Loving Nursing but Wanting More? Of course!

I love being a nurse and especially in the ER.  I love to take increasing amounts of responsibility - to the point where now I cannot envision just staying as a nurse.  I like to manager and take responsibility for not only good medicine but managing resources and people in a very challenging environment.  In short . . . I want to do so much more so I can have a greater impact.

My style is inclusive and consultative.  Meaning I don't make unilateral decisions.  I weigh people's opinions, gather information from diverse sources, look for creative 'out of the box' solutions constantly but I not afraid to make the tough call.  If I have done my work responsibly then I know what I am doing is best for the patient, team and ultimately for myself. 

All this being said I have been looking for work in Hawai'i.  Ideally we would like to return to a place I have called home and where we can be together.  I absolutely love my job at the VA and would not mind continuing to work for the VA in Hawai'i but I am also talking with Hospice Hawai'i and I am very impressed with them - would love to work with them too.  As much as I love the ER . . . hospice is dear to my heart as difficult as it can be at times. 

I have not given up my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant.  I could join the State Department in that capacity.  But I am not sure that I 'have' to do that to either be happy or fulfilled.  Still, I wish to practice at a higher level - to have the capacity to do more as needed.  I continue to learn so much at the San Francisco VA but am just not sure I am content to stay put in one place.



For now . . . .