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Working  in the ED, ICU, or being part of the Rapid Response Team at your hospital is not a job for everyone. It is fast paced, high stress, demanding, and involves making quick decisions that can have a major impact on your patients wellbeing. Our guest today has become a veteran nurse in these fields. Meet Gabe,  a nurse in the critical care setting in San Antonio, TX who has been working with COVID-19 patients since March 2020. In this episode he tells us how Nursing felt like a calling for him after being raised in the inner city of San Antonio and seeing first hand the need in his community for medical help. Witnessing critical EMS calls in his neighborhood, and doing his best to help care for people before medical help arrived, prepared him for his future career. Take a listen to this episode to learn more about how COVID-19 care is done in his ICU, how his ICU unit has changed since the pandemic hit in March 2020,  and how skeptical patients have learned the hard way not to take this illness lightly. Gabe also gives his personal advice on whether nursing is still a good option for a career in light of this ongoing pandemic.

Show Notes:

• Don't be afraid to take on the high acuity assignments. there is so much you can learn as a nurse and as a person.
• Working in these high stress environments does get easier and more comfortable with time.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. And be proactive about talking to more experienced nurses to get their advice on how to thrive in the ED or ICU.
• Remember to take care of the patients mental and emotional wellbeing, not just their physical health. Sometimes the time you take with patients to talk about how they are feeling is more impactful than the actual nursing care.
• Don't be afraid to make connections with patients or to get attached. Those nurse patient relationships are what make nursing so fulfilling.
• Nervous to start nursing? Ask yourself, "what is my purpose? Do I really want to help people?"
• Know a nurse? Share this podcast!
• Follow us on Instagram @still.a.nurse
• Have a question you would like to hear answered on our show? leave a comment on our Instagram page, or send me an email at soelberg90@gmail.com
• If you would like to share your nursing stories on our show please let us know! Just send an email to the address listed above.

Links:

1. https://www.uthscsa.edu/academics/nursing Click here for more info on UT Health San Antonio nursing school. 
2. https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1358281 Looking for a media host for your podcast? Click this link and earn a $20 gift card for signing up for a paid plan and support our show!
3. https://www.thepodcasthost.com/academy/?ref=tristansoelberg If you are have an idea for a podcast but don't know how to get started, check out this podcast course! This is the course that I personally used to get this show up and running.  *This is an affiliate link, and clicking it will show we sent you and will help support our show.*