Note: I know,  I know, I need to add a lot more photos and I will, but since its graduation season, I wanted to share my long journey to finding my first job as a nurse. Keep reading!

A week had already passed by the time I realized the one year anniversary of my blog had passed and by now it’s been a few months. I launched the blog on March 16, 2018 (fun fact: March 16th is National Everything You Do Is Right Day and that was intentional). I recently reposted my first ever blog post to the home page— in case you’re new, it tells you all about me and why I started the blog and the meaning behind the name “HeyTaeMama.”

In the same week as the one year Blogiversary, was also my seven year I-am-finally-done-with-nursing-school anniversary! I celebrated both of these by hosting a giveaway on my IG story. I sent the winner an entire box of fun things– thank you, Kadine, for your support.

I have been a nurse for seven whole years.

I am a nurse, I run a blog, I am a social media influencer, and omg I actually run my own business, so THAT makes me an entrepreneur, okurrr!! All credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Before any of this, I was that new grad, scared, yet eager. I remember interviewing for my first job like it was yesterday! I had applied for the job on a Wednesday, got a call-back on Friday,  interviewed on Monday, and received a job offer Tuesday.  I met my soon-to-be-manager and loved him from the start. It all just fell right into place, it was crazy! But, you know what was even crazier? The five months before all of that where I couldn’t get a call-back, or even an interview, to save my life…

Yep, that’s right. It took me five months to find my first job after graduation.

And, I was in shambles about it!

I felt like shit. 

I filled out dozens of applications during those months and couldn’t figure out what was going on!  Turns out, the local hospitals were hiring nurses that went to their respective schools or nurses that worked as nurse techs (nurse’s aids) on their respective units, but I had just moved to that state and had no connections whatsoever. A few months down the line, I ended up speaking with some natives of that state. I learned that they were big on hiring their own new grads as first choice, so although I attended a top school and had a great GPA, I was an outsider from out of state and they just weren’t trying to hear me. Looking back, I realize God had the foresight to know that a big change was coming, and His plan was best. 

After seven years as a nurse, what have you learned?

Here are my “radical” thoughts after seven years as a nurse:

• I still like being a nurse, but there are also some units that I would rather be jobless before I’d ever accept a position there!
• Staff bedside nurses should be paid more and should receive bonuses just as often as the managers do
• I believe in safe nurse/patient ratios and think it’s a shame that we even have to ask/beg for this
• Don’t be afraid to try things. Bedside is essential, but there are also so many other options (and, there is so much money and flexibility available to you when you step outside of the “typical”).  For example, travel bedside nursing, travel nurse educator, registry, infusion centers, concierge nursing, etc.
• A unit’s nursing staff should be diverse (just as your patients are), units should aim to have high percentages of every race. Research shows that this improves outcomes for our patients!
• It may be just another day at work to you, but to the patient, this could be a moment in their life that they never forget. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT! MOMENTS MATTERS TO YOUR PATIENTS!

If you have made it to the bottom, thank you so much for sticking around and reading my words.

Next, you might as well read the most popular blog post from April 🙂