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I didn't decide to become a nurse until I was sixteen. My father was in the hospital, dying from cirrhosis of the liver, after many years of alcohol abuse. He had been in a coma in the ICU, and was moved to a regular floor. One day , when I went in to see him, he was confused, had pulled out his IV, and was bleeding onto the floor. I was frantic. I went out and got the nurse, who asked me and my sister to leave. Once we were allowed back into the room, my sister couldn't handle it, and I went alone. He had been sedated, and I remember looking at him, and having the feeling that this was it, I knew he was going to die. The nurse came in, and saw me starting to cry, she never said a word, just put her arm on my shoulders, and stayed with me, until she knew it was OK to leave again. I never did know her name, but whoever she was, I'd like to thank her for her kindness now.

Student Nurse 1981

My first job out of nursing school was on a med-surg unit, working nights. After a year of that, I joined the float pool, and went to the ICU a few times. I knew this was for me, but that hospital told me I'd have to do nights...again, so I took off. This was in early '82, and there was a nursing shortage. I walked into another hospital, and they hired me for days in ICU on the spot. I loved it, and flourished in the ICU. But, I soon craved more, so off I went to a specialty hospital, to work in a CT ICU. I stayed in that hospital for 13 years.

My A.A.S Graduating Class  1981

I had the opportunity to learn so many things while at that hospital. I worked in the pediatric SICU, in infection control, and in nursing ed. I cared for adults and kids for about 8 or 9 years, finally, I decided peds was just to much for me emotionally. I was always nervous, they were so sick, so I decided to just care for adults. I felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders when I stopped doing peds.

My preceptor  and I caring for a little one post repair of congenital cardiac anomaly, in  1987. I was pregnant with my first child.

I eventually left, to be a part of a team of nurses to start a new open heart unit in a hospital that was much closer to my home. My buddy, another excellet nurse, was going to be the new nurse manager, how I could I refuse?     But, it wasn't enough to just change my scenery, I was looking for something else. I hopped around after that, to a PACU, which is an EXCELLENT job, but the hours didn't work out for my family, so I finally decided to move on into home health, and the rest is history!

From left to right; My husband, myself, my  buddy, and her husband, at a hospital Holiday party.

The content and photos on this page are copyright of the Web Mistress, March 2001

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