The becoming of me...final (!!)
I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. In my 7 year old mind that was the perfect career. I could run around from patient to patient and plump pillows, pour them fresh water, bring a smile to their faces, and do whatever the doctor told me to do. My Mom was a nurse and she wore the white cap and a spotless white uniform with white hose and white leather shoes that made a huuussshhh sound as she walked. She was my ideal. I was gonna make it happen!
I had plenty of practice too. One of the sources of income that kept the ranch alive through hard times was my Grandma's adult family home. She had anywhere from 7-11 patients at a time and worked endless hours to keep them healthy and comfortable. One of my tasks during my summers at the ranch was to be her right hand girl. I delivered food trays and picked them up, made beds, did laundry, filled water glasses, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned bathrooms...you name it. And piles and piles of dishes needed to be washed every meal. We had a few hired hands and cousins during the busy harvesting months and man could those guys eat!! I remember facing the lunch time dish pile and wishing so hard I could wave a wand and make them disappear. After lunch dishes were done, I always got a few hours to myself to play, explore, and generally roam wild. I usually would go find my brother out in the fields and tag along with whatever he had going on. Great memories.
So I entered nursing school with my head filled full of ideas of how much I was going to help doctors make people feel better. Whatever they would order, I would do. Ha. My first day of school I found out there was something called "care plans." That the nurse had to come up with. And instigate. Wow. We had to THINK?? This was gonna be harder than I thought!
So my view of what nurses did had to catch up with the times. I was also working part time as a CNA at a skilled nursing facility so I was plenty busy. AND...God had brought a wonderful man into my life. Turns out he had been a long time family friend and went to college with my Sister. He actually sang at her wedding. That was the first time we met. He was 20...and I was a tearful junior bridesmaid at the tender age of 12. No there were no fireworks. I was way too young and preoccupied at suddenly giving my Sister up to marriage to be interested in meeting a much older friend of hers.
But by the time I was 19, I was quite interested in this man that had moved into town and seemed so at ease with my parents, with everyone actually. He was tall and funny, and very easy to hang out with. Which we did a lot of in large groups. He lived with my Dad's associate Pastor and his wife, so we all were thrown together to help with church activities.
It still caught me completely off-guard when he called me out of the blue and asked me to dinner. Well, actually, (young men take note), he went about it in a way that was sure to soften the blow if I turned him down. His exact words were "Hey, I'm going out to dinner and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" Very clever I thought! AND further more on top of that, during dinner he said "Well since this is going so well, do you want to go out to a movie??" I remember thinking two things while I sat there munching on chips and salsa. Number one thing: "This man is very savvy!" Number two thing: "Some chick has REALLY messed him up to make him hedge his bets so carefully!" So I set about over the course of the next few weeks to show him that not all girls were scary. Actually, I'm still trying to show him that...! ;)
Long story short, we got married by my Dad a little over a year later. I had one more year of nursing school to complete, and he had a stable job. Life was great.
Over the years, we each grew into our careers and marriage, and felt it was time to add to our family. God blessed us with a daughter and three years later, a son. Happy times!
I had the privilege of working in a hospital that encouraged cross-training into all departments if a person wanted to. And I wanted to. At first I focused on Med-Surg, and got a great knowledge base. From there I pushed my critical thinking a little further and trained in Critical Care, Labor and Delivery, Post-Anesthesia Recovery, and Emergency Department. Little did I know how valuable these years would prove to be. I also specialized in GI nursing and assisted with conscious sedation and all endoscopic procedures. So all you readers who are 50+ out there, sign up for the wonders of the colonoscopy or I'm comin' for ya with my garden hose and a candle!! Pwahahaaha! Just kidding. Sorta. ;)
It was during a shift in the ED that I had a life-changing moment. The medics brought in a car accident victim and were telling me about his injuries. I asked detailed questions about how they found him in the car, what parts of the car were damaged, how many feet of intrusion into the passenger compartment, was the windshield starred, was there a gear shift or was it an automatic, etc, so I could better understand his injury patterns. I remember the Captain looking at me in exasperation and saying "For Pete' sake Kris!! Why don't you just bite the bullet and become a firefighter so you can see these things for yourself!! I swear no one ever grills us the way you do! GEEEEZ!!!" We all laughed....but the seed was planted.
I soon got a job as a Critical Care Transport RN, and my life in the field began. I was doing mostly inter-facility transports, but every so often we got called to a 911 scene. I knew I needed to pursue a career on the streets. (My Grandma just rolled over in her grave.)
So I became a volunteer Firefighter and fell in love all over again. Imagine this. A job that used the same mentality I had grown up with on the ranch. Here are the similarities:
1.) Think outside the box. You are IT. You must mitigate this circumstance. Stick with it until it's accomplished.
