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Why did you decide to enter the nursing profession?

I chose nursing because it offered interesting, secure and well paid work that had elements of biology and health science. I was originally studying to become a biologist until I came to the realization that there weren't many decent jobs in this field. Around the same time, I had my first major encounter with the health system which made me more aware of, and piqued my interest in, health science. Finally, knowing that I was looking for new alternatives, two family members who are nurses used the opportunity to talk to me about the benefits of nursing.

How did you get to where you are today?

Obviously, the biggest factors were things like my family and when and where I was born and raised. Some of my more intentional contributions are things like thinking about the bigger picture, thinking long term, becoming very knowledgeable about a few key topics, being patient and self-controlled, showing initiative and taking the occasional calculated risk.

What has been the most rewarding thing in your nursing career?

I've been rewarded by working with like-minded colleagues to solve meaningful problems. I've had my share of specific achievements and recognitions, but there have also been lots of things that were unenjoyable or didn't turn out well. While it is easy to feel rewarded by the good times, it is more difficult to find satisfaction during the bad times. However, upon reflection even the bad times were at least somewhat worthwhile because I was working with good people to try and make things better.

What has been the most challenging?

Trying to figure out and balance the different tensions: work faster and provide higher quality service, be caring and make decisions that will hurt some people, be innovative and don't change things too much. It is an ongoing challenge to see and name these tensions, properly understand them in relation to my role, and find a path through the difficulties that I am comfortable with.

What advice would you give to new nurses?

I've been fortunate enough to receive these bits of guidance myself, which I've found useful: find what interests you and become an expert in it; relationships are the best investment; your career is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself; work won't visit your grave when you're gone.

Nursing is...

One of the best decisions I've ever made.