About “ThatNurse”

Fun Facts about "ThatNurse"
Her name is Jen.
She's a beginner writer.
She hikes locally. 
She's been a nurse since May 1994.
Her credentials: BSN RN CEN
She's worked in: 
Long Term/Extended Care, 
Coronary Progressive Care, 
Emergency Room,
Pre-Op/Phase2 PACU.
She's a Wife and Mother.
She's a lifetime reader.
She loves to cook.
She's loves her dog. 
She's a proud Band Mom.

I decided to become a nurse when I was four years old. My godmother, who is a nurse had given me a toy nurse’s kit for Christmas that year. She put her nurses cap on me and I pretended to examine my grandfather. Twenty years later, I became a nurse.  Early into my nursing career one of my patients looked me in the eyes, pointed her finger at me and told me that I had a talent I didn’t know I had. I replied to her with a few of my then twenty seven year old interests. She held her gaze on me and told me I needed to figure it out. That patient died shortly after her hospital stay so I didn’t have the opportunity to ask her more but I never forgot what she said. Years later I went back to school and earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After graduation I gave my godmother a duplicate set of my Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Honor Cords that I had worn in commencement. I realized that experience was transformational for me. Not only did it enhance my knowledge as a nurse, it gave me the ability to think differently. It opened my eyes to the fact that I enjoyed writing while I was earning that degree. I wrote paper after paper and the  writing came easily and it felt good. After a series of synchronicities it occurred to me that inside of this nurse is a writer too. Writing was the talent I didn’t know I had. I wish I could tell that patient that I finally figured it out but I am sure she already knows.