Barbara Olas, a telemetry registered nurse (RN) from Toronto, talks about what inspired her to go into the field and how she’s taken care of herself throughout the pandemic.
Why did you decide to become a nurse?
I’ve always found science and the human body extremely fascinating — facts like growing human life or injury repair at the cellular level always blew my mind. However, in addition to my love for science, my dedication to providing compassionate care to humans grew tenfold while working as a personal support worker for an individual with ALS. Knowing that I could positively impact an individual with my caring attitude truly drew me into nursing.
What advice do you have for people starting their nursing careers?
Ask, ask, ask. You won’t ever know the answer to everything, and this is expected! Use the resources around you to ensure proper and efficient care is provided to your patients. Also, it will most likely take you six to twelve months to feel comfortable and confident walking into a shift — we have all been there, so we understand what you’re going through.
How have you been taking care of yourself?
Keeping my mind and body healthy has been a priority — workout classes, walks with friends, get-togethers with family, and reading e-books while taking a relaxing bath have all contributed to my physical and mental well-being.
What inspired you to share your journey on @yournursingeducator?
I had just completed my accelerated nursing degree when I started the Instagram page. I finished the degree thinking, “Wow, that was a lot.” However, I knew that it would be much appreciated if I could somehow make the learning process easier for other students. So I started sharing educational and motivational nursing content and immediately received positive feedback. Five years into it, I’m still sharing content meant to make the lives of nursing students and new grad nurses easier.
