As a child, I wanted to be a fireman; racing to the scene of a burning building, really being able to directly help people.  However, my mother would recall me running around the family room in my underwear and a red cape battling bad guys, and saving people from evil villains.  A lot has changed since I was a young boy, but the concept of helping others has not.

After graduating from high school, I immediately enrolled in a community college.  As with most new grads, I was clueless as to what career path I wanted to follow.  I began with general studies and science to get my feet wet.  During my freshman year, an unfortunate event landed me in the emergency room.  It was the third week of school and the weather was great; perfect for a ride on my motorcycle.  Traffic leading to the school was always congested in the morning, but driving in, something unexpected happened.  I preceded to make a left-hand turn toward the college when suddenly I heard a high-pitched squeal, sounds of glass breaking, and the smell of burnt rubber overwhelmed me.  The bystanders that witnessed the accident recounted that I was broadsided by a black LTD sedan.  The driver was not paying attention and ran the stop sign.  When I awoke in the emergency room at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital I started to scream, “What happened to me!”  I was in a lot of pain and could tell by the sound of the medical staff working on me, they did not know the extent of my injuries.  Scared, alone, and strapped to a backboard and unable to move, I started to panic.  It is then when I heard a calm soft voice say: “My name is Joan.  I am your nurse and everything is going to be OK.” She proceeded to describe the motorcycle accident this morning and that I was knocked unconscious.  My nurse and caregiver started by holding my hand and explained every part of her assessment for injuries.  She was kind, caring, and took the time to explain every detail of my care.  She called my parents and helped explain everything all over again. 

Ten hours later, after all the testing, x-rays, and exams, I was released with a broken left foot and a concussion.  I was very lucky to have walked away from that accident alive, let alone in one piece.  Having that experience changed my life.  The next semester I enrolled in St. Elizabeth’s College of Nursing.  I had finally found something where I could help others daily and would lead me to a promising career.

After graduation from St Elizabeth’s, I had no problem finding a job.  There were recruiters from hospitals contacting me two months before I even finished the program.  My first job as a graduate nurse was at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY.   I knew that emergency nursing was something that I wanted to jump right into, but my mentor and recruiter guided me to a medical/surgical floor.  She explained that this would help develop my assessment and organization skills.  The hospital did a great job of transitioning all the new graduates, and I was instantly comfortable in my new position.

I did eventually get to the emergency room, but not until after spending two years developing and enhancing my nursing practice skills.  The emergency room is where I felt the most at home.  I enjoyed the excitement of the unknown.  After three years of floating between the emergency room and other parts of the hospital, I started to meet more and more nurses who did agency nursing.  Agency nursing seemed like the ultimate way to gain new experiences while seeing new facilities.  Over the next six months, I researched travel nursing and agency employment.  I had a vision of being independent with the flexibility to work where and when I wanted.  Working three days a week and having four days off gave me the ability to create my own business, something I knew would be a great investment as well as a great use of my education and skills.

In 2002, I started a nurse staffing organization focused on providing quality emergency room nurses that were flexible to float between different hospitals.  As a business owner, it was critical that I logged field time.  Working side by side with my co-workers has helped me relate to all the challenges nurses face on a daily basis. In addition, these mutual experiences allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with my staff.

My path to a career in nursing started off with being an insecure college student, questioning the path that would work best for me.  From that, it would become an ever-evolving path with a promising future.  That uncertain college student developed into a skilled nurse, and now is a confident business owner.  I once made it my mission as a child to help others, and I am proud to have lived up to my dreams and goals. I know I will continue to do so in the future, all because of nursing.