By Shubhangi Mittal, American Red Cross volunteer
American Red Cross volunteer and registered nurse Barbara Chang has been interested in medicine and in helping people since she was a young girl. Later on, she was fascinated by learning about the ins and outs of how different medicines affected the body. This interest only continued to grow and motivated her to become a nurse.
As a nurse, she found it gratifying to help people and take care of patients. It is not easy work. Sometimes juggling priorities becomes a challenge, but that has always been the hardest part of nursing. At the end of a hard day, the satisfaction the work brings is well worth it.
She distinctly remembers one time when a patient had a violent reaction and what she did helped them through it. Bringing the patient back from “illness to wellness” made her realize that her work indeed makes a difference.
Though Barbara retired in 2017, she continued to look for ways to help.
She had been a blood donor with the Red Cross for years and was drawn to the Red Cross, its mission and the work the organization does for the community. So, she joined the Red Cross as a volunteer nurse and medical screener. She also contributes to the Registered Nurse of Record (RNOR) program, where she provides expert guidance at blood drives.
During drives, Barbara ensures that the donors are comfortable and answers any questions that they may have. She has met many interesting people along the way and encourages them to volunteer with the Red Cross. With the young donors especially, she wants to instill into them the importance of being a blood donor and how it really does save lives.
Throughout her career as a nurse and her time as a volunteer, Barbara has dedicated herself to bringing people in need from “illness to wellness” and continues to inspire others to do the same.
This piece is part of our National Nurse Week Series. Stay tuned throughout the week for more stories about Red Cross Nurses and the incredible services they provide.
