I have just reached my 25 year anniversary of working in healthcare. This is a snapshot view of what has happened in my life and career over the past 25 years. We all have stories to tell, we all have lives which have changed and developed. Each of us has a story to tell, so let me share mine.
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In 1989, I was a young fresh-faced nurse ready to start the first steps to becoming a nurse. I was so excited to begin the rest of my life.
We were all young in my group 18-27years old-2 male nurses and 18 female nurses. We wore dresses in blue check, not the men of course, and we wore hats with one single strip, this indicated we were first year student nurses.
Roll on to 2014, 25 years after that day and I am older, wiser and fatter! What happened to the fresh-faced young nurse?
Well I became the old timer; the crusty old bat of nursing-I became the nurse who is supposed to know everything (and I do know a lot). I can't believe how fast this ride has gone? I begin to wonder if I will be put to pasture because I am expensive? I have never had a gap in service apart from a few weeks off for one baby, small surgeries here and there.
One long life of being a nurse, with so many stories to tell some funny, some sad and some unpleasant. I often wish I had kept a diary to record all my experiences along the way. The ones that made a difference in my life remain with me, always and they are like precious jewels you pick up out of a box to revisit occasionally!
I had never planned out my career and where I would end up, although if I told you my career pathway you would think it had been carefully planned out. I have never stayed in a job more than 3 years-I think you could call it my three-year itch! I have never left a job without having a replacement job-I have always been the major wage earner so no such luxury of being unemployed.
Instead of planning my career I gave myself 5-year goals, which corresponded with significant ages. Normally I achieved my goals within the time frame-some of those goals were enjoyable and some were huge mistakes.
My current goal is to stay with my current employee until I retire-now that is a long-term goal. I have never planned a long-term goal (this is a 10-15 year goal) this goal that means old age and retirement. Plus I love my current job more than any job I have ever had, which makes me vulnerable, not a good feeling in todays job market.
During my career I added to my family, I lost two daughters because I divorced, I lost my mother, father, sister and 3 beautiful friends to cancer. I remarried, had a beautiful daughter. I moved countries from the UK to the USA. I changed my citizenship and I climbed the ladder and fell down it a few times. Oh yeah and I moved home 11 times. It makes me breathless to think of all I have been through and how I am relatively normal.
The only thing that has remained constant throughout my life is my love of nursing, my dedication to my patients, my commitment to quality of patient care, my enjoyment of teaching and training. Plus the belief I have made a difference.
So to the fresh faced students and my fellow crusty old bats, I hope you have enjoyed your journey? Because for me life was certainly a roller coaster
So when did that fresh faced student become a crusty old bat? Who knows but when I stare in the mirror I see both staring back at me and I smile. I smile for those I loved, those I lost and those who I have yet to meet!
