MY JOURNEY TO BECOMING A CERTIFIED OSTOMY NURSE

UOAA is excited to announce that the 2025 recipient of the Educational Award for Ostomy Nurse Certification is Erin Young from California!

Below Erin shares a little bit about herself and her motivation to become a certified ostomy nurse.

I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded a scholarship to support my ostomy certification education. This generous gift eases the financial aspect of continuing my education, but more importantly, it serves as a reminder of the encouragement and belief others have in my journey. Having this investment enables me to give back in meaningful ways to the ostomate community and inspires me to keep moving forward with purpose.

I have wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember. My dream began in kindergarten and has guided me ever since. I started my healthcare journey as a Certified Nursing Assistant while attending nursing school. For the past six years, I have been fortunate to work in diverse areas like telemetry, oncology, intermediate care, and a GI clinic. Each role has helped me grow as a nurse, teaching me new skills, deepening my compassion, and showing me how healthcare can change lives.

I want to support the ostomate community not just with clinical expertise, but also with empathy rooted in shared experience.

Becoming a certified ostomy nurse is more than just a career goal for me, but is something that feels deeply personal. Seven years ago, I received a life-changing medical diagnosis that sent me down an unexpected road. I underwent a total colectomy and ultimately chose to have a j-pouch. Several years later, I became a member of the ostomate community when I had surgery for an ileostomy. This profound experience has been transformative in ways I never could have imagined. Surgery restored my health, but it also introduced me to the physical and emotional challenges that come with adjusting to living with an ostomy. I’ve learned firsthand what it feels like to navigate those vulnerable, overwhelming moments, and I know how meaningful it is to connect with someone who truly understands.

Pursuing certification as an ostomy nurse feels like a calling. I want to support the ostomate community not just with clinical expertise, but also with empathy rooted in shared experience. Saying “I’ve been there too” builds trust and comfort that textbooks can’t teach. Every day, I bring that understanding to the bedside. My goal is to give back to the community that supported me and to be the nurse I leaned on after surgery. I want my patients to feel seen, heard, and never alone. Every patient deserves this.

Becoming a certified ostomy nurse is not just a career move, it’s a calling that is the culmination of my lived experience and the start of a purposeful contribution to a field that changed my life. I see it as a way to advance my career and make a meaningful difference for patients facing an isolating experience. I’m ready to give back, to lead with compassion, and to help others not just survive, but thrive with an ostomy. This journey honors my past, embraces my present, and dedicates my future to caring for others living with ostomies.

Congratulations, Erin!

The next scholarship application will open, pending funding availability, in January 2026 and closes on June 30, 2026. 

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