The next professional in the series is Kathleen.
Kathleen and I both work in hospitals, although she's a nurse, which is way cooler. We have a lot of similar hobbies - she also does Project Life, One Little Word, goal setting, reading... I feel like if we lived in the same town, we'd be awesome friends!
Tell me about your job. How long have you been working in your field?
I'm a registered nurse specializing in oncology (cancer) and I work in an outpatient infusion clinic at a hospital. I've been a nurse for seven years, and for the first three I worked inpatient oncology, which was very intense but gave me great experience. (I wouldn't want to go back to it though!)
When I became pregnant with my daughter I was able to transfer to outpatient which I was glad of because I wanted a regular schedule with free weekends and holidays. At that time I became oncology certified and specialized in giving chemo.
What does your standard work day look like?
Prior to the last year I worked in the busy medical center and had to commute 1.5 hours to get to work. I actually wrote aday in the life of an infusion nurse blog post while I was there. But thankfully, after my son was born last year, I was able to transfer to the hospital campus near my home and now my commute is about 15 minutes.
Working outpatient means I have standard hours so my day starts at 8:00 a.m. It's a small clinic so I only have two coworkers, other nurses, but on any given day I might be the only nurse there, or one or both of the others will be there too. We usually have at least a few minutes to get rooms set up and supplies ready, and then when the patients begin arriving we get them settled, start IV's, and proceed with the infusion process. If it's a chemo patient it's more involved, but some are very straightforward.
We grab lunch when we can, and discharge patients when they finish and clean the rooms. We also have to document electronically everything that we do. Before leaving for the day we always prep charts for the next day. Other things come up from time to time: there may be emergencies, or meetings to attend, for example. I usually leave on time at 4:30 p.m. but if we are finished early I can leave early.
Does your job have creative elements?
There are times when creative problem-solving is needed, but for the most part it is very science- and skills-based.
How do you find the time for both your professional responsibilities and your creative hobbies?
If I didn't have kids it would be much easier to fit in my (many) creative hobbies in the evenings and on weekends, but since I'm in the thick of raising little ones (they are 3 and 1) it is very difficult!
First of all, I've had to adjust my expectations. My family and self-care have to take priority, so I don't ever plan on getting anything "fun" done during the week because I go to sleep at the same time as my kids. (I'm SO not a night owl.) They are at an age when I can't really do much crafting with them around. Occasionally, if I do get a chance to work on a personal hobby during the week, it's a fun bonus. (If there is anything personal that I "need" to get done during the week, or if I want to exercise, I have about 45 minutes to do so after work before I pick up the kids from daycare.)
However, if I didn't plan for time alone for me to pursue hobbies, it just wouldn't happen! Even on weekends, the kids don't always nap and when they do it's rarely simultaneously. I'm grateful to have a supportive husband who gets that I need a break and time alone to recharge. Almost every weekend he takes them on an adventure out of the house for a couple of hours - like to the grocery store or the mall, for example - and I use that time like a madwoman. I try to never work on anything during that time that I could do while the kids are around, like chores, even though it is tempting. The limited amount of time has made me super productive.
I always want more time to work on personal hobbies, but I try to keep in mind that this is a season of life that won't last. One day (not too far away!) I'll be able to knit while I chat with my kids instead of them pulling the needles off the yarn. I'll be able to scrapbook with my daughter instead of her covering herself with stamp ink or cutting up my photos. I'll be able to sew while they play together or with friends, not constantly needing to be held or helped. Perspective is so important.
Do you ever worry about the effect your online presence could have on your career? If so, how have you guarded against that?
Because of the sensitive nature of my job and the privacy laws, I really cannot share much about work online at all so I definitely stay away from that. I am aware that my name is very searchable by current and future employers so I consider how I would come across if they were to read my blog or social media.
I rarely mention work online (and when I do, it is not negative) and I also don't write anything that I wouldn't say in person. I'm proud of my content online and I would hope that reading it would enhance a person's opinion of me instead of detract.
What is your most valuable career advice for others?
I didn't actually do this when I was younger, but I do recommend taking a personality test to figure out what types of careers you would do well in. I've found tremendous insight and benefit with knowing my own personality type and thankfully my chosen career is a good fit. 16personalities.com is a great place to start with figuring this out.
Also, as much as you hear about following your passions and doing what you love, I do think you need to think practically about the money. Not everything needs to be a business or a profession; some things are best left as hobbies and that's totally okay!
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I have the utmost respect and awe for the vital work nurses do, and the fact that Kathleen finds time for such an awesome creative life in addition to a nursing career is so inspiring!! To learn more about Kathleen's creative side, visit her blog, Kapacino, or follow her on Instagram (@kapachino). Thanks so much for taking part, Kathleen!
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