 Hi, welcome to Nursing School Explained, and this is a new series today where I'll be interviewing different nurses from different backgrounds and different specialty areas so that the students can actually get a better idea of what it takes to work in a certain specialty area. So today I'm very happy to be here with Anna Wilkinson, who is a former co-worker of mine, and I feel very honored to have her here with us so that she can tell us about her experience. So hi Anna, welcome to Nursing School Explained, and to be here with me. Well thank you for having me, first of all, I'm very honored that you chose me, so I'm just like, aw, thank you. Thank you so much. So how long have you been a nurse now? Well, it's coming up to 11 years in the emergency department. Yeah, it's been a fun, great experience. I love that the emergency department is that you basically don't know what you're getting yourself into, right? Because you have different kinds of people coming in. It could be someone who couldn't be in labor, or it could be someone who stubbed their toe and has something in it, believe me, I've seen that too. You can see someone with has like a laceration with maggots in it, and so that's what I love about the ER, you just never know. And I've been doing it for about 11 years, oh my gosh, probably, yeah, 11 years. That's awesome. And it definitely suits your personality, I speak for my personal experience working with you. So tell me a little bit about your nursing journey. What made you interested in nursing, and what was your journey that you took in terms of your education? Absolutely. So I always wanted to be in the medical field. I write off when I was a little kid. I was going to be a doctor. I was going to do all these things. And I actually have a music background. I am a music major, so life throws you a curve sometimes. And don't get me wrong, I love my first degree. I was a music teacher, and I actually taught K through 6. You know, I went to school, I was getting my master's in music, and I just kind of thought, like, hey, I'm not happy. I want to do medicine. And I think I did this because my father kept saying, hey, you're good at music. Just keep doing that. You know, just keep doing that. And I was like, nah. So I went the longer route, and that's probably why I have a lot of student loans. And I became an EMT just making sure that this was suitable for me. And then I went the paramedic role. So I have quite a history on that. I was a paramedic for three years, an EMT for two. And then I decided, well, I could either go to medical school or I can go to nursing. And at that time, I met the love of my life. And we kind of were thinking, like, we're going to start a family. Let's kind of, you know, try the nursing route instead. And I'm a lot, I'm an older, and I'm an older mom, and I'm okay with that. But that's why I chose nursing. And I can tell you, it's the best experience in the whole entire world, being in the medical field for about 15 years, I think 16 years now, I would never have gone a different route. I'm glad that I have music as my degree and nursing, but I love the way that I went just because I wanted to see all different kinds of medicine. And being as an EMT, you see first hands up, right? You see fires, you see patients that are not doing well right off the bat. For example, if you have a congestive heart failure person, you know, if you're keep moving the patient around, you're going to switch all those fluids around. And that could be really scary in an ambulance when you are, I don't know, 10 to 15 minutes away, and you really need to get to the hospital ASAP. So it was nice to see different kinds of ways to do medicine. Would I tell people to go that route right away? No, because you're going to owe a lot of money. I've owe a lot of money. And so, but I do feel that it was an amazing, it is an amazing career nursing because you can go so many different avenues and that's the best thing about it. You can do ER, you can do OBGYN, you can do geriatrics, you can do psych. There's so many avenues and you're not stuck with one. You can be like, hey, I'm burnt out in ER, I'm going to do something else. And that's the beauty of nursing is that you can do that because of your background because you did this in school and you just kind of need a refresher and then you're in it. And that's what I love about it. That's awesome. So given your background, so you were EMT, then a paramedic, I kind of forgot about that. I knew that about you. I just forgot about it. And then were you able to start right away in the ER with that background or did you start at a teleflora or somewhere else that's typically now what happens, it seems. You know, 15 years ago is a whole different world. So being an EMT and a paramedic, I actually knew the nurses when I dropped off in the ER. And so when I dropped off, they were asking me, hey, how's your nursing career going? And so because I was still working full time and doing nursing. And so they kind of knew where I was going and an opportunity opened up as a new grad at Scripps and it was just kind of, hey, you pass the NCLEX, we'll get you in. And at that time, they were giving out bonuses. That's how old I am. And so that was one of those, it was easy for me to transition because they already knew me. They knew that I spoke Spanish and they knew that I was ready new medicine in the world. For example, as a paramedic, you can push several drugs and you can start an IB and do CPR. So I kind of had a little step in getting into nursing in that route. But we in the same, I mean, once you're in the new grad, you're all on the same class field. Like you are all there. You are a new grad and it is definitely scary. Well, thank you for that. So that was, that's an awesome that you were able to do that and that you were able to use your previous experience to get into the ER. But for those of the students that graduate now who might be interested in a career as an ER nurse, what does it take? What does it really take to stomach the different things that you see and be able to switch the flip in a second to be able to maybe care for a labor and delivery patient one day and one