New nurse, new beginnings

Hello Scrubs Magazine Readers! This is my attempt at an introduction as a blogger, a nurse, a wife, a mom. I started my journey towards a career in nursing when I got pregnant with my first child. Growing a human being inside me was very inspirational and jump started me into this passion I have for the whole process of childbirth. Basically I read everything I could get my hands on in those early days and started searching online for ideas on how to incorporate my love for pregnancy into my life. Soon my friends would ask me to support them when they went into labor; I guess they saw what a labor junkie I was becoming. Something in my brain went “click” when I witnessed an L&D nurse doing her thing: educating my laboring friend while checking her cervix and later coaching her through pushing out a brand new life. I suddenly knew that I wanted to peruse nursing so I started from scratch.
Just getting into nursing school was a process. Then I faced the years of studying like I have never studied before (A&P comes to mind). My husband and family rooted me on through clinicals that I slept walked through, exam grades I cried over and ultimately, graduation and the dreaded NCLEX. I was so excited when I thought nursing school was over and I could “just” start working. HA!

While nursing school gave me an okay foundation for my career, it wasn’t until my first year as a nurse when I was hit full force with a learning curve that almost sent me running from the profession. I have never experienced so much stress, witnessed so much sadness, entered into so much joy, or felt so much accomplishment as I have in the last couple years as a high-risk L&D nurse.

One of the best things I have done for myself was blog through the last few years. So, why blog for Scrubs Magazine now? Blogging is a wonderful outlet and a way for nurse bloggers to further build our community. Traditionally, midwives have handed down their skill set from midwife to apprentice midwife. I believe nurses have this same opportunity: to pass from nurse to new nurse the rich traditions of this profession. Blogging is a new way to accomplish this mentorship! While I KNOW being a “good” nurse is hard and even impossible at times, I also KNOW that my fellow nurses are invaluable resources to me. We are in this thing together.

Now I’m at another starting point. Having just moved, I have a new job and all the stress that comes with having a family, working nights, orientation, etc. As a new nurse, I have a ton of things to learn and still feel relatively unsure of myself. My blog will share with you, the reader, all about what it’s like to be new in this field and hopefully how to survive this crazy, wonderful vocation.