Last day

It seems like just last month that I was blogging about getting hired as a PCSA (Patient Care Services Aide). Turns out it was over a year ago. Time definitely flies when you’re having fun. It’s been such an amazing opportunity, I’ve met so many amazing people, taken care of some amazing kids, and tomorrow is my last day.
OK, OK, so it’s not like I’m leaving or anything. I’m so blessed to have gotten hired as a nurse on the same unit, with the same amazing people and more amazing kids. I just can’t believe it’s gone by so fast!  For all you nursing students out there, if there is one piece of advice I can give, it is this: find yourself a job as a nursing assistant!

It’s not just about getting your foot in the door. It’s about the experience you will gain, the confidence you will build and the lessons you will learn. I remember that just in the first few shifts I spent being trained on the job, I instantly recognized a greater ease in my clinical settings for school. I wasn’t afraid of monitors, I observed things differently, and saw my patients as more than just an assignment for the day.  It helped teach me to organize my day, my time, and prioritize. I learned what teamwork was really all about and that when you’re caring for a patient you have to look at the big picture, while still checking out the small details.

Being a nurse’s aide teaches you humility, service, and compassion, three traits that truly make up the nursing profession. I’m excited to start off my nursing career continuing to learn about these things, and many more, and tomorrow, I am spending my last day as a PCSA looking back on all that I learned about my job and myself in the last year – ready to move forward.