"I was born for a storm, and the calm does not suit me."

Andrew Jackson

Seven years ago, on August 14, 2014, I graduated from the accelerated nursing program at Mid-America Nazarene College in Olathe.  I thought I’d write an update about my nursing, and give those interested a synopsis of my comings and goings for the past seven years.  

Many of you may know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer during my final month of nursing school and had to begin chemo while still in school and completing my clinical practice.  I held fast to the declaration that “All things work together for good”, during six months of chemotherapy, then surgery and radiation. I came to realize that going through cancer treatment made me a kinder, more compassionate nurse. That experience gave me insight into the fear that patients feel when they are being tested and treated for cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, and helped me be more empathetic and caring with my patients.  Seven years later, my scans and tests continue to be completely clear, for which I am very grateful.

After the cancer treatment, I began my nursing career in 2015 on the cardiac unit at Rose Medical Center in Denver, where I was trained by some wonderful, brilliant nurses.  I began travel nursing one year later, in Ketchikan, Alaska, at PeaceHealth Medical Center, where I had unique experiences and met patients that I will never forget as long as I live.  The patient from Alaska that stays in my mind was a jovial guy who owned a charter fishing business, was suffering from COPD and heart failure, and was unable to sleep at night.  He would sit up on the side of his bed all night long and regale me with fishing tales of catching the largest King salmon during the fishing derby in a brand, new boat that he dubbed the 'Lucky Strike'.  I spent the end of that summer listening to his stories, teasing and joking with him, and was so sad to hear that he passed away that fall, surrounded by family in Arizona.  He made a huge impact on me.  I will never forget him.

This past year I was fortunate to take care of a sweet, 97-year old man in Kansas, who told me the story of his first love and how she sang, “You Belong to Me” in his ear on the dance floor.  I held his hands as a surgeon inserted a chest tube to drain the fluid from his failing lungs.  He thanked me later that afternoon, and told me he would never forget me.  And, I know I will never forget him.  He passed away a few weeks later, at his daughter’s home.

In the past seven years of travel nursing, I have worked at eight different hospitals, floated to at least twenty different nursing units at those hospitals, and met kind, caring, helpful, dedicated coworkers and managers.  I have had the privilege of spending some of the last moments of life with many patients and getting to know many, many others, some of which I am friends with to this day.

I have lived in fifteen different houses in the past seven years, some for as short as three months, others for much longer.  I have lived and worked in Alaska, Kansas, Colorado and Washington, including the cities of Ketchikan, Woodinville, Kirkland, Sammamish, Bellevue, Castle Rock, Centennial, Denver, Overland Park and Wichita. 

While working with my patients, I have been called an angel, a friend, a wonderful nurse - and also a useless bitch  - by people from all over the world.  I have taken care of - and held the hands of - patients that were having biopsies – waiting on a cancer diagnoses, post open-heart surgery, post cardiac stent placement, post every type of orthopedic surgery and general surgery, patients with kidney tubes, chest tubes, drains and ostomies and patients getting chemo and radiation placed within their livers, patients having tumors ablated in their kidneys and every other possible diagnosis you can name.

I have had the most heartfelt conversations with patients, who tell me their hopes, their regrets, their fears and their loves. I have held their hands, stroked their arms and hugged them and cried with them.  I have met WWII veterans, Korean war Veterans and Vietnam and Iraq war veterans.  I have loved many of my patients, fallen in love with a few, and prayed for ways to be kind to and tolerant of other more difficult patients. 

I even took care of a patient with the same name, Cathy Latta, and formed a wonderful friendship and bond with my name twin.

The experiences I have had on my days off during these travel nursing jobs are unparalleled, as I have been salmon fishing, mountain climbing, river rafting, hiking and camping, and flown in seaplanes, airplanes and helicopters, ridden in fishing boats, ferries, cruise ships, kayaks and dinghies in some of the most beautiful places in the USA.  I have made many, lifelong friends and been inspired by the dedication and brilliance of other healthcare workers across the western US.

All of this reminiscing from the last seven years is to sum up that I have never had a more difficult career, nor have I ever had a more gratifying job.  I cannot imagine my life without the experiences and privilege of being a nurse and have loved every minute of nursing – even the minutes that I have hated.  I pray that I stay healthy and strong enough to continue this highest of callings for as long as I possibly can.  I have no plans to retire, or even stop travel nursing, as I love the new adventure of learning a new place to live and work and meeting and being inspired by so many kind, caring and dedicated professionals in the healthcare field and having the honor of caring for patients from every walk of life. 

I want to say thank you to all of my friends and family, for your support and friendship and listening ears, when I have been afraid, stressed, overwhelmed and lonely during my travel nursing career.  I would not change a thing that has happened to me over the past eight years and am so grateful for the privilege of being a nurse.