615-856-8181
shania@shanialynnvo.com

RN

Building a Life you Want

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Build a life you want and save for it. This is a FIRE concept in which you can still prepare to be Financially Independent and Retire Early, while also living a life that you desire.

As nurses, we learn to prioritize. We start our day prioritizing as we choose which patient to see first. We prioritize med passes, delegation, admissions, discharges, and every MD order for each patient that we have in our care.

But, we often do not prioritize ourselves. Some of us go with the flow. Some stay in current jobs for years because it is comfortable or familiar. Others go about their daily routines and only imagine pursuing hobbies or passions and never act on them.

I made a difficult decision to leave a job that I helped create for myself because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I came home frustrated every day for the 6 months I was trying to make it work. I started to realize that the position may not have been a good fit for my strengths. Sitting at a desk all day waiting on the decisions of others was just not a good fit for a Type A personality, who is used to working an active 12-hr bedside nursing shift. I knew I had to make a change for my mental health, especially considering I did not believe the position would improve for my liking. With change, comes difficult conversations.

Intellectually, I knew that for my mental well-being, I had to leave my newly acquired job. I received an opportunity to teach. A position I thought of years before as I was always more textbook smart than I ever was clinically. I took the chance and this is the best career I have ever been in as an RN. I LOVE disease processes. I LOVE encouraging others. I LOVE speaking. All of my loves and strengths seem to be combined into one position that found me in a time I was seriously struggling. All of these loves, plus a schedule that works for family, hobbies, and voiceover 🙂

I would never have found my place as a nurse if I did not listen to myself or take myself as priority. Now, I am looking forward to furthering my education. I am basing my specific program and university off of what will work with my priorities in life: teaching, voiceover, fitness, and family/friends. Rather than sacrificing any of these loves, I will find a program that fits into my current way of living because that is making myself a priority.

Build a life that you want and save for it.

Until next shift,

Shania

It’s okay to take up space

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Do you ever say sorry out of habit? “I’m sorry for..”

Making it into the grocery line first

Being in the med room as another nurse walks in

Filing a valid complaint

Asking for a favor

Waking up a doctor for a patient need/concern

I have a habit of apologizing for things that 1.) are not my fault 2.) unintentionally inconveniencing others, 3.) allowing others needs to be greater than my own. In other words, I say “I’m sorry” for things that those words are not even intended for. The word “sorry” stems from a word meaning sorrow or sorrowful. Do I feel sorrow for any of the above scenarios? Of course, not.

While out wedding dress shopping for my sister, my sister was constantly apologizing for bringing more dresses into the dressing room or needing a different size, etc. Finally, the sales associate said, “you need to stop saying, ‘I’m sorry’. I told myself that I need to stop saying that because I am allowed to take up space.”

I am allowed to take up space. We should never let ourselves feel less than others. Apologizing for being a customer doesn’t even make sense! Also, we have learned over the years that empathy is way more affective than sympathy which the words ‘I’m sorry” go with. So, allow yourself to take up space in this world like the billions of other humans that walk the earth.

Until next shift,

Shania

What do you want to be when you grow up?

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Growing up and even now, many ask themselves this question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

After witnessing mental illness in my family and then struggling with my own eating disorder, my answer became “a nurse.” I chose to be a nurse because I wanted to influence others and educate others into creating a healthy lifestyle.

But just the answer of being a “nurse”, only goes so far. I then decide whether I prefer inpatient or outpatient, which unit, which patient population, short term goals, long term goals, etc.

I, ultimately, settled into an adult medical-surgical floor that also served pediatrics and Oncology. I began nursing school wanting to do pediatrics, then ER, then inpatient oncology. There was rarely a job available at the infusion clinic, so I remained on med-surg for 5 years and I enjoyed it.

I started as a student nurse tech, then a nurse extern, then a new grad nurse, then staff nurse, then charge nurse, and now a nurse Retentionist! My medical unit offered classes on chemotherapy administration and pediatric care at no cost to me. I was able to get a wide variety of training and experiences by remaining on the medical floor for as long as I did. I also had the opportunity to switch shifts and worked days, nights, and weekend nights.