minute and then the next day, you have somebody coming in with that maggot in the leg that you were describing. So what does it really take? So what it takes, honestly, as being a new grad in the ER, they're going to get your feet wet, right? We're not going to throw you to the wolves. And we shouldn't. So if that happens, that preceptors shouldn't be your preceptor just to let you know. We should ease into it. Your preceptor should be someone that is your mentor that talks to you through and showing you how you're going to get your feet wet quickly. I remember being a new grad and I actually went home and cried to my husband at that time, right, still not that time, cried home and told them, I don't know if I can take care of three patients. I really don't know because the ER is a rotating door. And you have to know if sick, not sick, really, it's that simple. Sick not sick. And you're going to look at your patients. You're not going to look at the monitor, right? You're not going to see, oh, blood pressure looks good, heart rate looks good. But what does your patient look like? That's important because that's the whole picture and listening to your patient, of course. But that's, honestly, that's what I tell my new grads when they come through the door and I'm their preceptor and I said, is this patient sick or not sick? And there can be patients that are sick, but then you have to prioritize. And that's how you get through the ER, honestly, because you get sick patients, 100%. You get sepsis, you get code blues, you get it all. You get ICU patients, but you have to prioritize. And that's, I think, still being a veteran, gosh, a veteran ER nurse. What do you call yourself if you're really a veteran? Anyways, an expert, an expert nurse in the ER is what you should call yourself, I think. We'll work on that one, is prioritizing and saying sick and not sick. And when you're going in and that's how the ER is, and that's what your preceptor should be telling you. And that's it, honestly. And everything else will come. You want to know about diabetes, you want to know about congestive heart failure, all this, that's just going to take time. And every patient is different. That patient's not going to be the same as this patient, never. It just, I mean, it could be sometimes textbook, but it's never going to be the same because guess what, they're allergic to everything. Great. It's just really realizing what sick and not sick is. And I know that's easy to say, but it really is that simple. And I think when you're coming into an ER setting, when you have, I've had 75 people in the waiting room before. Actually, in New York, I had 150. And these are the, when I'm going around and I'm saying, OK, you're fine. You're kind of triaging in your head who's sick and not sick. And that's how the ER works. You have to prioritize, say sick and not sick. And you'll do great and have a great attitude about it. And never, ever, ever, ever, ever, like never be quiet. You know, because you got to talk. You got to talk to your patients. You got to talk to your colleagues and tell them, hey, I'm drowning. I need your help because that's where they're there for. We're here to help you. And that's very true. It's all about teamwork, right? Especially in the ER setting, where you never know what's going to happen. It's so important to have those lines of communication open and then be able to rely on the people that you work with to pull you out when you're starting to drown and ring the alarm bell before that actually happens so that patients stay safe. 100%. I remember in New York, the lady came in and she was crowning. Baby about to come out. And I looked at my other nurse and I said, OK, I'll take the baby. If you can take my other 20 patients, could you get that? And they're like, sure, no problem, Anna. So that's how you have to communicate. Like, you know, the baby is going to take just a little time. And then OBGYN will come in, scoop that baby out of you and help you. But that's that's the communication that you need to, you know, you need to rely with with your colleagues. It's huge. It's really big. Awesome. So communication. Yeah, super important. We try to emphasize that in nursing education and, you know, appropriate communication with relying the pertinent information. This is like I got 20 patients. You take care of those now so I can catch that baby. Basically, that's about to be born. So what an awesome experience. Oh, yeah, it was beautiful. I loved catching that baby. And I was like coaching the doctor too. I was like, OK, this is what you're going to do. Right? And they're like, sure. Because I mean, I've I've done it in the field as a paramedic as well. So sometimes in the hospital, but this one was coming fast. So it was it was a beautiful experience. Every happy ending. That's what I love. I love and truly a story that you never know what's going to happen. What's going to walk through those doors? That's an awesome story. Thank you for sharing that. Absolutely. So what what advice do you have for for students that are about to graduate? What do you know now with your 11 years of nursing experience that you wish you would have known as a new grad? Well, first of all, congratulations to the students. That's awesome. It's you're going to love nursing. What would I would tell my new grads coming into it is it's OK to be scared. It's OK. It's OK to cry. It's OK because that's what we do because we're scared. We've never been on the floor and the end you got in. That's awesome. Use your don't be afraid to ask questions. I think that's the biggest thing and also. I it's kind of funny, but it's not because some of my new grads say, no, you're wrong. I'm right. And I was like, oh, well, I love to hear your side of the story. And I'll show you my side of the story. So it's almost like I want to don't be closed off if someone says you're wrong. Just open it up and say, I'm curious why you think I'm you know, I'm curious what you're thinking. And that's what I tell the doctors all the time. Just don't don't do that just yet. But because sometimes the patients say something to the nurses and then they say something different to the