In my previous posts, I alluded a little to a career change. I am writing this for myself as a reminder to always stick to where your heart is at...
1 year ago, my liver transplant program had to go inactive and it was very stressful for me. I had to find new transplant centers to list my patients and had to have some very hard conversations. Some of my patients did not have the financial resources or transportation to go to another city to get their transplants.
When you are a transplant coordinator, you become more than a nurse to your patients. You become a sort of a familial extension. You learn about their extensive social history, marital struggles, their grandchildren, their addictions, their sacrifices, their blood pressure, and everything in between. A transplant is more than surgery. It is a lifestyle change. I always explained to my patients that preparing for a transplant is like pregnancy, the surgery is like birth, and then you have a life of taking care of that organ.
Leaving transplant made me cry many tears, but looking at my career timeline - it seemed like a good time to transition to something where I would be using my master's degree. So I moved over to a corporate role as a Quality Improvement Specialist. I remember ugly crying in my boss's office when I told them I would be leaving. Maybe that was a sign I was making a poor choice in hindsight...
This year I have learned so much about data, hospital metrics, the inner workings of running a hospital, and leadership. I have been thrown under the bus, made to feel inadequate, made to feel like a snake (I do many audits....). It has been equally humbling as it has been growing for me as a professional.
Not a day goes by that I don't wonder about my transplant patients, and miss working with my team who were truly like a family. Coming to work was like home.
So when 2 weeks ago, my former boss asked me to come back to transplant, as he is hiring a Quality Improvement Nurse for the transplant team - it was impossible to say no. When I told him I am pregnant, and he perhaps may not want me - his response was of great excitement followed by him telling me "You can work remotely. Whatever you need to do..."
My current role does not hold such flexibility. My current role wants me doing leadership rounding on covid units, despite being pregnant. I get 9pm text messages telling me I have to come in for an emergency 7 am meeting the next morning. I always wondered "how will I do this when I'm a Mom?"
So it is with great relief, happiness, and excitement I announce that I officially signed my offer letter to return to the transplant team as a quality specialist. Win win as I will be using my masters while working in an area of medicine I am so passionate about! I will join the team during a very exciting time, as we have been "inactive" for livers and hearts over the past year -- and will be re-opening those programs with the goal of having the best quality. I can't wait to be a part of this exciting adventure, and to work with people who are like family.
And, I get to work from home and work out a flexible work schedule so Baby Namaste will only need to do a few days/week of daycare!
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