Each different experience I had and extra step I took for myself, allowed me to be open for leadership opportunities. My transition into a charge nurse was not as difficult as I thought. And the creation of my new position as a Nurse Retentionist, allowed me to step fully into the role as a nurses’ advocate and leader.

Though the actual transition away from the bedside and into a 8-4:30 job was difficult mentally, the actual work came natural. I was able to utilize my strengths of communication, boldness, and listening to incorporate challenges at the bedside into solutions to present to nursing leadership.

I never went into nursing school thinking I wanted to go into leadership, but it was something that found me and I love it. Though I am not a typical bedside nurse, I am still a nurse. Instead of caring for patients, I advocate for the nurses that continue to care for them.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Until next time,

Shania

RN vs. LPN: What is the Difference?

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Recently, my hospital has begun doing RN-LPN buddies. This is where the RN/LPN team can have upwards to 8 patients (normally a ratio of 1:6) or the LPN is split between two RNs with a higher acuity 6 patient group.

But, what exactly is the difference between the roles of an RN vs. those of an LPN?

LPNs also have options for certain skills certifications and there are several LPN-RN bridge programs.

The scope of practice for both RNs and LPNs also differs based on state of licensure and facility.

Until next shift,

Shania

How I Became an RN with NO STUDENT DEBT: My Journey into Nursing

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On average, a baccalaureate degree student accumulates $30,000 in debt and student debt is the second highest source of American debt, following mortgages (educationdata.org). The fear of debt, coupled with lack of motivation and other life endeavors makes it so difficult to obtain higher levels of education and more rewarding careers. Once one makes it into school, they are likely forced to quit their current job or severely restrict working hours to make time for the necessary studies, further accruing more financial strain.

I was very fortunate to have great advisors as I was finishing High School. I had a 4.0 GPA and was able to apply for and obtain many state grants. I was in the second round of students to receive the Tennessee Promise, which pays for 2 years of community college after receiving state funding. After receiving this information, I knew about a 2 year RN program at the local community college. It was a very intense 4-5 day program that allowed students to earn an Associates Degree in Nursing and become a Registered Nurse. With such a rigorous program, students could not work many hours. I was lucky to be able to continue to live with my parents and I did not have a family at the time, so this route was perfect for me.

I was accepted into the program shortly after graduating High School. Fast forward to February 2018 and I was a licensed RN working on a Medical-Surgical Unit.

The hospital also has a tuition reimbursement program with a 2 year post contract that I used to support my online 1 year Bachelor’s degree program. Within 3 years, I was a BSN- RN with no debt and happily working on a Med-Surg unit, while my High School friends were just then graduating and finding professional jobs.

It is worth the time and effort to research scholarships, find affordable and practical schools, and investigate the resources your workplace has available to you.

Until next shift,

Shania

Patient prayers

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Every morning during huddle, the off going shift provides updates to the oncoming shift and then we say a prayer to start off the day right. Nowadays, there is less news and more avid prayers.

We pray for peace and healing to ourselves and patients as everyone is emotionally drained.

We pray for unity and strength for both ourselves and patients to fight the unrelenting covid virus.

We pray because it’s all we have right now.

Last Sunday night was such an emotional day. Several patients coded, one died that family was not ready for, 3 patients were placed in restraints.

Nurses spend their entire shifts watching oxygen monitors and running into rooms when numbers drop.

We expand critical care to 3 different floors, place two patients in one room, compromise oxygen supplies because we don’t have enough supply, and we pray that machines become available as patients need them.

Confused patients pull off their masks and some die because of it.

Adults in their 30s and 40s are intubated and will never leave the hospital.

The average patient stay is roughly 10 days inpatient.

Patients ask if they are going to die. Some come in with their family members and are discharged alone.

Right now is not a fun time to be a nurse, so we pray.

Until next shift,

Shania

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615-856-8181
shania@shanialynnvo.com