Support Systems in Scrubs: Juggling Nursing School, Family & Work

Today we got up close and personal with Christel Hamiliton, RN. We share our journey through nursing school while balancing the act of motherhood, work, and personal growth. From the heartfelt camaraderie in the trenches of healthcare to reshaping career paths amid life's unpredictabilities,  Christel reminds us that it's never too late to pivot and pursue your passion with purpose. She encapsulated the essence of giving yourself grace, seeking support, and the power of nurturing connections. For anyone out there riding the waves of nursing or any demanding career, this episode is a beacon of resilience and a testament to finding your footing in the imperfect landings of life's runway.

00:00 Transition from cashier to healthcare professional's ecstatic journey.

03:54 Transitioned from long-term care to home care.

09:15 Balancing work and family for a purpose.

11:24 Challenges of being older student in class.

16:17 Nurse emphasizes experience in home care field.

17:17 New job opportunity amidst COVID, good timing.

21:13 Realize the emotional toll of nursing school.

25:41 Uncertain about career path after motherhood upheaval.

28:33 Grateful for your time, let's connect again.

Resources:
Landing Imperfect Website
https://landingimperfect.godaddysites.com/

Follow Christel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chamilton71977/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christel.bryant.7

Follow Bin Bargains:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554547213119

Follow Jen:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen.lander/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.butram/ 

