Today is an exciting new beginning for me and my online radio talk show, Once a Nurse, Always a Nurse: Exploring the World of Nursing. As many of you know, I started the show 2 years ago on a whim, with no concept of what this was all about and NO experience in live media. That first show was heard by 64 souls in 4 countries. What I KNEW I wanted to do was to excite nurses in specifics and everyone in general about the phenomenal career that nursing provides.
I wanted people who never considered nursing to think again and check it out (especially people of color, who may not have seen themselves in this role or without the means to make it happen). Many nurses who have been in nursing for a while, who may be experiencing burnout or bullying and thinking that they would need to completely leave nursing to find satisfaction and fulfillment in their lives. I wanted them to think again, realizing the incredible variety of ways to be a nurse and contribute to the world. I also wanted to inspire and encourage nurses who left nursing for whatever reasons, to think again and realize that they truly can return to nursing with excellent refresher courses and orientation to the new world of nursing and entrepreneurship.
These were all thoughts and goals that somehow came to fruition by following my passion and insatiable curiosity about nurses and the roles they fill. Apparently, others have heard my thoughts and have shared them. The show is now at 84,000 listeners in 60+ countries and growing every week.
All of this encouragement has fueled my goals and dreams to see what else can be accomplished when people are realizing their passions and working as mission—not just job or career—to make a lasting change in the world through their united efforts. I had hardly dared to imagine helping individuals to get into nursing by helping to surmount the cost, obstacles of training and staying in nursing, through scholarships and mentors. I am now clear that the 4 million nurses in the USA and who knows how many millions in all the other countries, working together to model intelligent, passionate, caring, imaginative, intuitive leaders of healthcare, but even of leading the world.
All of this to say that I am now launching a new look for Once a Nurse and a vision of inclusiveness for all who want to contribute to healthcare, nurses and nursing and meeting the needs of the world by listening and being re-inspired by one another. I will open opportunities for people in related or support fields to healthcare to be able to sponsor and contribute to the success of nurses and other healthcare fields.