NursingLink

New Purpose for an Old Career

I have a confession to make. After twenty five years as a nurse I nearly became a statistic and joined the mass exodus of nurses leaving nursing. During the worst nursing shortage in history I had seriously considered changing careers. I would like to tell you why I became a nurse and why I have chosen to remain in nursing.

The oldest of five children I always responsible for or taking care of someone. There is a photograph of me on my desk taken on Christmas morning when I was four years old. In the photo I am playing with my first nurse’s kit and wearing a plastic stethoscope. My mom wrote on the back of the picture, “Laura, always a nurse.” Looking back on it now it truly seems as if I have always been a nurse.

Family and teachers encouraged me to pursue nursing. At the time it was one of the three “safe” professions for women. Those professions were teacher, secretary or nurse. Lucky for me, I actually wanted to go into nursing. I attended the only nursing school in the area which happened to be an associate degree program. If the local school had been a diploma or a baccalaureate program, that is where I would have gone.

When my acceptance letter for nursing school came my mother and I were so excited that we jumped up and down on the sofa. I attended school on a scholarship from the nursing home where I worked as a nursing assistant. Nursing school was a challenge for me but I wouldn’t let anything stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a nurse.

During the first part of my career I fell into various nursing jobs. As a new grad I worked on a medical oncology floor because it was what I was offered. I chose my next job on an orthopedics floor because it was closer to home. I was gaining experience and confidence. I was living my dream.

I also worked a year as a nurse at the Kennedy Space Center. I fell into that job as well while caring of a young woman on the orthopedics floor. Her mother was the director of nursing at the Space Center. There I received my first look at the world outside of the cloistered hospital environment. I also received my first training in emergency medicine. However, it was short lived. The year was 1986 and after the shuttle Challenger exploded I returned to the safety of the hospital.

That experience sparked an insatiable desire to learn everything I could about emergency nursing and critical care. After all these areas were where the sickest patients were and where I felt I could do the most good. I was on fire to learn every possible clinical skill. There were text books to read, seminars to attend and experience to gain. For the first time, the direction of my career was purposeful.

After working on various ER and ICU units, I chose the one I liked best and was closest to home. For the next ten years, the world of nursing became my ten-bed ICU. I was part of a great team of nurses and there was enough action and variety to satisfy me. I would probably still be there today but fate moved her hand again…

Over five years ago I experienced a catastrophic, career altering and life changing injury. The details of the injury used to matter to me. I would recount them in great detail. All that really matters is that my career as a bedside nurse ended that day. I experienced severe physical pain, surgery and extensive physical therapy while simultaneously dealing with financial and emotional devastation. I discovered that being a nurse was not just my profession, it had become my identity.

I did not have a plan B. I still only had my associate degree and no other marketable skills. I did not have a portfolio or even know what one was. I hadn’t been on an interview in over ten years and my last interview consisted of, “When can you start?” My competition was physically healthy, with business savvy and a masters degree. Doors were closed to me and I felt that my profession had turned its back on me. The truth is that the nursing profession was dealing with problems of its own.

Once I truly accepted responsibility for my own career and recovery the healing process began. I searched for answers. I found some of those answers in books and seminars on career strategies and personal development. While completing my bachelor of science degree I developed computer skills and discovered the world of the Internet. There I found nurses dedicated to improving nursing. These nurses from all over the world represent all specialties and educational backgrounds. I have decided to join them.

Over time I began to understand that the ability to share what I have learned through my experiences is a gift. My new purpose is to support nurses and other healthcare professionals in the work they do. I will accomplish this through teaching, speaking and writing. It is an exciting time to be a nurse. I feel as if my career has just begun.

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