Transcript

0:03

You guys, I have to take a minute to share with you an amazing store that just opened up a few weeks ago in Geneva, Ohio. Ben bargains aims to make your shopping experience affordable while providing quality products at unbeatable prices. And when I say on beautiful prices, that is exactly what I mean. They offer the most incredible highlight items in their bins. Insane deals, a few things that they've thrown in there.$7 bins are a PlayStation five AirPods iPads. Amazing toys for over a hundred dollars home decor. I mean, you never know what high quality highlight items they're going to add to their bins. Lots of wonderful retail that can fill your house at prices. You won't believe. New inventory every Friday and restock for more goods on Saturdays for their$7 Ben days. I know he keeps saying$7 Ben days. I don't think I've mentioned this, but the most you will pay for their bin items is$7. My mind is blown. They have Sam's club and target clothing brands high seriously could go on and on about how amazing the store is. And the owners, Jeff and Heather bedroom. They bust their butts to provide you guys with the best deals and experience in their store. Their staff is so welcoming and friendly. I'm telling you, you make your way over to Ben bargains located at seven 11 east main street, Geneva, Ohio. And you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Stay up to date with them on Facebook at Ben bargains, where they often share their deals and you can find their hours and Ben prices there as well. So happy shopping. Hey, Crystal. How are you? Hey, I'm good. How's it going? It's going good. So we had this fun little thing before we came on here where we were trying to figure out our whole nursing, like school timeline to the conclusion on like, when did we graduate? And it wasn't together. So we figured out I graduated in May, 2013, and then you were December, 2013. Yes, I was one semester back. Yeah. So that's how we got to know each other was through nursing school. And then afterwards, we didn't really like work together or anything like that, but we have mutual friends. So, right. Right. Which was interesting that we connected like that again. Yeah. Yeah, so I wanted to talk with you today just kind of about nursing school, what that was like for you, what happened after nursing school, but how did you head in that direction? What inspired you to become a nurse? Interestingly enough, I never wanted to be a nurse. Um, I, it was not something I ever envisioned for myself. Not something I ever saw a field I would go into. I was working for an IT company and I was like their glorified secretary. I would kind of like make travel arrangements and scheduling and stuff for all of the guys in the office. And they laid me off. And I had just, before they laid me off, I started a business class. And I was like, Oh, maybe I'll go into business. Right. Why? Right. Who wants to do that? So I was like, okay, maybe I'll go into business. I really had no idea. So I got laid off and an old friend of mine, she, she was an LPN and she was like, um, You should do this LPN program. And I was like, Oh no, no, thank you. And she's like, why not? She's like, you would make such a great nurse. And I was like, I don't really want to be a nurse. And she's like, no, I really think that you would like it. She's like, it's only like 11 months, not even a full year. Like. You know, she's like, I really think you'd be good at it. So I was like, I thought it over for a little while and I was like, you know what, why not? Like why not? Right. Um, so I was in my 30s when I became a nurse. Um, so yeah, so I went to LPN school first, it was like 10 or 11 months. And then after that, I decided to go for my RN, like, pretty much right away. I was working and going for my RN. And, um, the rest is history. Yeah. Oh my gosh. That's so interesting. Like, I feel like I have a similar story too, where It wasn't nursing school because once I got into the healthcare field, that was just the natural progression for me, but I started out as an aid. And before that though, I was working as a cashier at Giant Eagle. And I had a friend who was working at this one home and was like, you know what, like I'm making good money here. It's. An awesome job. She's such, I mean, she totally fit the position there, you know, so I was like, I don't know, I'll give a shot. And then I ended up loving it. So it kind of, that was the way it went for me, but I never really saw myself as a nurse either when I was in school. I actually thought I was going to be a teacher. Oh yeah. A lot different. It didn't take me long when I started, um, in LPN school. It didn't take me long before I was like, okay, I think I like this. Yeah. So when you were in LPN school, did you ever work as an LPN? Or did you just go over it? I did. Okay, you did. No, I did. I worked as an LPN while I was getting my RN. Oh, gotcha. I was working. Okay. Yes. Were you working full time? At one point, yes. So, I When I finished my LPN, I went into, long term care. I was doing long term care for just a very brief time. Yeah. And then I went and worked on a skilled unit where they were kind of sub acute. Like some of them were cardiac related, some of it was pulmonary related. Some of it was like post op, you know, fresh out of surgery coming for rehab. Um, it was a very, very wide variety of patients, which I think was probably the best thing I could have done because I got a lot of my skills doing that. And so while I was There, I was also going to school, so I was getting, some pre reqs and stuff out of the way, and then, um, kind of towards the end of working there, I had a friend, and I was still an LPN there,, who moved into home care, and she was like, you should come do home care, and I was like, I am not doing home care, like, you couldn't convince me, and she's like, no, no, no, no, she's like, I really think you would love it, I think you would love home care. So I transitioned to home care. And while I was doing home care, I was going to