doctor. And then the doctors ordered all these medicine, you know, what we have to do when you're just like, whoa, I thought this was a stubbed toe. And so that's when I went to the doctor and I would say, I'm curious what he told you because I heard something different. And so it's it's very important to always ask questions as a new grad. And I still, even 11 years, I still ask questions 100 percent because we are always learning this. There's in nursing, it just never stops in medicine. It never stops because there's always something new coming in, a new way to do an art line, a new way to do a VP shot. You know, there's new ways coming in. So we are always, always learning. I am never right. They are never right. We are a team and we work together. And we are there to do one thing is to make that patient better and happy. And that's what we are doing. We're trying to change the world and make things better. And that's what I would tell my new grads, is just keep asking questions. There's not a stupid question, except that one. No, I'm just kidding. And and I will, as if I was your preceptor, I would never say that that's a silly question because I am not that person. I if I don't know the answer, I will find an answer for you because we don't know everything as well. So keep asking questions, prioritize, sick and not sick. And we won't give you all four patients at the same time, or 20. You'll start off with two, maybe one. And then you're going to say sick or not sick. And what we can do to do this and work together as a team. Awesome. So the communication, again, is so super important, even with the preceptor, not only with the patients. And again, the teamwork is a theme that I'm hearing here. That's so important. And nobody has the answers to all the questions, but that's when the teamwork of the communication comes in. So that you really kind of tie it all together, put all the brilliant brains together to come up with a solution for for the patient, what's going to help them? Because it could change any time. So that's why the doctors talk, the nurses talk to the doctors. They come up with a plan because sometimes we see something where the doctors see something and we put it together and we come up with a different plan. And that's what I love about medicine is that if we communicate and we will rely on each other as a team, then things are perfect. I mean, they're not perfect, but we can do things about it. And that's why I love the ER because I feel like the doctors are always there and we have that communication and we respect each other. And that's and then we a dream work makes the teamwork. And that's that's how it is. Awesome. Thank you for that. So given all your years of experience, I'm sure you have some great and crazy stories to tell. But what would you say is your most memorable interaction with the patient? What's the one that comes to your mind right away where you say that's the one? Tell us about that. Well, I and I'm still in touch with this patient because he's like my grandfather. So I have this patient. His his wife used to come to the ER all the time. And she was getting kind of worse with her dementia and she had a lot of congestive, a lot of heart problems. And but she would always bring her husband and her husband was like my number one fan, I swear. He's like, where's Anna Banana? Where is she? We only want Anna Banana. That's all I want. And so and I happen to be there most of the time he's there. And he gosh, I get all choked up, but he was an he is an amazing man. Just always there for his wife, they were married 56 years. And every time they came in, he would always hold her hand and try to calm her, you know, with dementia patients. They kind of get a little aggressive sometimes. And so we we found a way to calm her. And he he told me, Anna, she loves the Bee Gees. And I was like, done. I'm going to get on the computer or put it on my phone. We're playing the Bee Gees. That's what we're doing. All day long. And so we played the Bee Gees for her all day long. And she was so nice. And well, that's it. That's all I needed to do. Oh, my gosh. And unfortunately, she did pass away. And he comes in probably once a month just to see me and brings me some cookies and I'll actually take my break with him and we'll go and get a cup of coffee. He'll drink some tea. And he still talks about the Bee Gees. And he's all thank you for helping Louise out with the Bee Gees because that that changed my life. And and and nursing is a different way. It doesn't have to be medicine. It could be could be holistic and music. Oh, it I'm still a little because he's such a great guy. And just listening to the patient and the family and don't get me wrong, family could be a little bit overwhelming. But just that little thing didn't I didn't think it would change his perspective on nursing or or anything. But he it did for him and his Louise. And and that's why he comes in and he gives me a big hug and he calls me and I check up on him because he doesn't have his Louise. And and we've been he's been my grandfather ever since. So it's been about a year and a half. And he called me when I was in New York and just checking up on me. And when he comes in as a patient, he only requests me if I'm available. So he's just in a that just makes me feel that medicine is wonderful. But people come in your life for a reason to kind of change perspective on things and listening to your patients is also a big thing that I I'll sit down and talk to them. It's probably I've been yelled at a couple of times for doing that often. But but that's one of the things that I tried to convey with my patients that hey, I'm your advocate, I will listen to you. And if we can work together, your stay here is going to be amazing. And he made me feel that if I just sit down and listen, I can change someone's perspective or make someone feel better just with putting Pandora on. That's how easy it was. How awesome is that that you were able to calm her down with the BGs with such a simple measure, right? Who would have thought and then that you would develop such a personal relationship with this man and he still comes back. That is just amazing. Thank