Cleaning Bedpans, Setting Boundaries & Melanie Gomez's Nursing Journey to FNP

PICU nurse and social media personality Melanie shares her journey from med-surg to pediatric critical care, exploring the challenges of transition and her pursuit of becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner.

• Started as a med-surg nurse during COVID before transitioning to PICU after two years
• Experienced significant learning curve moving to pediatrics, especially managing family dynamics and developing critical thinking skills
• Currently pursuing Family Nurse Practitioner degree while working part-time in PICU
• Chose FNP over other specialties to broaden opportunities outside hospital settings
• Believes family-centered care with better parent education would transform pediatric healthcare
• Shares emotional story of a long-term patient whose birthday wish was simply to eat at a restaurant
• Emphasizes importance of connecting with coworkers to process emotional cases
• Recommends perspective-taking: "Even on your worst day as a nurse, your patients still probably have it worse"

Follow along with Melanie on IG & TikTok @cafeconscrubs! Don't forget to follow and subscribe, and remember, don't let the bedpans bite.

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/