any other meeting that was held at this church. Sunday school and young people’s meeting was a time for the children especially on Friday nights. I learned many Bible verses and sang many songs and once I was a member of the choir. Other times I attended church for the whole week when the church had convention and the pastors would come in from the city to preach and win souls for Christ.

I always went for altar calls ever so often especially when they sang the song "just as I am without one plea" (Elliott, C (1835). Church Hymnal #81), which was the ultimate song that would break the chains from off the most hardened heart. When it was sung at this church during these times with the organ playing and the preacher kept saying, is there one more that would come and turn their life over to Jesus? there was no way you could sit in your seats and not be moved by those words and find yourself at the altar. The preaching was already in itself powerful and even without the altar call the message reached the audience.

When the gospel week was over there were several baptism candidates and there were sessions of baptism classes but after the climax, some lost interest. As the classes went on from week to week before an actual baptism, the class got smaller and smaller. The classes that sometimes started with up to twenty people drop down to at least ten or less. Candidates lost their focus and the drive they once used to have because there is usually no community follow-up. There was so much outside influence and not enough influence at home or even in your circle. There were baptism classes, yes, but this did not prevent the candidates from losing interest and dropped out of the class.

I too lose interest but still talk to God occasionally and ask him to guide me. I was a candidate for baptism several times and was always a part of the baptism classes but always dropped out. One of the main reasons why candidates drop out is because they went to baptism classes and then went about their business and never saw those leaders until we went back to church or to the next class. No one came into the community to check on the candidates, so they were consumed with the way of the world and its outside influence.

I loved to go to the breaking of bread service on Sunday mornings so that I could get the left-over bread from communion. I was always there to help our grandfather with carrying his bag with his Bible. He was a God-fearing man and he attended church regularly. He usually takes home the left-over bread from the communion for his grandchildren. Whether or not any of the grandchildren went to church, he always brought the leftover bread home for us. Whoever was at church usually got first dibs at receiving the greater part of the leftover bread. He usually takes the remaining wine and just stands there after church and turns the whole jug down his throat. There is usually one glass that everyone drank from during communion so there was no shame in him drinking the rest after the service was finished.

Back in those days, that bread was oh so good. As a child, it was a joy to receive even the smallest piece of that bread or even the crust. Our grandfather was a very respectful man in and around the community and watching him do this was not a bother to anyone. Despite having only one leg he was not physically challenged. As children we grew up seeing him with one leg and none of the grandchildren were curious enough to ask the question of how he lost his leg neither to him nor any of the adults in the family and they never shared how this occurred. They never talked about it to us, and it never bothered the grandchildren. He was our guardian and that was all that was relevant. He was fearless and a remarkable individual, his one leg was a mare cosmetic.

He had two assistive devices with him, one he made and one he bought at the store. The man had skills. The one he bought he used for special occasions and the other one he made from wood which he uses for everyday purpose. The length that that man went to and the places and things he did, you would not know he had one foot and would be considered as having a physical disability. Some of the people in the district called him one-foot Danger and he often walked with a stick.

My grandfather became sick and was no longer able to help in any role, he became bedridden and could not speak. He was the one who did the farming, and we would go to the farm and bring the produce to the house where our grandmother would prepare it for the market and prepare the meals. He would sometimes prepare meals for the family. Our guardians were the ones who took the produce to the market and the grandchildren had to take it to where the market truck would pick them up and take them to the market. As the years went by and I got older, some of the grandchildren began going to the market to help with the sale of the produce. Sometimes we would pick herbal plants and sell them in the market to earn our own pocket money.

Sadly, our grandfather went home to be with the Lord on October 29, 1981, and we had a wonderful homegoing service and buried him on November 8, 1981. He was truly a God-fearing man and even if we never meet him again, he was someone who will truly go