My Non-Traditional Choice
by Holly Anderson, RN
Seven years ago I began my journey into the world of nursing. But let me start from the beginning. I decided to do this whole career thing in reverse — I opted to have children first, raise them and then return to school. At age 41, I began the journey that would lead me to the career choice I had made from early childhood: I wanted to be a nurse.
Genetics probably played a part in my decision, since both my grandmother and my uncle were nurses. All I know is I was determined to get my degree and it couldn’t happen quickly enough. I signed up for the required classes and entered the nursing program a year earlier than anticipated, overjoyed, eager and ready to jump in.
In May of 2000, I was granted the degree I had dreamed of for so long. Happy to have successfully made it this far, I began the search for the “perfect job” in nursing. The trouble with that idealistic plan was (and I was clueless here) there is no such job in any profession. Instructors had advised the best place to launch from would be a medical-surgical unit in a hospital setting in order to obtain a well rounded clinical experience. I made application at a facility about half an hour’s drive from home and was offered a position as a graduate nurse on a medical/surgical/pediatric unit. I was ecstatic, ready to springboard into the realm of saving the world from the evils of the disease processes.
Much to my disappointment, things were not at all as I had anticipated they would be. Lo and behold, unbeknownst to me I had just entered a dog-eat-dog world, one that would forever change my point of view concerning this profession. I soon discovered that the clinical aspect of school was no preparation for the real world of hospital nursing, which included 14 hour nights (12 hours on the floor, two hours of catch up charting), increasing patient loads, mandatory call shifts, hospital politics and the more seasoned nurses “eating their young.”
Not wanting to become a nursing casualty by continuing to work on a unit I felt was not a good fit for me, I turned to what I thought I would excel at: Obstetrical nursing. After all, I was a mother! I had lived through four deliveries myself, and now with my nursing degree to support me, surely I could withstand the onslaughts of whatever might come my way. Wrong again.
So, my quest continued to be repetitive. A year here and there, always seeking and searching, never finding my niche in this profession. Five years later, just as I was ready to throw in the towel and leave the field of nursing altogether, my search led me to an area of nursing I had no idea existed — theme park nursing! What a novel idea. Whoever heard of such a thing? My mind was racing! I was ready to give nursing one last try. The theme park was located in another state, 1,100 miles from home. Always having had an insatiable desire for adventure, I convinced my dear sweet husband of 31 years that this was only for the summer and I would return home by fall. I assured him he could visit whenever he wanted to, and I would come home as time allowed. I truly felt this was the answer for me, and I just had to give it a shot (pardon the pun)! Long story short, I applied, interviewed, was hired and headed for Los Angeles.
Never in my life would I have dreamed that my initial orientation would consist of riding rides and viewing attractions. What fun my former colleagues were missing out on! This was incredible! I soon learned how to navigate the park, learned which rides were the most apt to hazard, and what alternate NSAID one was asking for if he requested Paracetamol (aka Tylenol in our country). This was too good to be true!
My summer ended all too quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to return home. Knowing my choices were few, I once again returned to bedside nursing.
Trying my best to complete each day with a smile, I decided I could no longer bear the thought of 12 hour shifts, increasing nurse-to-patient ratios and working nights. My stomach hurt every time I drove into the parking lot. I had gotten a taste of my perfect fit in nursing and was miserable that I had only been able to have the experience for a mere summer. I devoted a portion of each day to searching the Internet, hoping to find something comparable to what I had experienced. But alas, it was not to be found. There just are no major theme parks that needed RNs in Colorado. After six months, I turned once again to jobs in the Los Angeles area, made application to work for a major studio, and arranged to fly out for an interview. Additionally, a former coworker had given me a lead to work in another facet of nursing I had not yet discovered — case management. Suffice it to say I was scheduled for two interviews in Los Angeles, and was offered a position with an insurance company as a complex case manager. Although the setting was different than what I had experienced during the previous summer months, I was intrigued by it and, as a result, have decided to remain in the nursing profession. I have also obtained my CCM.
In conclusion, the past two years have shown me that rather than walking away from a profession that has been severely impacted by a nursing shortage, there are still areas of nursing that (to some of us) have yet to be explored. My purpose in submitting this essay is to offer encouragement to my fellow nurses who are feeling burned out, unfulfilled and disappointed with the profession. I want to share the good news that there are options available. Just be persistent. It may require something of you (we sold our home in beautiful Colorado and relocated to Southern California), but your situation may not require that at all. Be open, be patient, and most of all, be persistent. You never know when that window of opportunity in nursing will open up for you!
