Gabriela Nascimento is an experienced nurse who has worked in health care since graduating in 2008. Her entry into the health field was no accident. Since she was a very young girl, she says she always cared about looking after people, and she was influenced by her cousin, a close friend, when she began the nursing program. However, still at the beginning of the program, the aesthetic nurse became pregnant while in college and, thanks to family support, managed to reach her goal of finishing her degree.
Her path to nursing school was influenced by her cousin, a close friend, who also took the same degree. Because they were so close, Gabriela followed her cousin's training closely and got to experience life as a nursing student very early on.
To overcome the challenges life brought her, the support of her family and friends was necessary. The pregnancy, still in the first year of nursing school, almost made her give up, but when you have a support network as solid as the one Gabriela had, obstacles start to become possible to overcome.
Now in aesthetic nursing, Gabriela has new dreams, new opportunities, and the desire to transform her career and give her children a life with better quality and moments of joy.
Unexpected pregnancy – Aesthetic nurse became pregnant in college
Our success story follows the journey of nurse Gabriela Nascimento. Gabriela always focused on helping and caring for people. That interest blossomed when she began following the studies of her cousin, who had started nursing school. Seeing the duties and the classes sparked a flame inside her to follow the same path.
With the desire expressed, when she reached the age to start college, Gabriela did not think twice and decided to study nursing. At that moment, new challenges awaited her.
This college journey was not easy for Gabriela. Still in the first year of the program, she became pregnant. For a student, of course, expecting a child at the start of the program can be a time of great worry; after all, how do you handle studies and go through a pregnancy that in many cases requires special attention?
That was when Gabriela received the essential support to overcome any problem and continue her academic training. Besides the dream of becoming a nurse, her family was by her side, helping her keep going. Her mother was one of the pillars that gave her strength to persist on this path, alongside her aunt, another important partner.
Besides the pregnancy, Gabriela had to overcome financial difficulty. Since she did not live in the same city as the college, she had transportation and food costs, so she had to work to cover them. To add to her income, she did an internship at the city government of her hometown and divided her attention between work and studies.
“Every day I took the bus to the college, which was in Franca (SP). They were night trips, which was already tiring. I also got pregnant in the first year of college. So it was one more challenge, and my family, my mother especially, said I should not quit college and should persist. That was an encouragement for me to keep going and manage to finish the program”.
Challenges that encouraged her to keep going
According to Gabriela, the pregnancy was not planned. She acknowledges that there is always a chance it can happen, but it was not the most appropriate time; still, she was confident in God's will and used this situation as a push to finish her degree.
It was not easy for Gabriela. Working during the day, studying at night, and, after her son was born, caring for a newborn were battles she faced and came out of even stronger, with total focus on providing a better life for her son.
“It was not a planned pregnancy, even though we know it can happen, it was not the right time. But we must believe in God's will, and it was a blessing, one more push for me to graduate, to be able to give him a future. It was not easy to work, study at night, and take care of my son, but I managed to overcome all of that”.
After facing these challenges, Gabriela graduated and dedicated herself to nursing for a while, until she steered her career toward coordinating primary care and, later, took the position of Municipal Health Secretary. Although she has been on the administrative side for more than a decade, her interest in the more hands-on side of nursing, such as treating the public, led her to explore aesthetics, looking for a new professional direction.
“I worked in nursing in the emergency room. Then “the water just carries you along, doesn't it?” So I moved to primary care coordination, where I stayed for 12 years, and now I have been my municipality's secretary for about 15 years, but I like the hands-on part, and I got to know aesthetics, fell in love, and chose that this is what I want for my life”.
“Working with illness in the public service is even more frustrating”
Determined to return to treating patients directly, she set out to explore the opportunities nursing would offer her. At that moment Gabriela discovered aesthetic nursing, with the aim of bringing well-being to patients and winning her own freedom and autonomy. After working in primary care for almost 12 years and another 15 years in administration, she realized it was time to set new goals for her career. Dealing with the public service is not easy, and she was exhausted from having to deal daily with care focused on diseases, and she wants to provide health and improved self-esteem to her patients. She believes that it is within aesthetic nursing that she will feel the sense of recognition of this desire as many other professionals who have moved into aesthetics have been revealing.
Aesthetic nursing comes to supplement her income and ease her mind with happier, more satisfying procedures. Anyone who has needed care in the public service knows how hard it is to schedule appointments and get exams done, and these complications discourage health professionals, including Gabriela.
“Working with illness is very frustrating, and in the public service it is even worse, because we are limited. You want to do something more, but the health system does not allow it. It is tiring and draining, it is not recognized, and for the sake of my health, I decided to change”.
Aesthetic nursing is the turning point in her life
She is eager to start her own clinic, where she can offer a calm environment and flexible hours, allowing her to spend more time with her children.
Gabriela is aware of the challenges she will face when starting her own clinic, but she approaches this new chapter with enthusiasm and determination. She believes that taking part in hands-on clinical immersions is essential to improve her skills, and she is eager to dive into that experience. After completing her course, she is ready to begin a new phase of her life, seeking to fulfill her dream of providing health and well-being in a more humane way.
“I want to start a new phase of my life, a turning point”.
Rafael Alves
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
