I began my career with Houston Methodist in February of 2022 in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. I was truly lucky to have gained the experience I did when the hospitals opened back up to students and were placed for my critical care rotation, as well as my capstone in the Neuro ICU. I cannot express enough how appreciative I was for my experiences with everyone on that unit. I was a student nurse that had no hands-on training, who learned mostly from completing PowerPoints and computer simulations. I didn’t know how to talk to patients, let alone family members of patients. Everyone was patient and kind and took the time to guide me. I had to work hard and study after every 12-hour rotation just to ensure that I was able to keep up and provide the best care possible to those I would be taking care of.

I was one of the very lucky few to be chosen to work for Houston Methodist, but as I began working as a graduate nurse resident, I faced many of my own challenges. First and foremost, I still had no idea how to communicate effectively with providers and other interdisciplinary team members. I still struggle with being able to therapeutically communicate with patients and family members. Learning through a computer doesn’t teach you how to control your emotions and invoke empathy towards others. I also found that my hands-on skills were drastically behind compared to a lot of other new graduate nurses from prior cohorts. Prior to beginning at Houston Methodist in February 2022, I had never inserted a peripheral IV, never placed a Foley catheter, never dropped an nasogastric tube, or done a central line dressing change on a real person. It was hard, and it is still hard to navigate at times. I find now that I have to force myself into situations that give me more practice with hands-on and interpersonal skills. I continue to struggle with confidence; however, the support from a strong preceptor, team, and leaders allows me to continue to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to be successful.