you for doing that. And I think a lot of times we might forget in the busyness of our day and in the in the craziness that happens in the ER that we actually need to just maybe take a step back and think about what are those very basic things we can provide for the patients and music therapy for patients with Alzheimer's or dementia can be huge, can be a huge success in coming down and look at the bond that you develop with this man. So that's awesome sharing. Thank you for sharing this experience. Absolutely. I just talked to him yesterday. That's funny that you said that. Oh, how cute. So so one last question. So it sounds like you very busy. I know you have a very busy family life as well as it keeps you busy. Plus, then you keep in touch with with patients with one of my patients. So what do you do to balance work and life? Where do you find that balance so that you don't burn out and maybe have some, you know, issues down the road yourself? So what is your secret? My secret. Well, I like to do other activities. So I'm a runner myself and I love to exercise. I I run ultramarathons for different kinds of cancers and diseases. I know, I know what else, right? So I do over 40 miles of running for ultramarathons. And I know I'm not actually a very good runner. I'm not going to say you look at my my statue. I'm you don't look at I'm not skinny. I'm not, you know, I'm not a tall runner. But that that's my outlet. That is my outlet. That's I am not there to win. I'm there to just kind of think, do my little run. It might take me 10 hours that I finish 40 miles and I'm OK with that. I also do other activities. I'm also an actor and I love doing that because I can portray so much emotion. Go figure, right? And that's kind of my outlet. And I love it. I really, really, really love it and I take classes and it's another way of for me to outlet from the medical, right? We are E.R. is intense. It's intense and you see a lot of things. You feel a lot of things and you cry when sometimes when you get home. And so you do need that outlet. If it's either running, doing yoga, doing acting, walking your dog, whatever you need, you need to have time for you because if you don't have time for you, you will circle the drain and it will just hurt your heart. You have to do something that you love and it could be even paddle boarding. I've tried that. Yeah, that that was special. Well, that was fun. And you have to have fun. You have to find time or it will eat you up. Absolutely, just find time. And like I said, I do acting. I run and the most important thing is being with my family. I have two amazing kids and we're building a pirate tree house. You can see it on my Instagram. It is my husband is out of control. So when I asked him, how much is this all going to cost us? He's like, oh, it won't be that much. This pirate house is huge. It's just it's huge. You've seen it. Have you seen that? I have definitely seen it. And the time that there's an update, I am just absolutely amazed by it. And and, you know, to think that your husband is a firefighter. So, you know, he probably has some sort of carpentry skills. But the ones that he come what he came up with is just amazing. That glass stained glass window. Where did that come from? Oh, my God, the imagination just on its own. No, it's absolutely left field. I am when he did the stained glass. I and this was all him his penmanship. That was all him. He didn't draw, you know, that was him doing the mermaid. And I could tell you, I would do stick figures for mermaids. I don't I definitely have some not creative. This is all him. He has a huge imagination and it's beautiful. And I love that he's doing that. It's a great outlet for him, right? You need to find an outlet. And like I said, family for me is super important. And this treehouse has made us a lot closer, especially during COVID time because we're doing it together, you know, and we talk about it. Well, my husband does a lot. And it's something that's part of us now. I mean, guess what we're wearing? We're wearing pirate costumes for Halloween. And I didn't even buy him. My husband did. So it's going to it's you definitely need that outlet. Family running yoga, whatever that is, you need it. Or you'll circle the drain and it's not it's not fun and it's not pretty. And and then you're going to honestly hate nursing. You're going to burn out too quickly. Make sure you do something for you. 100 percent do it. Absolutely. I agree with you. I'm a huge advocate for physical activity and then eating healthy, right? Fueling fueling your body with the right nutrients so that you can work those 12 hour those hard 12 hour shifts in the ER. And it sounds like, you know, not only for nurses, but also for your husband as a first responder, we've had a lot of these wildfires lately here in California. So he needs some outlet too. And it sounds like you guys are doing a great job by finding these creative outlets and being physically active to kind of relieve some of that stress. So I I agree with you. It's super important to do that. Absolutely. Yeah, my husband was gone for about a month for no month. With the file wildfires going on in California. And so this is his way of, you know, getting back to us, the pirate house. And like you said, it's so important for that family bonding too, right? Spending that time with your family, because if he's gone for a month, of course, the boys are going to miss him. But now they have this time that they can spend together and believe me, they are never going to forget about this pirate ship. Absolutely. They're going to talk about this until they are grandfathers themselves. I'll never forget it. Nobody will. Awesome. So thank you very much, Anna, for joining me today and kicking off the series about the different professions or specialties that nurses can get into. Please check out Anna on her Instagram and Facebook. She has some great videos there. If you're interested in ER nursing or the pirate tree house, I will put everything in the link below so you can make sure that you can follow her as well. Thank you so much, Anna. I really appreciate it and I'll talk to you soon. All right. Thank you for having me.