2.) Clean your tools when you are done and put them back into a state of readiness. Your life may depend on it.
3.) Your teammates are counting on you. Don't let them down.
4.) Work hard. Play hard. Celebrate a job well done.
5.) Whatever happens during this day, make sure everyone comes home.
These things coupled with the fact that I was working with a team of like-minded people and we got to charge into FLAMES and SMOKE and make it better for someone on their worst day made Firefighting a perfect fit for someone with my personality. I went from knowing that I was a cog in the wheel towards helping people feel better and getting them back to a healthy life, to being one of the first people on the scene of their scariest day and having the training to make sense of it for them. That's quite the humbling feeling. People just don't call 911 unless they realize they have exhausted all their options, or they are in big-time trouble and need someone there right now who is going to make things better.
Becoming a full-time paid FF is easier said than done. I had my work cut out for me. I first discussed it with my husband and I still marvel at his love for me and my dreams. Talk about false advertising on my part! I had been about becoming a nurse and Mother for the better part of 12 years. I was now enjoying seasoned status in my career, and was sought after as a specialized GI nurse, and could name my ticket. And now I was proposing putting all of that by the wayside to take off on this dangerous new venture that had no guarantees of hiring or safety? And get this, I would now be spending 24-48 hours at a time away from my family? I still shake my head at how God worked it all out. And at how my husband flexed in so many ways. I owe him a fantastic retirement!
My husband and I decided I would pursue becoming a full-time FF/Paramedic. We gave it 5 years. If at the end of 5 years it still hadn't happened, then we would know God had other plans, and I would return to being a full-time nurse. No down side really. Studies showed me that it took most people 3-5 years of testing to get hired into the firefighting world. Like I said, I had a ton of work to do.
So - we started. I started working out. I made friends in the fire service. I gained mentors. Strong men and women who knew what they were doing, and how to get me there if I paid attention and put in my sweat equity. And I struggled. I entered and failed physical tests. I took written tests over and over, and got decent scores. But decent written scores with a failed physical meant nothing at all. I learned about CrossFit. I fell in love with CrossFit. I got stronger and I learned more about who I was and what I was made of. I continued nursing part time, mothering full-time, volunteer fire-fighting nighttime, wif-ing in between times. It was a full schedule. And through it all, even though there were times of frustration and exasperation, my husband kept encouraging me, rubbing out the knots and bruises, gently pushing me along the path of my dream. My kids pitched in around the house and told all their friends their Mom was going to be a firefighter. (NOW the pressure was on).
I clearly remember the day I got a phone call from my first department. Would I please come in for a Chief's interview? Really? Please?? I made the appointment breathlessly and called my husband. This was the furthest we had gotten. This felt so right!
Two days before my interview I got a panicked call from my Mom. My Dad had been in an accident on the ranch, had crushed his hand, and could possibly lose one or more of his fingers. He was headed in to surgery.
This was a no brainer for me. I dropped everything, stopped by my husbands place of work to give him the car seats, and headed to the airport. He met me at his car with a sandwich purchased at his work deli, and my boarding pass. I'm telling you, this man is a team player through and through. On the way to the airport I had to make the wrenching call to the Fire Chief and call off the interview. I explained my Dad had been hurt and needed me. I wished him luck in his hiring process, thanked him for the opportunity that had been given me, and pulled my name out of the hat. He thanked me for the call, expressed sympathy for my Dad, and that was that. I was saddened, but knew I was doing the right thing. If this career move was for me, then it was all going to work out how God wanted it to.
We got Dad over his injury and life resumed in much the same way as before. I applied at all nearby hiring departments, and continued my journey. During this time I had been taking an RN to Paramedic bridge course at Creighton University in Omaha, and received my Paramedic certification. Big day!
I got a phone call a few months later from that same Fire Chief. Their department needed a Firefighter Paramedic and my name had immediately popped into his head. He told me that he remembered the incident about my Dad and how their fire department was looking for people who had their priorities straight. I hung up the phone and wept. God is good isn't he?
I got the job at that department, and enjoyed my new career THOROUGHLY. I felt like I was right where I needed to be. A few years later, the opportunity came to work at the same department that I originally began volunteering at. I jumped at the chance and got the position. Now I am working ten minutes away from home versus 75. Again...God worked it out.
I tell you all this for a couple of reasons. One is to fill you in on my background, and how God has guided my family and I. The other, is to maybe encourage you in the belief that God sees all. He works things out. We may not always see his hand, but we know his heart. He has things he wants us to learn and ways of teaching that don't always make sense to us. But we have to do our part and show up, and prepare to take the steps he outlines for us. And when he does good things in our lives we need to get the word out about it. God is good...all the time...all the time...God is GOOD!
