New Adventures

    I have been an ER nurse since I graduated from nursing school in 2010. I have worked in the Saint John ER since 2008. I love everything about being an ER nurse. I thrive on the adrenalin rush and the uncertainty of what a shift might bring. I have seen sights I wish I hadn't and smelled odours that would turn the hardiest of stomaches. Tomorrow marks the day that I leave the comfort zone of chaos and start a new adventure.
   I will be heading up the hill from the hospital to Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick for a one year term as the simulated patient educator. It will be strange to leave the world of comfy scrubs and ponytails for business attire and my hair done as good as it gets (yay curls). I love bedside nursing and seeing people go from crisis to feeling well, but I also enjoy teaching. I have been helping out with simulations in the ER for the last year and I absolutely love it!
     I admit I don't like change and my mind has been running a mile a minute since I received the call that I had been chosen for the position. I have been working as a casual in emerg since my discharge from the hospital. Choosing my own schedule definitely has its perks, but having a consistent income will also be fantastic. Another big bonus with this new job is regular hours, no more night shift and no more house with two shift workers trying to juggle shifts!
    I have seen so many amazing things working in the ER. I have seen tiny babies fighting for life, I have watched seniors as they take their final breath on this earth surrounded by family, I have seen all kinds of strange objects in places they don't belong. I have cried with patients, laughed with patients, and lost my temper a time or two. I have had to take a moment to settle my nerves before performing a new procedure, I have had to bite my tongue when I really wanted to speak my mind, and I have learned to stand up for those who are too afraid to stand up for themselves. I have been a part of an amazing team of nurses, doctors, and support staff. Our ER is like a big (though highly dysfunctional at times) family. I will miss being part of the day to day life of this family, but I know I'll be back!
   So here's to change and trying new things. Tomorrow is the start of new adventures and new co-workers. It is a day to face my fear of what is new and step with confidence and willingness to learn a new role.