Welcome!

This being my first blog I think it is simply polite to say hello and welcome to the site! I graduated from a community college in 1999 with my Associate Degree of Science in Nursing (ADN). I had such high hopes for a great career, and started with a critical care internship at a local hospital. Upon completing six months of classes, including ACLS, and three clinical rotations in critical care areas, I took a full time position in PACU. It was a great fit, and over the next few years I worked in several PACU's, and later, as an agency nurse in adult ICU. An unfortunate shoulder injury led me to the NICU, where I worked in both a level 3 and 4 facility. It was during a shift in the NICU that I collapsed. That evening in the ER, I went into SVT and became profoundly hypotensive. When I left work that day and went down to the ER, I had no idea that it would be last time I would work in nursing.

So, after 8 years I have obtained my BSN and am part of the way through my MSN at Kaplan University Online. I am on the Nursing Educator track and hope to be able to teach nursing online when I am done. Nurses who are disabled are a unique source of knowledge that is being wasted, as hospitals often demand a certain degree of physical (for good reason). By seeking an MSN and a career in teaching, I can make the most of the education and experience I already have. So, I hope that those who read this blog can share in the journey to completion of my MSN, and then as I enter the career I have chosen. But moreover, I hope they can learn what life with a dysautonomia is like, and how being a nurse has allowed me wonderful opportunities to help others.