Why I went to nursing school andhow I became a nurse practitioner...
I became a geriatric nurse practitioner because I am caring, nice, always helping people, intelligent, and the medical profession is in my DNA. Since I was seven years old, I felt a natural ease, safety and comfort around older adults with disabilities, who needed a lot of physical support. When we identify with ourselves in one way we put ourselves in boxes (doctor, nurse, social worker, nursing student, etc). I told myself, "If I'm great with the elderly, then becoming a geriatrician must be my path" - ready, set, go... until NOT.
Fast forward a decade since I graduated and landed my 'ideal' job (which was also my first job out of nursing school). Five months later, I got hit with the reality that there is so much more to know and it's beyond anything I learned in school. You see, being nice, helpful, caring, and having a paved path was not enough to show me where my limiting beliefs and shadows were getting in the way of me being the professional that everyone expected. Even if one person along the way had advised me to find another path, I would not have had the inner wisdom to take their advice and make decisions that would serve my higher path with less fear. It is this experience that makes me so passionate about supporting medical professionals on their journey to be the best for themselves, their patients, families, and each other.