Table of Contents
Discussed as an experiment,
I have become a swarm of diagnoses
in a fishbowl, my scant gown open,
on display for a parade of students,
An instrument for practice.
No school, no sports, no work,
the hospital is my home,
questions and hope smothered
by jargon. A cascade of needles, wires,
probes, scans, monitors, alarms
mock my silent cries for peace.
Nearby, families say their last goodbyes.
About the Author
Amanda C. Wise
Amanda C. Wise, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, NBC-HWC graduated from University of Omaha in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and from Creighton University in 1998 with her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT), in 2019 with her Master of Science in Integrated Health and Wellness, and in 2021 with her Post Professional OT Doctorate. She worked full-time in outpatient, mental health, pediatric, home health, community, and administrative OT positions in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa before entering higher education in 2021. She currently teaches at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Her research and scholarship interests are in holistic health and wellbeing, community-based services, and preventive care. She infuses her teaching philosophy with a dynamic and service-oriented focus, empowering future OT practitioners to be self-reflective, ethical, and competent life-long learners. Optimizing others’ wellbeing is her passion, striving to achieve this through scholarship, mentoring, volunteering, teaching innovation, and clinical engagement. In addition to her role as educator, she is a proud family member with many hats, she is an active member of the national and state OT associations, she volunteers with several local organizations, and she is dedicated to her church. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time hosting family and friend gatherings, golfing, reading, travelling, and baking.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.