Make it a great day!!
I had plenty of practice too. One of the sources of income that kept the ranch alive through hard times was my Grandma's adult family home. She had anywhere from 7-11 patients at a time and worked endless hours to keep them healthy and comfortable. One of my tasks during my summers at the ranch was to be her right hand girl. I delivered food trays and picked them up, made beds, did laundry, filled water glasses, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned bathrooms...you name it. And piles and piles of dishes needed to be washed every meal. We had a few hired hands and cousins during the busy harvesting months and man could those guys eat!! I remember facing the lunch time dish pile and wishing so hard I could wave a wand and make them disappear. After lunch dishes were done, I always got a few hours to myself to play, explore, and generally roam wild. I usually would go find my brother out in the fields and tag along with whatever he had going on. Great memories.
So I entered nursing school with my head filled full of ideas of how much I was going to help doctors make people feel better. Whatever they would order, I would do. Ha. My first day of school I found out there was something called "care plans." That the nurse had to come up with. And instigate. Wow. We had to THINK?? This was gonna be harder than I thought!
So my view of what nurses did had to catch up with the times. I was also working part time as a CNA at a skilled nursing facility so I was plenty busy. AND...God had brought a wonderful man into my life. Turns out he had been a long time family friend and went to college with my Sister. He actually sang at her wedding. That was the first time we met. He was 20...and I was a tearful junior bridesmaid at the tender age of 12. No there were no fireworks. I was way too young and preoccupied at suddenly giving my Sister up to marriage to be interested in meeting a much older friend of hers.
But by the time I was 19, I was quite interested in this man that had moved into town and seemed so at ease with my parents, with everyone actually. He was tall and funny, and very easy to hang out with. Which we did a lot of in large groups. He lived with my Dad's associate Pastor and his wife, so we all were thrown together to help with church activities.
It still caught me completely off-guard when he called me out of the blue and asked me to dinner. Well, actually, (young men take note), he went about it in a way that was sure to soften the blow if I turned him down. His exact words were "Hey, I'm going out to dinner and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" Very clever I thought! AND further more on top of that, during dinner he said "Well since this is going so well, do you want to go out to a movie??" I remember thinking two things while I sat there munching on chips and salsa. Number one thing: "This man is very savvy!" Number two thing: "Some chick has REALLY messed him up to make him hedge his bets so carefully!" So I set about over the course of the next few weeks to show him that not all girls were scary. Actually, I'm still trying to show him that...! ;)
Long story short, we got married by my Dad a little over a year later. I had one more year of nursing school to complete, and he had a stable job. Life was great.
Over the years, we each grew into our careers and marriage, and felt it was time to add to our family. God blessed us with a daughter and three years later, a son. Happy times!
I had the privilege of working in a hospital that encouraged cross-training into all departments if a person wanted to. And I wanted to. At first I focused on Med-Surg, and got a great knowledge base. From there I pushed my critical thinking a little further and trained in Critical Care, Labor and Delivery, Post-Anesthesia Recovery, and Emergency Department. Little did I know how valuable these years would prove to be. I also specialized in GI nursing and assisted with conscious sedation and all endoscopic procedures. So all you readers who are 50+ out there, sign up for the wonders of the colonoscopy or I'm comin' for ya with my garden hose and a candle!! Pwahahaaha! Just kidding. Sorta. ;)
It was during a shift in the ED that I had a life-changing moment. The medics brought in a car accident victim and were telling me about his injuries. I asked detailed questions about how they found him in the car, what parts of the car were damaged, how many feet of intrusion into the passenger compartment, was the windshield starred, was there a gear shift or was it an automatic, etc, so I could better understand his injury patterns. I remember the Captain looking at me in exasperation and saying "For Pete' sake Kris!! Why don't you just bite the bullet and become a firefighter so you can see these things for yourself!! I swear no one ever grills us the way you do! GEEEEZ!!!" We all laughed....but the seed was planted.
I soon got a job as a Critical Care Transport RN, and my life in the field began. I was doing mostly inter-facility transports, but every so often we got called to a 911 scene. I knew I needed to pursue a career on the streets. (My Grandma just rolled over in her grave.)
So I became a volunteer Firefighter and fell in love all over again. Imagine this. A job that used the same mentality I had grown up with on the ranch. Here are the similarities:
1.) Think outside the box. You are IT. You must mitigate this circumstance. Stick with it until it's accomplished.
2.) Clean your tools when you are done and put them back into a state of readiness. Your life may depend on it.
