More Than A Career

More Than A Career

Being a great nurse is more than getting a degree and passing a test. Being a great nurse means loving what you do, having a passion for the patients you help, taking pride in furthering your knowledge, and having a desire to better healthcare and improve your hospital. I know straight CHEESE, but it’s so true. Ever since I was young it was apparent I would someday work in the medical field. I was the weirdo who enjoyed being in hospitals, the kid who asked to take home her wisdom teeth and watch her shoulder surgery video, the one who loved helping family members when they were sick, I mean I mostly would just yell at my dad because he would take three Advil when the bottle clearly said to take two [rule follower for life], but nonetheless there was something in me that longed to be a nurse.

Nursing is not like most careers, it can be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining all at the same time. You go into a shift and are expected to know everything about someone you just met in order to keep them alive for twelve hours. The last medication they took, what their poop looks like, how fast they are breathing, every cut and bruise on their skin, their labs result, their mother’s maiden name [okay maybe not the last one], but the list goes on. Yet, this is also what drew me to nursing. I thoroughly enjoy being able to learn so much about someone and see the knowledge I worked so hard to acquire actually save a life. Hospitalized patients are in their most vulnerable state and they depend on us as medical staff to understand them, heal them, and make the best decisions for them 24/7. Yes, there are sad shifts, easy shifts, challenging shifts, but there are moments in each of those shifts you will remember for life. Whether it was making a mistake [you won’t do that again], crying with a family member as they decide to let their loved one go, receiving a compliment from a coworker on a job well done, or simply putting a smile on a grumpy patient’s face. Getting to be part of these moments is why I chose nursing.

Choosing nursing is the first step, but deciding what nursing specialty is meant for you is the fun part. Since my very first human anatomy class to now, the heart has always been my favorite organ. [I’m a hopeless romantic, what can I say?] I am fascinated by the power and ability it holds to keep you functioning, but yet the smallest imbalance can disrupt the whole body. So out of nursing school I decided to follow my heart [lol] and accept a position as a Telemetry RN and now soon to be Cardiovascular Intensive Care RN. For a year and a half I learned more than I ever thought possible about my favorite organ; the different rhythms, the millions of medications, the diseases, and how to bring it back once it stops. This organ and this career are what inspired my whole blog and I am excited to continue to share more about my experiences, my insights, and my passion for this amazing profession.