school. I was doing clinicals. I was seeing patients out in the home. I was kind of like all over the place, but they were very good. They worked with me. They worked with my schedule. Um, It probably was the best position I could have been in at the time because they did work with me and I was able to go to school and go to clinicals and then I would go like, I would go all the way out to school in Ashtabula and then, which was, you know, 30, 40 minutes opposite of my home, and then I would go all the way to Chardon and I would see patients in like Chardon and Middlefield and Burton and like that area. So it was very tricky. But I did it. That is so hard to navigate. I mean, how did you navigate through that whole thing? That's a lot. It was really tricky. and we haven't talked about, um, I think we're going to about being a mom at the same time. So it wasn't just that I was working and going to school and going to clinicals. Um, It was, it was challenging, you know, being a mom and my kids were in elementary school. I was in my thirties, like, you know, it's different when you're in your twenties and you're first out of high school and you're still in that groove of going to school and doing. Now it was a lot different. Um, I don't know. I work well like that. I kind of think I work well under pressure. Like that, like you just go, go, go, go, do it, do it, do it, do it, you know, yeah, it was a lot. Because I think sometimes too, if I have a full day where I don't have anything going on, I love it. I'm like, yes, I have a full day. But then I keep putting all the tasks off because I'm like, I have all day to do this, you know, in the day I'm like, I have, I didn't do anything like, what am I doing? once I'm like busier, I feel that I can. Get more done. So it almost keeps you more on track sometimes because you have to be on top of your crap. Like I got my kids taken care of my work's done. I don't know. Sometimes it can be a little bit more helpful, but still stressful. Cause that is a lot for anyone to navigate. I know. So I was a mom too in nursing school and I had little kids. I was pregnant halfway through nursing school. Why I do that to myself, I don't know, but it all worked out. So I had a baby and then I also had a five year old during that time too. So when I went to nursing school, I was very fortunate that I didn't have to work full time. I don't think I ever worked full time. When I was in nursing school, so I was able to work part time, but I have a hard time missing things like that. It really weighs on me. I felt like I didn't handle that as well as I would have liked to. I'm sure you were missing out on some important things also. How do you feel like you kind of navigated through that? Yeah, that was tricky. Um, my kids, I think when I was in LPN school, they were like seven and nine. Um, so they were just slightly older when I started going for my RN, but then I was, I was working night shift too for a little while. And that itself, if you've never done night shift, that itself is like A whole different ballgame. So luckily my kids didn't do a lot of sports, but I remember having to go in at seven o'clock and they had a baseball game or whatever. And I'm like, ah, you know, so it was really kind of. I try not to be too hard on myself, like, hey, this is my career, this is what I'm going to do, they know I love them and want to be there, luckily the nursing community, we always support each other. So I would just say, hey, can you cover my shift until I can get in after the game so you, you build a rapport with your coworkers and, you kind of do each other favors like, Hey, your kid's got a game. My kid's got a game on Saturday. Can you work for me so it was really just a matter of figuring out how to, you know, work with other people to, to be able to go to those things. And when you did miss something, yeah, it was, it was hard. It was hard, but I think in the, at the end of the day, you know, that like, it's your career and it's life and sometimes it happens. there's not a lot you can do about it. Yeah, I really do like what you said about, You're doing this because it is a career and by showing up for yourself in that way because we all have bills to pay right like and be able to Provide our kids with security and freedom to do the things that they want to do so I think it's nice when you put it in perspective like that like there is a reason why you're doing it and Like you said, you have people you can ask, Hey, can you cover this? If there's something really important that's going on, because I've had situations like that too, and most of us are parents. So people are willing to cover things like that, but I think putting it in that perspective and then teaching your kids to that. You can work. You can have a family. You can do all of these things. And this is how you navigate it. So being that example for them and just really putting it in. That light, I think, helps a little bit. It gets you through. Yeah, a little bit. It takes a little bit of the pressure off, because if you are hard on yourself, that is a difficult position to be in. But if you can kind of give yourself a little bit of grace and just say, Hey, like, there's not a lot I can do about it. if you're in school or you're working or whatever, there's a reason that you're doing it. So, yeah, it was challenging, but we got through it. Yeah, it definitely was. And working nights and working holidays and weekends, I mean, that's tough, too, to miss out on things like that. And I think that was a big motivator for me to continue my education, to put myself in a position where I didn't have to sacrifice a lot of those things anymore. I know that that's not everyone's case or even everyone's desire to do that, but I know that was a big motivator for me to get through it. The room more and more school. Yes. So that you could have that flexibility. Yes. I'm in the same position. I feel the same way you do. I wanted to be at a certain point where I didn't have to work weekends. I didn't have to