3.) Your teammates are counting on you. Don't let them down.
4.) Work hard. Play hard. Celebrate a job well done.
5.) Whatever happens during this day, make sure everyone comes home.
These things coupled with the fact that I was working with a team of like-minded people and we got to charge into FLAMES and SMOKE and make it better for someone on their worst day made Firefighting a perfect fit for someone with my personality. I went from knowing that I was a cog in the wheel towards helping people feel better and getting them back to a healthy life, to being one of the first people on the scene of their scariest day and having the training to make sense of it for them. That's quite the humbling feeling. People just don't call 911 unless they realize they have exhausted all their options, or they are in big-time trouble and need someone there right now who is going to make things better.
Becoming a full-time paid FF is easier said than done. I had my work cut out for me. I first discussed it with my husband and I still marvel at his love for me and my dreams. Talk about false advertising on my part! I had been about becoming a nurse and Mother for the better part of 12 years. I was now enjoying seasoned status in my career, and was sought after as a specialized GI nurse, and could name my ticket. And now I was proposing putting all of that by the wayside to take off on this dangerous new venture that had no guarantees of hiring or safety? And get this, I would now be spending 24-48 hours at a time away from my family? I still shake my head at how God worked it all out. And at how my husband flexed in so many ways. I owe him a fantastic retirement!
My husband and I decided I would pursue becoming a full-time FF/Paramedic. We gave it 5 years. If at the end of 5 years it still hadn't happened, then we would know God had other plans, and I would return to being a full-time nurse. No down side really. Studies showed me that it took most people 3-5 years of testing to get hired into the firefighting world. Like I said, I had a ton of work to do.
So - we started. I started working out. I made friends in the fire service. I gained mentors. Strong men and women who knew what they were doing, and how to get me there if I paid attention and put in my sweat equity. And I struggled. I entered and failed physical tests. I took written tests over and over, and got decent scores. But decent written scores with a failed physical meant nothing at all. I learned about CrossFit. I fell in love with CrossFit. I got stronger and I learned more about who I was and what I was made of. I continued nursing part time, mothering full-time, volunteer fire-fighting nighttime, wif-ing in between times. It was a full schedule. And through it all, even though there were times of frustration and exasperation, my husband kept encouraging me, rubbing out the knots and bruises, gently pushing me along the path of my dream. My kids pitched in around the house and told all their friends their Mom was going to be a firefighter. (NOW the pressure was on).
I clearly remember the day I got a phone call from my first department. Would I please come in for a Chief's interview? Really? Please?? I made the appointment breathlessly and called my husband. This was the furthest we had gotten. This felt so right!
Two days before my interview I got a panicked call from my Mom. My Dad had been in an accident on the ranch, had crushed his hand, and could possibly lose one or more of his fingers. He was headed in to surgery.
This was a no brainer for me. I dropped everything, stopped by my husbands place of work to give him the car seats, and headed to the airport. He met me at his car with a sandwich purchased at his work deli, and my boarding pass. I'm telling you, this man is a team player through and through. On the way to the airport I had to make the wrenching call to the Fire Chief and call off the interview. I explained my Dad had been hurt and needed me. I wished him luck in his hiring process, thanked him for the opportunity that had been given me, and pulled my name out of the hat. He thanked me for the call, expressed sympathy for my Dad, and that was that. I was saddened, but knew I was doing the right thing. If this career move was for me, then it was all going to work out how God wanted it to.
We got Dad over his injury and life resumed in much the same way as before. I applied at all nearby hiring departments, and continued my journey. During this time I had been taking an RN to Paramedic bridge course at Creighton University in Omaha, and received my Paramedic certification. Big day!
I got a phone call a few months later from that same Fire Chief. Their department needed a Firefighter Paramedic and my name had immediately popped into his head. He told me that he remembered the incident about my Dad and how their fire department was looking for people who had their priorities straight. I hung up the phone and wept. God is good isn't he?
I got the job at that department, and enjoyed my new career THOROUGHLY. I felt like I was right where I needed to be. A few years later, the opportunity came to work at the same department that I originally began volunteering at. I jumped at the chance and got the position. Now I am working ten minutes away from home versus 75. Again...God worked it out.
I tell you all this for a couple of reasons. One is to fill you in on my background, and how God has guided my family and I. The other, is to maybe encourage you in the belief that God sees all. He works things out. We may not always see his hand, but we know his heart. He has things he wants us to learn and ways of teaching that don't always make sense to us. But we have to do our part and show up, and prepare to take the steps he outlines for us. And when he does good things in our lives we need to get the word out about it. God is good...all the time...all the time...God is GOOD!
Make it a great day!!
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