Full Circle Moment in a New RN Role

This nurse shares how she unexpectedly became an educator at the hospital where she was once a new nurse

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses for nurses. This week one nurse tells the story of unexpectedly becoming an educator at the hospital where she was once a new nurse. After years of people telling her they loved learning from her, a neck injury brought her into this role. We also discuss the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak, California’s new free diaper program for parents, and surprising new research that could reshape how scientists understand fat metabolism, plus the latest nursing jobs available.

But first....

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Nurse Spotlight: Carly V. MSN, RN, CMSRN

What I do for work

I work as a clinical nurse mentor and educator at a hospital that recently rolled out this new position over the course of the last several months. When I was hired, I had just came back from living from out-of-state for a few years. This hospital happens to be where I was once a new nurse, which has been a really great full circle moment for me. I’d say 75% of things are the same, including the providers, the staff, and the culture and it’s been really great to hit the ground running to help build the foundations of this new role. My job is to make sure the nurses are well-taken care of and supported with their patient loads. I remember struggling as a new nurse myself and think it is really important that people feel comfortable asking questions to support the learning process and knowing they can ask for help any time with no judgement.

How I got here

I was not one of those people who always knew I wanted to be nurse, but rather I just fell into it and it ended up being great for me. I love the autonomy of the decision making process, working with a wide variety of other roles, and being physically mobile on the job. I did my new grad year at my current hospital and ended up staying there forever. I started my NP program in 2016 and although I graduated and got licensed, I never practiced. I don’t regret going to NP school and all the new knowledge I gained, but I realized I didn’t want a commitment to that kind of work lifestyle and instead wanted to focus on my personal life. In 2022, I moved out of state to live off-grid and learn homesteading while still working part-time as a nurse in town. I stayed up there for a couple of years before moving back home to begin with this educator job. Last year I sustained a neck injury that made me realize my body can’t do bedside anymore, so this new role was a perfect fit for where I am now.

Headlines in Healthcare

Passengers on Hantavirus Ship Quarantine in Nebraska

The 17 US passengers aboard the Dutch cruise ship affected by a Hantavirus outbreak will be brought to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha before being ‌transported ⁠to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska, Reuters reports. The total number of cases is unclear, however, there are at least six confirmed and several more suspected, which have led to three deaths. On Friday, the WHO reminded the public that the risk of Hantavirus spreading to the general public is low because transmission generally requires close and prolonged exposure. They insisted that this virus in not like the COVID virus.

California Launches Free Diaper Program

California state governor Gavin Newson launched a free diaper program for all new parents. He explained that they will be partnering with nonprofit "Baby2Baby" to use the state's bulk purchasing power to purchase and distribute diapers directly to families through hospitals state-wide. They've named this first-in-the-nation initiative the Golden State Start. According to the government website, in the first year of the program diapers will be offered at up to 75 hospitals that handle about 25% of births in California, largely serving low-income parents.

A New Understanding of Fat Metabolism

Scientists have discovered a surprising second role for Hormone-Senstive Lipase (HSL), long believed to simply release stored fat as an emergency fuel switch when the body needs energy. It turns out to have a second job of helping keep fat cells healthy and balanced. This discovery overturns decades of understanding of fat cell metabolism and could significantly alter treatments for diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic disorders. Scientists long assumed that removing HSL would prevent fat breakdown and lead to obesity. Surprisingly, what happened instead was the opposite: the development of lipodystrophy, a rare condition in which the body loses healthy fat tissue which can produce many of the same health complications as obesity.

More on Carly

A day in my life

There are pieces of my job that fall under the “mentor” role and there are other pieces that fall under the “educator” role. In my educator role, I deal with the new polices and procedures that come out and help ensure that the staff understands them well. In the mentorship part of my role, I’m here to be extra support for the nurses on the floor where I can assist with clinical decision making. If something comes up with one of their patients, I can walk them through things in real time. Before maybe they would go to the charge nurse with questions, but now with the addition of this new role, I am someone that has more availability to walk through whatever clinical issues arise.

Each mentor/educator also has a project. Right now I’m assigned a project related to patients with head and neck surgeries. So I’ll check the surgery schedule to see which patients are coming out of PACU following these procedures and I will admit that patient to the unit with the assigned floor nurse and discuss their clinical care together.

What I do for fun & to relax

I like to start my mornings with quiet time to myself. Even on the days I work, I have a couple hours alone where I’m either reading, cross-stitching or mindfully resting before starting my day. On my days off, I like to go for a walk or a hike in nature. I haven’t backpacked in a while, but I’m looking forward to planning a small backpacking trip to dip my feet in that again for the first time since my neck injury. There’s something so rejuvenating about being in the stillness of nature and sleeping in a tent.

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An image of author Katie Scoggins is pictured.

Meet the author:
Katie Scoggins
(RN, BSN & Health Writer)

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