you can only say that what you want is where you are.

i've been working on 10 west for about three months now, and i have to say, i'm really enjoying it - my coworkers and the work itself. some mornings i leave the hospital wondering why i enjoy doing what i do. it's not a pretty job; it's not an easy job; and there are many moments at work when i find myself thinking, "how am i going to do this?" but, for one reason or another, i love it.


i love the hands-on; the activeness of it all. i love how every night is the same and every night is different. i love learning many new things each time i work, and it always amazes me how much there is to learn and continue learning. i love staying busy and running around like a maniac. i love the teamwork behind it all. and i love taking care.

when i was little, i wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. in high school, i had my heart set on teaching dance. and then there were times i thought i'd do something with writing. after my first year at radford, though, the idea of going into nursing just kind of came to me out of the blue. and, for whatever reason, it just stuck with me from then on out.

i was fortunate enough to get my dream nursing job right after graduation in the nicu - neonatal intensive care - working with premature and sick newborns. and, if i'm being completely honest, i've always had a place in my heart for nicu nursing and think it's something i'd like to go back to one day. in northern virginia, i got the chance to work on a high-risk pregnancy unit and loved working with that patient population as well. and here i am today, working on the acute care for the elderly unit, with the opportunity to take care of older adults.

i've learned so much from nursing - from each job and each position. expect the unexpected. plan ahead but know that, no matter how much or how well you plan, a million things will come up and happen in the meantime that you never planned on. don't try and do two things at once; take it one step at a time, finishing one task before you more on to the next. don't be afraid to ask for help, and be sure and help those around you with a smile on your face. sit down when you can. watch the sunrise over the mountains out of the window at the end of the hall. never say "quiet" or "slow;" things begin to happen shortly after. along with the scheduled, have-to-do things of each shift, take the time to do the little things for each patient (those are my favorite nursing moments). and, finally, there is always, always something new to learn.

it's good to finally be feeling settled again - or, at the very least, very close to it - and to be getting back to the real me a little bit at a time. i've learned throughout the last few years that nursing is a part of that real me. so, maybe this is where the blog is going now - writing about who i am now and what makes up me now - instead of writing about who i used to be or who i'd like to be. live each season as it passes.