ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ɪʟʟɴᴇss ᴄᴀɴ sᴇɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴅᴏᴡɴᴡᴀʀᴅ sᴘɪʀᴀʟ ᴏғ ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ᴅᴇʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ “ᴛʜɪɴɢs ɢᴇᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ.” ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴅᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛs ғɪɴᴇ, ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs/ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ.

ɪ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ɴᴜʀsᴇ ɪɴ 1988 ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴀssᴏᴄɪᴀᴛᴇs ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ ɪɴ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴇᴅ sᴄɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ sᴛᴜᴅɪᴇs. ᴍʏ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴏʀ sʜᴀʀᴏɴ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛᴇ ᴀs ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴜʀsᴇ ɪᴛs ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʏᴏᴅᴀ. ʏᴏᴜ’ʟʟ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀs ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ. ᴏᴜʀ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟᴛʏ ᴡᴀs ʜɪɢʜ ʀɪsᴋ ʟᴀʙᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ. After attending conferences with her we became a groupies of a prominent speaker. I was in awe of her education and certifications.

I wanted to go back to school for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I started in 2004 and had several setbacks due to health issues. Working as a labor and delivery nurse was therapy for me. I worked with the most intelligent people ever. We cared for high risk vulnerable pregnant women giving exemplary care. It was tiring working full-time, doing dialysis, and furthering my education. I took one course per semester, received a certification in inpatient obstetrics in 2010, and graduated with honors with my BSN in 2012. 

I realized that I was addicted to education and loved teaching. Yup, you guessed it I enrolled in the nursing education master’s degree track. My husband and friends thought I needed to relax but I wanted this for me. I had one course left before my practicum and I did not pass. I had an 83.3 and the passing score was 84. The instructor said, “You’ll thank me in the end” I didn’t.  I took the course again with a different professor and received an A+ and no I didn’t. That was stressful, I decreased my work hours to accommodate the required practicum hours and graduated with my MSN. I couldn’t have done this without faith, my husband, work family, and friends. 2004-2018

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