Darline Desir, BSN, RN

My name is Darline Desir and I am from Haiti. When I migrated to the U.S. in 1998, my first job was as a home health aide and then I became a nursing assistant. When I became pregnant with my only child after several miscarriages, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was pre-eclamptic. I did not understand how serious these conditions were and did not understand the diagnosis due to my limited English proficiency, even though I was a high school graduate in my country. When I gave birth to my premature baby, I met some amazing nurses! Even though they didn’t speak my language, their kindness, patience, presence, and professional attitude helped me through my pain and anxiety by simply giving me a soft touch on my shoulder and holding my hands. This helped me see nursing on a different level. I began to take classes at Queensborough after I chose to become a part of this noble profession based on my personal experiences and being raised in a culture that molded me to become a caretaker. After completing my prerequisites, I transferred to Adelphi University where I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Nursing in 2010. I have been a nurse now for 12 years and have worked as an Oncology Nurse, in chemo infusion, in the Emergency Department, and currently in the Ambulatory Dental practice at Woodhull.