work holidays and it takes a lot of work to get there, but. It's worth it if you can, you know, yeah. So when you were in nursing school, so we're talking about all the challenges. Is there anything else that you found was really challenging or was it pretty much working, being a mom, navigating all of that? Was there anything else that you thought was pretty challenging? Yes. Uh, I think because I was in my 30s, um, that was challenging for me because most of the class, they were young, a lot of them right out of high school, most of them without jobs, without children, living with their parents, not paying a mortgage, not paying a car payment, not, you know, having all of that extra responsibility. So I think having all of that responsibility and being An adult instead of a young adult, did have its challenges because it was really hard to go into class with all these like young, fresh minds, which, some of it was a bonus too. You know what I mean? Some of it was like, oh, okay. They know some things, I don't know. Like this is gonna be good. Yeah. so that was a little bit of a challenge. And then for me also being an LPN and transitioning in, I transitioned into like year three or whatever. And I had already been working in the field for a while. Mm-Hmm. So it was very hard for me to separate what I knew from like. real world nursing to what we were being taught in the classroom. And so that became a bit of a challenge for me because I had to kind of step back and say, okay, I know what happens out there in the real world when you're put in this situation, but in the educational world, how do they want you to answer that question? Yeah. So that was a huge challenge for me. Yeah. I didn't even think about that because I went into it, not being a nurse. I wasn't an LPN or anything. So I think that transition, cause there's very subtle differences between the two. I mean, there are, but as far as medication management, when you're taking all those clinical, like those tests on performance, I think that that would be a really hard thing to step back from and be like, okay, I already know this. I do this. So, and then remembering how to do it the way that the books want you to do it, too. So, that's the point. I didn't even think about that. Yeah, real world versus, you know, the educational world and going by the book. They're two different things. We know that. And, um, so that was something I had to kind of navigate. Yeah. what did you think was the most, joyful? experience or the most rewarding in nursing school? The friendships. I would say the friendships. Um, that's, that's nursing in general, not just in nursing school, but nursing in general, you know, that we're a tight group. And so, even being with a lot of the younger students, it was nice to have their fresh perspective and, some of the people that I went to nursing school with, I'm friends with today, which is really nice. So, I would say the most rewarding part of that was probably that. And also because I was already working in the field, I was able to pass on some of that knowledge. Yeah, so I was able to kind of be a mentor, I think, for some of the younger students that were coming in, which was really kind of nice. Because that's kind of, that's where I thrive is being a mentor or, helping with education So that was a bonus for me too. I love that. What do you think are some lessons or skills that you learned while you were in nursing school that you found valuable in your career? Probably not anything real specific other than, just the relationship building, whether that was with your clinical instructors, with the nurses on the floor, or with. you know, people who were going to eventually be your colleagues. Just kind of taking that into my career and just building on that, building on those relationships, nursing school was, it was a lot, it was a lot. And so I think, I think you. You learn a lot about yourself when you're going through something like that, um, when you're trying to learn and you're trying to do, and you're trying to be the best, um, and I think you learn to give yourself a lot of grace when you're in nursing school. You have to, you have to do that. So I would say really just, just being gentle with yourself was something I learned that was a, Okay. That was a good life lesson through nursing school. Yeah. I learned that much later on. You were very hard on yourself when you were in school. I know you were. Yeah. Yeah. So that came later for me. Um, I love that for you. I wish you had had that, but you know, it all comes in time. Right. That's great. When you graduated, are you where you thought you were going to be as far as where you are now with your career? Um, I would say yes and no. I have been through a lot, not a lot of change in my career necessarily, because I know that like a lot of times I'll hear nurses say, Oh, I used to work in the ICU and I worked in the ER and I worked on the cardiac unit and I Worked in home care and I worked in hospice and they have like this whole realm of areas where they've worked for me, most of my nursing career so far, the longest portion of it was in home care. So I did over six years in home care and I actually thought that home care is where I would stay. I thought that I would eventually end up retiring from home care. I kind of thought what I would do was move from being a case manager out in the field to being a manager, like an overseeing the case managers. Um, that's kind of where I anticipated my career going. Um, but then I got offered this job, well, not offered, but it opened and I was like, Hmm, I maybe want to do that, which came at the right time. So, um, you know that I work from home and it came right before COVID hit. And I know, you know, it's so cliche to say like things happen for a reason, but I really feel like they do sometimes. So I took this position. In October, just before COVID in 2020, so working from home. So I wasn't out in the field in home care, which was a real struggle. Like the people that I had worked with my