A summary of my nursing career
/The basics:
Undergrad/Nursing School (4 years): Towson University, Baltimore, MD Graduated in 2008
First nursing job: UVA Orthopedics/ Acute Care Trauma- Where I was a new grad and functioned as a bedside nurse.
Internal transfer to the Surgical Trauma and Burn ICU 2009- UVA is a level 1 Trauma hospital, it is also a teaching hospital (meaning there are resident doctors and facilitates learning) and has magnet status. I moved over to the ICU because I found myself attracted to critical situations on the ortho floor (my previous position) and loved being challenged to think critically. I was primarily a bedside nurse but took on additional tasks such as charge nurse, precepting and teaching hemodynamics to new nurses. I learned and seen the most at this hospital and will be forever grateful for the experiences, friendships and mentor-ship I received.
Travel nursing: 2013-2015
Little Company of Mary- Torrance: ICU/CCU My first travel assignment- learned a lot about myself and this was my first insight into how all hospitals are not created equally. University hospitals are very different than community hospitals... However, I met lovely people and grew as a nurse.
NYP Cornell: I took an 11 month travel nursing job at Cornell in NYC to be with my husband (fiance at the time) and worked in one of the top neuro surgical ICU's in the country. I made amazing friends in NY and learned a huge amount from working there.
Ventura: 2015- present (we moved to Ventura April 2015 for my husband's job)
Community memorial Hospital (CMH): ICU/CCU April 2015- December 2017 The most mentally and emotionally challenging place I've worked. Do to this, and the fact there were no university hospitals in the area (what I was previously custom to), I stepped away from hospital/ ICU nursing.
November-March took a break from bedside nursing to reassess my career goals and possibilities in the area. I also started learning/discussing gut health on Instagram.. and found that I was passionate about preventative health, nutrition, and teaching.
PACU at Out Patient Surgery: I currently work as Per Diem for two different surgical centers and have found it to be much less stimulating but a good mental break from what was going on at bedside in the previous facility. Probably not my forever job, but I enjoy the people i work with and going to work. Also, really love taking care of patients again!
Feel free to email me with any questions you have regarding my nursing career. I'm very open about all of it and I'd be happy to discuss anything with you.
Cheers,
Laura Gluck
