As the holidays approach and I prepare to transition out from the bedside going into the new year (for Nurse Anesthesia school), I have taken the time to reflect on what has helped me “stay in the game” during my 5 short years at Hopkins
It was only through forming deep, meaningful connections with each and every person in my commUNITY that I was able to go so far. Nobody goes through their journey totally alone. Sometimes the help you need is right where you were looking all along.
When the COVID pandemic first hit, I was in my 10th month of nursing when I was asked to be floated to the (then) COVID ECMO CCU to provide additional support and take a live “crash course” into critical care. Long story short, this was an intimidating 6 week experience for me and I thought that I would never want to work in critical care ever again. I saw so much that I thought I would never want to see again despite the excellent support I received from the CCU nurses.
During this time, I was able to connect with Tara (who was my former nursing professor at Towson). She was able to take the time to listen to me and my experiences and help me see the big picture. I have shaped my own path in nursing because of people like her, and decided to return to the CCU in January of 2021. The rest is history! I am grateful for each and every experience up to this point in my career.
This GivingTuesday (11/28/23), our collective goal is to raise $15,000. This will enable Debriefing the Front Lines to provide 300 complimentary debriefing sessions to nurses in need of mental health support in 2023.Programs like these are a key part of maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Every $50 raised provides one debriefing to a nurse in need. Consider even a small donation to DIRECTLY support your nurses and healthcare workers!