colleagues, um, home care was really rough. during COVID for them. And so I look at it like it happened for a reason. I was put where I was put at the time I was put there. And, um, so no, this is not actually where I thought that I would be. If I went back to say when we graduated, I think I just always thought, like, I would want to be a clinical instructor. And I did think that I wanted to work in the PACU. That was one thing I really enjoyed in nursing school. And I was like, Oh, I could see myself working in the PACU. I didn't want to do the ER. I didn't want to do OB. I thought about that briefly. I thought about OB briefly and then I was like, Hmm, no. Um, but I really did love the PACU. So I thought, Oh, maybe I'll go into something like that when I get out of school. And then that just. didn't, that just kind of faded. So I didn't really have, like some people are like, Ooh, I always knew I wanted to be an OB, right? Or, Ooh, I always knew I wanted to be an ER nurse or ICU I never really had that vision necessarily. I just knew that eventually I wanted to teach other nurses. That's it, which is kind of where I'm at now. So I guess I'm, yes, I'm there. No, I'm not there because it's kind of a different realm of teaching. So yeah, yes and no, if that answered your question. Yes, I'm kind of where, you know, we go back and forth though so much in nursing. Right. are you where you initially thought, maybe not, right? I mean, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a pediatrician. You know what I mean? Or an actress. I know I love asking that question, because for me, I am nowhere At all where I thought I was going to be when I was graduating. I wanted to be an OB nurse. I thought that was where I was going to be. And then once you get out into the field, you just experience things differently. And you're like, that is not me. That's not for me at all. My, when I was doing my rotation for psych, I was eight months pregnant and I did it in on a unit that had pretty severe schizophrenics and suicidal patients, all those things. I was like, no way will I ever do psych. There is no way. And then we had instructors. Who were nurse practitioners and I was like, why would anyone do that? I'm like, why now I'm a psych nurse practitioner and I love it. So it's so interesting just how you evolve and change over time, especially when you don't have the experience and you don't see the full picture on what everything is. So I love that question. I love to ask people that too, to see if they thought that's where they were going to be, because I am not. So what is something that you feel like you wish you would have known before going to nursing school, if anything? Um, I guess not really anything specific that I would have wanted to know. I don't really think there's anything. I think it's just like happened for me and I just went with the flow and I didn't, you know, like, I know some people are very like hard on themselves and I just tried not to be. So I wouldn't have wanted to know anything. You know what I mean? Like, I think it played out the way it played out and I'm okay with it, you know? Yeah. I think, I think one thing, and I don't know necessarily that it would be before starting nursing school or it would have impacted my decision in any way, but I think I wish I would have been kinder to myself and more compassionate, not so hard on myself, but I think I wish I would have been more open to understanding and knowing just how emotionally taxing it can be to be in that role when you're helping people in their most vulnerable moments and you're saving lives, how that can impact your mental health. Also, I wish I just would have known earlier on speak up and say something, you know, you need to take care of yourself and to connect with other people who are in a similar situation. And we talked about a little bit of that on your podcast too, where it's. making sure that we are speaking about how we're feeling so that we can work through those things and we're not stuffing them down and expecting that I should be able to handle this. Like, why am I having a hard time navigating this or dealing with this? you're human. So just, I think having that connection, I think would have been something like reach out, ask for help and tell someone how you're feeling, because it is a tough job. It is hard. So you're helping other people. You need to help yourself first too. So. Yeah, that's really important. I think a lot of times nurses are very, very hard on themselves and think that you're the only one feeling that way. You're definitely not like there are other nurses that are feeling the same way that you're feeling. You know, I've never been one that, um, Like I have developed some very close relationships with my patients over the year, but I've, I've always been one that can kind of separate. And I know that there are a lot of people that can't do that, but I think there are a lot of people that can't do that in general, no matter what field they work in, they go, they go home, they take it all with them. For me, I've always been kind of a, I'm going to leave it at the door kind of person like I know today was rough and I'm going to leave it, and I'm going to be all right, and I think, that's important for really anyone in any, any field to be able to separate your work from home and your personal life and stuff too. Yeah. For your mental health. Yes, yeah, for sure. And I think it sounds like you have a good awareness on your limits and what you do need and checking in with yourself too, so that's important. Yeah. Okay, so what advice would you give to someone who was considering going into nursing school? I would definitely say to anyone who is currently a nurse or going into nursing school, um, to always really be true to who you are. So, Nursing is going to challenge you. It's going to push you to your very, very limit, right? So just always be true to who you are. Like, if you feel like you're not on the right path, you're probably not. If you feel like you're being