Welcome to Nurse on a Coffee Break! My name is Maria and I am currently a day shift Level IV NICU nurse. I have been working as an RN for almost 4 years but have been in the medical field for about 10 years!
My first dive into the health care world was at 19 years old working at the front desk of a medical office, then a year later I decided to start LPN (or LVN depending on the state) school. A year after I graduated and passed the NCLEX-PN, I began my road to the infamous BSN, RN title. I worked full-time as an LPN and was a full-time student all throughout my 2 years of nursing school, and to say the least, I definitely had days where I thought I wasn’t going to make it. BUT I am grateful I didn’t quit and stuck it through til’ the end, and even passed my NCLEX on the first try!
After I graduated with my BSN I started in a new grad nurse residency program, away from my hometown, in the Neuro IMU on night shift! I loved my coworkers and my work environment but after 2 years I realized night shift was draining me and I wanted to continue learning, as well as leave the adult world, so I made the move to a Level IV NICU!
Let’s get personal
• I was born in Colombia and raised in beautiful Miami, FL
• I moved two months after graduation for my new grad job without knowing a single person in my current city!
• I am the oldest of 4 siblings and love being the big sister
• I’ve loved writing ever since I was little and had a notebook full of the many short stories I wrote
Besides nursing, I am very passionate about mental health. After years of dealing with panic attacks and very low lows, but not being fully aware of what they were, I was finally diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression.
I decided to move away from my hometown on a whim because I realized that in order to gain some clarity and find myself again, I needed a fresh start. Now, a few years after I made that decision, I have a better understanding of my mental health and I’ve realized it’s a conversation we should all be having.
Yet, I still struggle at times, & as healthcare workers I feel we are often overworked, under stress, putting other people’s needs before ours, and forgetting to take time for ourselves.
This is why Nurse on a Coffee Break isn’t only about thriving at work but also about the person behind the scrubs!
Remember, we are all human and we can always learn to love ourselves a little bit more.