Baby Nurses, Seasoned Nurses, and Everything in Between

Baby Nurses, Seasoned Nurses,and 

Everything in Between

Jessica Sunday

I cannot believe that I have been a nurse for four months already! As a newer nurse, I can say that it has been a roller coaster. There have been lows, but honey, there have been highs. I am thankful for the lows because the lows are teaching me where improvement is necessary while other lows are showing me the value of life. The highs have assured me that I am in the right profession while they have also taught me that I CAN do this 'nurse thing.' Like the good old saying goes... if there were no highs and lows, we would be dead. It goes something like that anyway. The message still holds true. It is all about the balance in nursing. 

About two shifts ago, I felt very encouraged by the way I time managed my patients' care, charted in a timely manner,  interpreted cardiac rhythms (for those of you who are totally lost right now, rhythm interpretation is measuring and reading heart rhythms of your patients), called doctors, answered calls, administered medications,  discharged, admitted, and transferred patients all before my shift was over. For those of you who are first-hand witnesses of my ongoing journey, you know it took me awhile to gain the confidence I needed to fulfill my roles as a new nurse. 

Each day brings with it a new lesson learned by those "new nurse slip-ups." Here are a few that are common as a new nurse, and not all of these were ones I did either. When you call the doctor, you had better be darn sure you know ALL the home medications your patient is taking or that call may end quickly. Always be conscientious on labs that are drawn, drips that are running, and tests that are scheduled. You cannot always depend on the hand-off report given; you must dig deeper yourself. If you need help, ASK! Your team leader is there to guide you if you really need help. I mean, how else are you supposed to hang blood and do an admission at the same time?  You may need your fellow nurse family to help you interpret doctor orders, written discharges, or telephone calls until you get accustomed to the new interpretation. Nursing students, you think the medications are hard to pronounce? Just kidding. They still are! Remember to sign your orders off before the end of your shift! Those are just some examples of what I have learned over the last few months. 

With that being said, never forget how far you have come, new and seasoned nurse alike. The new nurses may need a little patience and direction. The seasoned nurse, we desire to emulate you one day, so be gentle in knowing just how far you have come as well. Also, never forget who has helped you along the way. This includes your mentors, unit directors, boss, coworkers, doctors, college professors, friends, and family. They have all played a strategic part in making you successful. That may include working extra hours to help you with college tuition, staying up later to grade exams, offering constructive criticism in hopes to see you bloom as a nurse, or even extending orientation to be sure you can be successful and safe on the unit you are working on. So, take that shift in where you felt successful, but do not forget the many people who have played a role in cultivating that confidence and milestone in your life. 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ...A time to be born, and a time to die; ... a time to break down, and a time to build up; ... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ..." 

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4  

To The Man or Woman Afraid to Jump

 To The Man or Woman Afraid to Jump 

Jessica Sunday

Jump.

A four letter word that requires so much contemplation at times. Sometimes the jumps we take in life are moments of great fear often overshadowing us with hesitancy. It is in the dark questions before the jump which keep us chained down. What if I jump?  What if I get hurt by "the jump" I want to take? What if I do this and fall right on my face? What then, friend? 

Believe it or not, we all have taken jumps in life. Some we were required to take to get us to a certain place regardless of the journey while others were jumps of our own accord. Some jumps we had to take in life were ones that took us to places of achievement such as getting promoted to the next grade in school. Those stepping stones filled our bodies with nervous emotions during those early years. I mean, we all knew the next grade got more challenging, right? Maybe that was only me who had that fear of entering a new grade in elementary and high school. Then, there was the "first job jump." We had to prepare our resume and pretend what our first job interview would be like. Those were just two examples of jumps required in order to get us to a specific place. In hindsight, those were decisions we were going to have to make in order to find part of our purpose in life - a completed education and a job. Do you know what though? You made those jumps! Congratulations! 

Other jumps are not as easy. These are "jumps" you decide to take on your own accord such as the "social dilemma jump." This is a jump everyone needs to decide on continually throughout one's life. It is an everyday battle to reflect on what side you stand your ground. It is a jump one is introduced to at a young age. Do I do what everyone else is doing to be popular or should I do what is right that everyone mocks? Someone once said that what is popular is not always morally right to do and what is morally right to do is not always popular. It is a jump that will cost you friends if you decide to go against the social norms and live your life in an honorable way despite of the unpopularity it brings. Stand firm in those beliefs, and do not be shaken. Know that jump will be worth it. 

Furthermore, there are other jumps that are important to make of your own accord because of someone's actions toward you. Remember, the saying, "Actions speak louder than words."? My friend, they do! Someone's actions may be so hurtful that you must decide to jump for the better. Yes, I just said for the b.e.t.t.e.r.  This is not a "peace-out I am leaving you hanging jump." The ones who truly know you are confident of the man or woman you are at core value. They know deep desires you have, the next goal you want to accomplish, the messy battle you are facing, and the downcast emotion you carry on the inside when everyone else sees the smile. At core value, they see the lovely heart you truly do possess. The heart that person has would surpass anything for those around him or her even the people that cause that person unnecessary distress. It is the unlovely person who is indifferent to those core values everyone else knows well except himself or herself because they were too busy crippling the person they claimed to love with sharp words of resentment and cruelty. The words were followed by trends of their actions of disrespect and division. 

I said something the other day that convicted myself. It went something like, "You are great at being there for those who hurt you, but now it is time to know your worth." There is only so far you can go in helping others. People need to have a desire to help themselves which is not always the case.  Some have no ambition to move forward and will continue the record of their actions toward you.  In those times, know your worth. Know the difference between God's grace and being gentle with yourself- your emotions, your actions, and your energy. Know the difference between being the byproduct of someone's actions of  harm versus knowing when to walk away in understanding your worth. Remember, the one reading this post is worth it. 

In the beginning of the post I contemplated some questions of fear we often think before we take that next jump. What if we decided to shift our thinking to the positive of that next jump? 

Let's shift our perspective. 

• What if I jump? No. When will I jump?  
• What if I get hurt by "the jump" I want to take? No. What will it take for me to grow from the jump I will take? 
• What if I do this and fall right on my face? No. When will I do this and stand firm on everything that led me to this jump? 
• What then, friend? Yes, what then, friend? 

Do you still have doubts about taking your jump?
Take my hand, and let us jump together!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

II Timothy 1:7