As an artist and writer, Nehan Shujaat (’19 BSN) has long been interested in the human condition, exploring complex truths about her personal history, culture, family, and more through creative expression. Now, as a nurse at a North Texas hospital, she is exploring the human condition in a more immediate way. From arts to nursing may seem like a leap, but for Shujaat, it’s all inexorably tied together.
“Nursing has helped me become a better writer and an artist, and my artistry and my poetry have helped me become a better nurse,” she says. “It’s all connected.”
Shujaat began college as a psychology major but decided to change course after visiting a friend in labor at a local hospital. She was struck by the expertise and teamwork demonstrated by the nurses who took care of her friend. They easily her friend feel calm and at peace. Within a week, Shujaat had changed her major to nursing.
While in nursing school, she didn’t lose sight of her drive to create, communicating her world through words and art. She channeled her experiences as a student nurse into her book of poetry, Here’s the Chai, published just last year.
“I’m responsible for what I put into the universe. I don’t want to be the type of person who doesn’t think about their actions,” she says. “I want to put hope into this world. I want to inspire people to see that we’re all powerful, and they can inspire the same in others. I think that’s how we can help each other heal.”
