20 years as a Registered Nurse.
Today marks an important day in my career. 20 years ago today I graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.
December 18, 1995: Graduation from IU School of Nursing
Let me start from the beginning. In the fourth grade I knew I was going to IU and I thought I was going to be a Doctor. As time went on I learned I just didn't have the math skills necessary to be a doctor. I loved health care. I was in the 7th grade when my dad was badly burned and I wanted to be in the room when they did the dressing changes. The nurses were concerned, but my mom knew, she let me stay. I became a Candy Stripper. I enjoyed doing that and I knew Nursing was my future. In High school, I joined the Fire Department as a Volunteer. I loved it. I loved learning everything. I had no doubt about healthcare, as my career. As soon as I turned 18 I took a CNA class and began working in a nursing home. I will never regret that decision. I truly believe that the 4 years I spend working in a nursing home helped me everyday as a Nurse. I worked full-time over the summers and PRN on breaks. I seen my first death in the nursing home and I learned I could handle it. I was okay with cleaning a body and preparing it for the family to see. I wasn't bothered by it as I felt like it was a noble thing to do. The patients that died were not young or healthy. These were people that were generally older and had lived their life and were not at a point where they often didn't even have visitors.
Me and my family on Easter 1995 They came to Indy to spend Easter morning with me then I went to work at Riley.
In nursing school I was able to work in the ER at Riley Children's Hospital as a Student Nurse. That is where I met the first patient the truly touched my heart. She was a young girl about 6. She needed a heart transplant. She was in an out of the hospital. She was from a rural community in Indiana not too far from where I grew up. During one of visits to the ER her parents stepped out to meet with the Doctors and I sat in her room, with her, and we watched a Disney movie and talked. She told me how she knew she was going to get a heart and be ok. Eventually she did get a heart. Thankfully, I was working the ER when she came in. It was so exciting. Over the next few days I checked in on her daily since the nursing school was bedside Riley. I was so excited to be able to go in and visit her when the time came. She gave me the biggest hug and told me, she was right, she knew she would be getting a heart! Some time later she came in for a check up and she had made this little crocheted bears that were wore over a button. I was so proud when I found mine in my mailbox at work. It touched my heart. I knew Nursing was where I belonged. I went on to graduate and took a job at Wishard so I did not hear anything about her again. Until an odd, late summer day on the elevator in the Nursing School at IU, when I was working on my Masters Degree in 2005 . There was a man in my masters class and we were chatting on the elevator and he was talking about how heart broken he was that a girl he grew up with had passed away. He talked about her and then said where he was from. I asked him if her name was that of the little girl I had taken care of. He said yes and wanted to know how in the world I knew her. I couldn't hold the tears when I said, well I was there the day she got her heart. It turns out she went on to complete high school and was a pretty successful athlete and went to college and at the age of 22 she passed. Its funny that after all these years I can still remember her name and her smile. She touched my heart. That's what people don't know about nurses. We carry so much in our hearts.
My dear friends at Graduation: Karen Moore and Mickie Overman.
After graduating I stayed and worked full-time on night shift at Wishard. I spent a year working on a med/surg floor. It was an exciting fast paced year with many learning opportunities. I experienced a major self pity moment on Christmas Eve 1996. It was our first Christmas as a married couple and I had to work. I was so upset. I was on call and a nurse called in so I had to go in. It was the perfect Christmas Eve, it was cold with snow on the ground and it started snowing. Here I was sitting at work. I started passing meds when I went into Chad's room. Chad was a 23 year old sickle cell patient spending Christmas in the hospital. He was laying in bed with tears in his eyes so I walked out and made 2 cups of hot chocolate an took them back to his room. We sat on the side of his bed and watched it snow and cried together! In those moments I realized there was something much worse then working on Christmas Eve.
After a year, I was so excited to learn I was hired for an ER nurse position at Wishard. It was an amazing place. Often called the knife and gun club. I was just a small town girl and was amazed over and over at the things people did to each other. Mike used to say he loved picking me up on the weekends after I worked, as I would talk the whole way home about the exciting things that had occurred. I loved the ER.
After a year we decided to move back home and I was thrilled to be going to another Level One Trauma Center. Little did I know I would be spending the next 10 years there. Over my 10 years at University I had two kids, build a new house, and earned a Master Degree. I have so many amazing stories from my time there. Some are amazing stories of survival and some are heart wrenching. In one week I sat with a man and his children as they learned his wife, their mom had died in a car wreck, by a drunk driver and a few days later a woman and her in-laws as they learned their husband/son died in a car wreck on the way home from work. I vividly recall the wife telling me her children's ages, both boys, the same as my two boys. When they walked in to see his body she laid across him and said how am I supposed to tell our boys. Without warning the tears flowed from my eyes. It is the only time I ever cried in front of a family. I often reserved my tears for my car ride home! Oddly I can still remember their names, where they worked and other details about them. I've carried these people in my heart for many years.
May 2007: My family at my MSN graduation from IU School of Nursing
There were so many accidents involving teenagers. I could literally write a book. One teenage girl and her family remained especially near to my heart and little did I know our paths would cross again one day! It was an early morning and we were getting a teenage girl from a car wreck. I called her parents and when they arrived her mom was still wearing pajamas. I watched as her heart broke over and over. Eventually they left the ER and went home. I often thought about her when I travelled the path where the wreck occurred. A sign went up with her name on it. A few years later the intersection where the wreck occurred had a stoplight placed. She once again crossed my mind. Years later I was in a meeting and this lady was introducing herself and she said her daughter had died in a car wreck and immediately I knew who it was. I told her I was the nurse that took care of her daughter and that I actually knew who the driver of the other car was. She had a lot of questions about him and wanted him to know she never blamed him and so on. I left that night overwhelmed at how connected we all really are. I still think of her when I stop at the stoplight.
The deaths of kids is always the hardest. To many people, the nurses are just a blip in the course of an event. To many nurses, the patient and the family touched us more then you know. Sometimes I shared your story (never your name) to help encourage other teens. Sometimes I cried all the way home. Many times I prayed for you. These patients and family may have only crossed my path for a short time but I promise you left your footprints on my heart. I represent the majority of nurses when I tell you I truly cared for your loved on in their time of need. I provided great care and I cared about them. Being a nurse for me is a calling, and a true passion
After leaving University I landed in a great job where I am able to help patients on another level. I've been blessed to spend 8 years in this job. I still have a good 20 years left in nursing.
For me I'm a nurse 24/7. I may not be at the beside now but I enjoy getting phone calls, texts, pictures, etc. from friends and family. I never mind getting asked questions. I don't know everything but I will give you the best advice I can. I enjoy being a nurse. I am forever grateful for parents who made us believe anything was possible and for a mom that helped me make it though four years of college to become the 20 year registered nurse I am today.
