Time to meet another member of our community! I hope you’re finding inspiration in seeing how other healthcare professionals navigate the challenges of our profession.
Name: Josh Nursing specialty: Peds CTICU Practices in: California Years in nursing: Six
What’s one wellness ritual you’ll never quit? I like to go on a long walk every day. It always feels good to get my body moving and be out in the fresh air. Thankfully, having two dogs at home makes this easy to stick to! Even on a lazy day at home when I don’t want to move from the couch, I always feel refreshed after being outside and having some time away from screens.
Name one food you could eat every single day. I could eat tacos every day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack. Tacos can be prepared in so many different ways and can be as healthy (or indulgent) as you want them to be!
How do you create calm in the chaos of everyday life? Practicing gratitude really works for me. I don’t put pressure on myself to do it every day, but I do keep a gratitude journal where I’ll jot some things down at the end of most days. Sometimes I’ll write about my day, but mostly I try to come up with three to five things that I’m grateful for. It can be as simple as “great weather.” It doesn’t have to be time-consuming unless I want it to be.
What’s the best career advice you were ever given? Never get too comfortable. Of course, it’s nice to go to work each day and feel things are easy because you’ve done them a million times before, you know all the people, protocols are familiar to you, etc. But if you want to progress in your career, it’s up to you and no one else. Reminding myself never to be too comfortable has led me to explore many different nursing specialties. I’m so grateful for the people I’ve met along the way and the skills that I’ve learned. Trying out other specialties eventually led me to the one I love – being a travel nurse. For others, this advice might mean having a questioning attitude and being a soldier for change when you see room for improvement. In whatever role you’re in, continue to ask “why” instead of accepting things simply because “that’s how it’s always been done.”
What’s one thing you would tell your younger self? Take more risks! I’ve always been a perfectionist and a control freak. I think my fear of failing at something has often held me back from trying new things. But over the years, I’ve come to find that jumping into the unknown can often reap great rewards. This has always been tough for me, but taking some (calculated) risks has helped me advance my career and develop more confidence in myself on a personal level.
Want to share your story with the TAP community? We’d love to hear it! Email me at info@tapwellnesscoaching.com. To learn more about how TAP Wellness Coaching can help you thrive, visit www.tapwellnesscoaching.com.