Dr. Adriana Costa Bessa is a postgraduate student in Aesthetic Nursing and says that although she loves her work as an obstetric nurse, the decision to change fields was made mainly to preserve her own health.
The future specialist, who has lived in São Paulo for 22 years and is originally from the interior of Bahia, talks a little about her life story: “I came from a very humble family, my father didn’t encourage me to study, I had to come to São Paulo alone, I went to live by myself in the home of a family I barely knew, so it was a very painful process, but today I feel fulfilled because I managed to achieve my dreams”.
Even with all the obstacles, her desire to study was greater. So, Dr. Adriana completed her nursing degree in 2010, specialized in obstetrics, and is now finishing her second postgraduate program, in Aesthetic Nursing.
The On-Call Routine Starts to Be Harmful
After finishing her degree, Dr. Adriana began working as a nurse, but saw new possibilities in aesthetics “Currently I work as an obstetrics nurse on the night shift, but I chose to specialize in aesthetics because it’s a field I also identify with, I took advantage of already having a nursing degree and decided to expand my knowledge”.
Besides her interest in the field of aesthetics, the main driver of this change was the search for quality of life, she says, “We work Sunday to Sunday, holidays and everything, and I chose aesthetics not only for the money, but because I can spend more time with my family”.
Working mainly night shifts and 12×36 schedules over the last decade, Dr. Adriana has already begun to notice the impact of the exhausting on-call shifts on her health, “They are extremely hectic and stressful shifts, especially now in the pandemic. It’s already harming my health, I sleep little, I don’t rest properly, and that has affected me”.
Aesthetic Nursing Was the Best Path to Achieve Quality of Life
“My choice to change fields was because I identified with the field and because of the quality of life this career can give me,” says Dr. Adriana.
Beginning the specialization in Aesthetic Nursing in 2021, the postgraduate student is already on her 9th hands-on class. Passionate about both obstetrics and aesthetics, the doctor says she plans to combine the two fields:
“So far I don’t plan to leave the health field, I plan to combine them. I feel very fulfilled working in both fields, because in one I help bring children into the world, which is beautiful, but at the same time, working in aesthetics I’ll help raise people’s self-esteem. So both fields are excellent for me.”
In this way, the future aesthetic nurse seeks to strike a balance between her personal and professional life. Even with her postgraduate program underway, she says she already has plans for the future.
“I plan to open my own space for appointments, my own clinic or even an office. I already work in the field, I do several procedures, partly because I had already taken courses at Nepuga, so I feel confident doing the procedures and I love what I do.”
With an inspiring story, Dr. Adriana is an example of strength and dedication. Even going through difficult situations, nothing stopped her from reaching her goals. Today, at 43 and with emotion showing on her face, she reflects on what she went through to get where she is now:
“The little girl who came all the way from Bahia feels proud, very proud. Because she came from a humble family, where she is the only one with a degree, and thank God I achieved all of this on my own, through a lot of effort and faith. That’s why today I feel completely fulfilled,” concludes Dr. Adriana.
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NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
