PICU nurse and social media personality Melanie shares her journey from med-surg to pediatric critical care, exploring the challenges of transition and her pursuit of becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner.

• Started as a med-surg nurse during COVID before transitioning to PICU after two years
• Experienced significant learning curve moving to pediatrics, especially managing family dynamics and developing critical thinking skills
• Currently pursuing Family Nurse Practitioner degree while working part-time in PICU
• Chose FNP over other specialties to broaden opportunities outside hospital settings
• Believes family-centered care with better parent education would transform pediatric healthcare
• Shares emotional story of a long-term patient whose birthday wish was simply to eat at a restaurant
• Emphasizes importance of connecting with coworkers to process emotional cases
• Recommends perspective-taking: "Even on your worst day as a nurse, your patients still probably have it worse"

Follow along with Melanie on IG & TikTok @cafeconscrubs! Don't forget to follow and subscribe, and remember, don't let the bedpans bite.

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/

Nurse Mike shares shocking and hilarious stories from the emergency room and from listener submissions. These unfiltered tales reveal the bizarre reality of healthcare that nursing school never prepares you for & finding things in places they shouldn't be.

Please be sure to follow, share and like our episode and if you have any crazy stories, please be sure to comment below or send them in on our website.

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/

Natalie Avni shares her journey from failing anatomy class to becoming a department supervisor in sonography, revealing the diverse career paths and opportunities beyond just scanning babies.

• Failed her first anatomy course but persevered through sonography school with a newborn
• Balanced motherhood and education by studying until 2am while her husband handled bedtime
• Specialty certifications are required for different areas like OB-GYN, abdomen, and vascular
• Career options include clinical work, education, sales, and application specialists
• Sonography offers more regular hours than some healthcare careers, making it family-friendly
• Built a successful social media presence during COVID when patients were hesitant to visit offices
• Working relationships with nurses vary by department - labor and delivery nurses were most collaborative
• Toxic workplace environments should not deter you from the entire profession
• One supportive person can completely change your career trajectory
• Managing emotional situations when delivering difficult news is one of the most challenging aspects

Follow @NatalieAvni on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more insights into the world of sonography.

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/