compromised or your morals or your values are being compromised, they probably are. And it's time for you to make a change. So, that's while you're in school, that's while you're working. Um, if you ever feel like it's not living up to your expectation. And I don't just mean it's hard. Nursing is hard. And it's hard no matter what fields you're in. But if you ever sit at night and you feel like your, your morals were compromised. Something's wrong. Yeah. And you need to re evaluate it. Um, and always give yourself grace too, like, like I said, nursing is very hard, so be gentle with yourself. Jen. Yes. I know. I know. Always give yourself grace and know that it's going to be challenging, um, but it's worth it. It's worth it. Yeah, I think that's very solid advice and definitely something that people need to hear and know and really take to heart, too. That's important, especially the morals and the being kind to yourself. Yes, for sure. Yeah. Okay, so I know you started your career not as a nurse, you were doing something completely different, and then you ended up being a nurse. Now, taking both of those things out of the equation, if you weren't either of those, what do you think you would have wanted to do or could have seen yourself doing for your career? Listen, girl, I have no idea. I thought about this, and I was like, I really don't know because I had started to go to school for business and I looked back on that and I was like, if I had gone through with that, like, what would I be doing? I haven't, I literally have no idea because I was a mom for so long before I really decided what career I wanted to do. And it was almost like, it was like pushed upon me. Like, hey, you got laid off from your job and now what are you going to do now? You have to find something, right? You have to figure out what you want to do with your life at 30 something. You know what I mean? So, uh, I really don't, I don't know where I'd be. I have no idea what I would be doing right now. Yeah. I have, I just, I, I have nothing. I have no idea. Nothing. You don't even know, like, what would be a dream job if you could have any job ever? Like, what would it be? Um. I have so many like side things that I love to do. Um, but I don't think that any of them are like dream jobs. I love doing the wedding planning kind of thing, but that wouldn't be a dream job because that would push you right back into the nights and weekends and all of that. Like your whole life would be taken up with that. So while I love to do that, I would love it if it only happened Monday through Friday from eight to five. So it wouldn't be, you know, it's, so it's not really a dream job. Um, I heard you say that you used to be a cashier. I loved cashiering. I loved that job. It was so like, I don't even know why it was my favorite job of all the jobs I've ever done in my life. Other than. It was my favorite job. Like I could just stand there, talk to everybody. I loved bringing out groceries. I was like the perfect bagger. Like I loved being a cashier. So I think probably when I'm old, I'll probably go back to being a cashier. That's awesome. So whenever they switched to self checkout, you weren't mad about it. My husband's like, are we doing self checkout? I'm like, yes, we are. I know some people are. Well, I was like, what is this mess? Like, what do you mean self checkout? Now? I love it. I think you just got to get used to it. I know how to bag everything. And I know how to like, like what you grab to ring to bag together. Like, I still remember the code on bananas is 4 Don't judge me. Go look at your bananas. Go look at your bananas. You're going to be like, holy crap, she's right. It's 4011. Okay, well maybe when we retire we'll be working at Giant Eagle together. I think that's a great idea. I loved that. It would be fun. I think it would be a good time. All right. Well, I so appreciate your time and coming on here. I'm so glad we finally did this. I hope we do this more because I love talking with you. So, um, as far as if anyone wants to connect with you, if they have any questions, is there anywhere that they can find you? Um, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm on Facebook. I'm on Instagram. Um, you can hit Jen up, ask her for my contact info. Yeah, anywhere. I'll put it in the show notes, too. I'll link your Facebook and your Instagram, too. So if anyone has any nursing questions or just whatever, they can be there. Okay? Yep. Awesome. Alright, thanks. Bye, guys. Thank you. Good night. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of landing imperfect. I truly appreciate you being a part of this community and sharing this journey with me. If you do want to connect further, then don't hesitate to follow me on Instagram at Jen dot Lander. I would love to hear your thoughts, any questions or any stories that you want to share. So, DME there, I also have a website. It's a landing and perfect website where I share a blog post about my podcast, and then you can join my email list. I have a PDF that provides anxiety and stress management tools that you can. And use as well when you join my email list. So check it out. My website will be linked in my show notes. So don't hesitate to reach out also this podcast is a personal project of mine. It's unrelated to the full-time work that I do for the company that I help treat eating disorders with. So while I do aim to provide professional and educational inspirational content here, It's important to understand that the podcast is not a substitute for professional treatment. So if you are someone that you know is struggling with any issues that I've discussed, please consider seeking the help by a qualified healthcare professional. And I'll be back with another episode next week. So stay tuned and continue to enjoy the journey of personal growth and empowerment. I can't wait to connect with you guys again and until then take care and remember that it's okay to embrace your imperfections. They make you the amazing. Amazing person that you are see you next week