My time in Portland was truly amazing, and I am still so grateful for the nurses I worked with there. They taught me how to listen without judgment, to hear people’s hearts, not just their words, and to be present even when words are insufficient. They held out hope for me personally on some hard days. But I had left the stability of my home hospital to see what else was out there. I couldn’t just stop in Portland after one assignment! And I certainly didn’t have any reason t

Being in the ER would turn out to be more of an adventure than I had anticipated. However, the Lord was kind in preparing me for the adventure He would take me on. Before I found myself looking at the brink of the unknown, He had first taught me the power of my emotions. It turns out emotions are a powerful force. They can either dig in like a two-year-old unwilling to move from the candy aisle, or they can propel that mountain climber to leap the last unpassable chasm to fin

My first years in the Emergency Department flew by, and I suddenly found myself considered an actual ER nurse, no longer a newbie. I had performed CPR numerous times now and could easily participate in treating a myriad of life-saving interventions. I could be trusted to act without being told. I no longer thought before shoving my hand over bleeding wounds or jumped at the sight of bugs creeping out of bandages. I had lost a number of patients, old and young. I was seasoned,

So I had learned to stand in the face of perceived danger, and now I had learned to walk fearlessly in the face of real danger. Where did that leave me? It left me in a place where I could now enjoy the precious wins of the ER. Finally mentally present, I started to actually meet my patients and hear their stories. I had the opportunity to see new worlds. It was like when you learn to hold your breath underwater. You finally see the fish that had been missed in your fixation

But what if it's not a rollercoaster? The dangers are not just perceived: there is no harness; there is no car; in fact, there is no track at all. What if it is a hurricane?  Whenever my line of work is brought up in conversation, there is an inevitable intrigue that follows. "Emergency? What's that like?" or "What's the worst thing you've ever seen?" I understand this sentiment far too well. It was exactly this concept of heroism in the face of danger or unique and inconceiv

When I first started working in the Emergency Department, I never thought it would change who I was as a person. I was so wrong. I was a 22-year-old kid, prone to indecisiveness and overthinking. I'm sure these are two of the worst traits an ER nurse could ever have and I'm still curious why anyone gave me that job in the first place! But I am so incredibly grateful for the manager who gave me that opportunity, choosing to invest in my development and not just write me off. I

I have found life often means functioning in the space of "unknown". Not knowing something is generally uncomfortable. It also poignantly reminds us we are human. A fact we are ok acknowledging when convenient to our inability to wake up on time, or multi-task flawlessly, or a way to shrug off awkward and embarrassing moments. I sometimes look at my life as if I was reading a good book, my own character curiously turning each page thirsty to know how the story ends. I have le

I remember a time in my mid 20's when I had come to a pretty clear decision of what I believed my life would look like. I have always...