Show Notes
This week on the show we have Karla, an operating room nurse who was set on the RN trail by her Dad. Often others are able to see certain attributes in us that lend themselves to one career path or another that we are not able to see in ourselves. This was the case for Karla. Nursing was nowhere to be found on her life goal list but with some kind encouragement, she found that nursing really was a good fit for her. Karla attended the BYU-Idaho nursing program and loved the comradery she found there with her fellow classmates. She loved the nursing program there and really liked the emphasis they placed on connecting with the patients as well as gaining the technical skills. Upon completion of her schooling she was able to get her first job on a post-surgical unit in a hospital. Working with orthopedic, urology, trauma, performing surgical dressing changes, assisting with ADL's, Passing medications etc. While this was not a job she particularly enjoyed, she found that the year of experience there was invaluable in learning nursing skills that have helped her in her nursing practice as a whole.
My guest also learned the frustrating way that transferring your license to another state can be a huge headache. Her advice is to do your research before you plan to move so you can be prepared as the process may very well take a few months.
Karla has had the unique experience of working in small towns (Idaho, Iowa) and in a big city (Chicago, Illinois). She was able to share some neat experiences in all these places.
Though she had to endure a few positions she did not love first, she eventually did make it to her dream job of working in the operating room. Training took 6 months, but she loves being the circulating and scrub nurse in the OR.
Moving between multiple states and finding a job in a new area can be stressful and intimidating, but for this nurse it has been a wonderful experience that has really added to her knowledge and skill set.
Working in three different states has not been the only challenging transition Karla has had to make. She also had to learn how to be a nurse and a mom recently. This transition brought on a bit of an identity crisis but she has learned how to thrive as both a mother and a Nurse. A big advocate of finding balance in life, she has a few tips on how to make this transition and how to make work and family life mesh together well.
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