I’ve recently received a job offer which I have accepted, for Case Management Quality Assurance/ Improvement. I feel like I have come a long way since 7 years ago. I’m feeling beter about things to come. 3 months ago

No doubt about it. 15 minutes into my shift, a patient went unresponsive just as he was coming in by ambulance. We hadn’t even gotten him onto our stretcher when he had no pulse. We began working on him right away but there was no bringing him back. It seems he was going to die no matter what we did. I realized we have so little control over outcomes despite our training. I didn’t have to time to stop and reflect. We were busy with other sick people who needed us. We had to go on.

It is humbling. It is eye opening. Later I sent texts to family and told them I loved them. This man who just died did not have that chance to say goodbye. He could not say I love you one last time. 13 months ago

I am feeling a need for change. I have been at my current job for nearly 2 years. My pattern has been to change jobs whenever I get bored. In this case, I am not so much bored, as I am stressed out! There is constant drama among the staff, and the very nature of our work (in a busy ER) is chaotic and unpredictable. I strive to be the calm in the midst of the storm. Lately, though, I struggle with this.

I have been accepted into a program to become a Nurse Practitioner which excites me. I will start in the fall, as I have some financial issues to work through. I wish I could start now! But that is not my reality.

In the meantime, I am considering options. One is to continue full time at my current position indefinitely and find a way to cope with the stress. A second is to stay full time until summer and then go per diem, so I can make my own schedule. With this, I would likely need another source of income as well. I have been toying with the notion of doing something outside of nursing -maybe something creative. I would love to start my own business eventually. Of course, a third option would be to leave my job altogether and get a new one.

I tossing this all around in my mind and trying not to make an impulsive decision that I will later regret. 16 months ago

I have been so stressed at work the past few weeks. Our ER has been busy, busy, busy! I switched shifts from nights to evenings in November, and now I run for 12 hours straight. I am going to work on regaining my mojo. I must be the calm in the midst of the chaos. That has usually come naturally to me, just not lately. 16 months ago

for the Certification exam. Funny thing though, instead of really making me a better nurse, it seems to be making me see all the potentialities, and not the realities!!!! 21 months ago