Becoming a 9-to-5 Girly

One nurse finds joy in regaining work-life balance after leaving the night shift job she loved for a day job

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses, for nurses. This week, one nurse shares the bittersweet feeling of leaving a job she loved so she could get her quality of life back. We also share a Trump administration announcement regarding Tylenol & autism, updates from the vaccine advisory board, and a free vending machine for your personal health and hygiene needs.

But first, a moment for that special kind of love only a work bestie can offer...

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Nurse Spotlight: Denisse Ponce RN, BSN, PHN

What I do for work

I work in an advanced head and neck surgery center as an RN program coordinator for an ENT surgeon and a plastic reconstructive surgeon. We work with mostly cancer patients and provide procedures for advanced cancer removal from the head and neck, followed by reconstructive surgery to repair any damage the cancer left behind. My job is to oversee the ENT surgeon’s side, where I offer coordination of care, surgery, and scheduling appointments. I’m the one that will call to make sure they are getting all their imaging and studies done. I also do triage by calling them to assess if they're having any pre-op or post-op symptoms.

How I got here

I worked night shift in the ICU for 3 years. I loved that job and the demand to utilize my clinical skills and critical thinking in such an advanced way. But in that time, I learned that I am just not a night person, and having to do that level of work on night shift was very mentally and physically draining for me. When I decided I needed to find a daytime job for my well-being, an old coworker shared an opening at the surgery center. Since I came from the neurosurgical trauma ICU, transitioning to head and neck surgery fit well, and learning the additional specialty of cancer treatment to add to my expertise has been really interesting too.

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More on Denisse Ponce

A day in my life

I usually show up to work by 8:30 and begin the day by checking my email where I look for referrals, scheduling requests, and care coordination care needs. A lot of our patients are cancer patients with 5+ providers on their team so I help coordinate everything to make sure it flows better for the patient and is as convenient as possible (for example, booking all their imaging in one day so they don’t travel back and forth unnecessarily). Once a week, I am assigned to work in our clinic helping prepare patients for procedures in a more clinical role. On Fridays, we have a tumor board conference where the interdisciplinary team discusses each patient to decide the best plan of care going forward.

My self-care routine

Now that I’m off night shift, I feel like I have a really good work/life balance. I usually like to wake up early to go to the gym before work to get my workout out of the way. This still gives me time after to get ready for work, make breakfast, and get my lunch together. When I come home, I will usually walk my dogs and then go hang out with my nephews or watch a show at home with a face mask on. I also love to play soccer on the weekend or spend time relaxing in our jacuzzi.

Headlines in Healthcare

Tylenol & Autism

Trump has made an official announcement suggesting a link between the use of Tylenol and autism in children despite this claim being denied globally by experts. Doctors report acetaminophen as safe to use during pregnancy and that not reducing high fever during pregnancy can be harmful.

CDC Votes Again

Last week, CDC advisory board met to vote on various vaccine policies - including the schedule for MMR, Hepatitis B, and COVID vaccines. Their recommendations determine which vaccines are offered for free through the Vaccines for Children program, and what health insurers must cover.

Pharmacy Vending Machines

At a YMCA in Pennsylvania, a row of vending machines offers free supplies for health and hygiene including: socks, soap, wound care supplies, naloxone, and pregnancy tests. These machines are run by Health To Go and offer additional community resources for mental health care, food banks, housing assistance, and substance use disorder treatment.

An image of author Katie Scoggins is pictured.

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

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