Nursing Uncharted Ep. 118: The Reality of Strike Nursing From the Front Lines

Have you ever wondered what it truly feels like walking into a hospital unit you've never seen before, with patients depending on you within hours of landing? Do you want a clear-eyed look at one of nursing's most sensitive topics, straight from someone who has lived it five times over? 

In this episode of Nursing Uncharted, host Ann sits down with Melisa, an ICU and NICU nurse turned strike assignment veteran, for an honest conversation about workforce disruptions. Melisa shares how she went from scrolling social media to boarding a flight in 48 hours, what it takes to earn trust on a unit that's never met you, and why she believes two seemingly opposite things can be true at once: strike nurses support staff nurses, and patients still come first. You'll walk away equipped to understand every side of the strike nursing experience, from the adrenaline of day one to the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. 

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Key Takeaways

• Building Confidence Fast: What it takes to walk into an unfamiliar unit and deliver safe, competent care immediately. 
• Supporting Both Sides: Why strike nurses and staff nurses share the same goal, even when the narrative says otherwise. 
• Emotional Preparation: How to stay flexible, patient, and self-aware through the unpredictability of a strike assignment. 

Chapters 

• 00:00 - Two things can be true: Setting the tone for a sensitive topic 
• 00:31 - Meet Melisa: NICU nurse and soon-to-be nurse practitioner 
• 04:12 - How travel nursing paved the way to her first strike 
• 09:43 - The chaos, camaraderie, and community of strike assignments 
• 13:36 - Why the work feels rewarding on multiple levels 
• 21:15 - Patient ratios, safety, and what nurses are really fighting for 
• 26:55 - Earning trust from unfamiliar providers under pressure 
• 34:06 - The emotional release when a strike finally ends
• 35:46 - Advice for nurses considering their first strike assignment 

Guest Spotlight

Meet our guest, Melisa, an ICU and NICU nurse who has completed five strike assignments while pursuing her nurse practitioner degree with a focus on postpartum care. Her firsthand experience navigating fast-paced, high-stakes environments, and her openness about the emotional complexity of strike nursing, offer valuable perspective for any nurse curious about this path. 

Ready to understand every angle of strike nursing? Subscribe to Nursing Uncharted and share this episode with a fellow nurse today! 

Apply for strike jobs with AMN Healthcare.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:03:01 This is a very highly emotional and sensitive topic.

00:00:03:01 - 00:00:20:17 And so people tend to feel like it's strike nurse versus staff nurse, and they kind of put the two sides against each other. But in my experience, I've never met a strike nurse who doesn't want the staff nurses to get what they want. And two things can be true. We very much we very, very much support the staff nurses.

00:00:31:19 - 00:00:50:21 Hey guys. Welcome back to another episode of Nursing Uncharted. It's your host, and I always say this I know probably everyone gets sick of hearing it, but I'm really excited for this episode one because I have someone who I consider a friend on this episode today. And two, we're talking about something that I really had a passion for.

00:00:50:23 - 00:01:16:01 It's something that is very sensitive in the nursing community. It's extremely relevant right now in the nursing community, and I'm sure some people can guess, but we're talking about strikes. So I wanted to have this episode, and this is from the nursing perspective. And I think it's important to have this perspective because we need to educate ourselves, including all sides of what a strike looks like.

00:01:16:01 - 00:01:39:14 So, you know, the intention of these episodes is not to persuade someone one way or another, but it's really to give every perspective of every side of what it looks like when a workforce disruption happens. And, you know, again, this is something that's very sensitive, but it's important because it's happening more so. And I think it's it's good to cover all of the angles.

00:01:39:14 - 00:02:03:02 So my guest today, Melisa, is not here to persuade you. I am not here to persuade you one way or another, but it's to talk about what this actually looks like and gain insight, what the challenges are, what these opportunities look like, and really what it feels like to be in the trenches during these times. So I appreciate Melisa being here, and I'm going to let her introduce

00:02:03:02 - 00:02:04:05 herself to you all.

00:02:04:05 - 00:02:27:04 Hi. Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for having me, and I'm excited to have this conversation. My name is Melisa. I am a nurse. I've been an ICU nurse from the beginning of my nursing career. I just knew right away that that's what I wanted to do. I was fortunate enough to get an experience while I was doing Mother Baby clinical to spend some time in the NICU, and I fell in love.

00:02:27:04 - 00:02:42:07 I was like, yes, this is it, I love this. So I've been doing it since the beginning of my career. Yeah, yeah. And you and I can bond on that. And I guess we can give a little bit of background of how we know each other. So we met each other during. It wasn't a strike, but it was something that was pretty similar.

00:02:42:08 - 00:03:00:09 I mean, I never really I accidentally worked a strike. I think I've mentioned that on a previous episode, but I never went through the whole process of what, you know, what that looks like. But what we did was kind of similar because we had to get in there, hit the ground running and, you know, do do a lot of work alongside nurses that weren't necessarily happy with us.

00:03:00:09 - 00:03:18:11 But that is beside the point. But I got to meet you along with, you know, I think what we're in a group text with like 20 of us. So yeah, so many, many of us. But it's just it's really awesome. And like, I just really appreciate your ability and willingness to be here. But, you know, I can consider you a friend.

00:03:18:11 - 00:03:43:14 So I appreciate you being here. And we are nurses. And, you know, there are definitely other areas that are also going through this, but we're going to get what it feels like to be in one of the most vulnerable areas of the hospital during these workforce disruptions. So I'm I'm excited. Yeah, definitely. Let's get into it. Yes. So, NICU nurse from the beginning just a little insight.

00:03:43:14 - 00:04:12:08 You're also, you know, advancing your career right now. Is that correct? Yes, I am in nurse practitioner school. I have just under a year left. Cannot wait. Yes. Exciting. That's so exciting. And you know something that we talked about in our first phone call together. Our first conversation together is, you know, as a as a travel nurse in general, the flexibility that it gives you to be able to pursue career advancements or other aspects of nursing or your career in general.

00:04:12:08 - 00:04:34:15 So do you think that working these strikes gives you even more flexibility when it comes to school? Almost certainly. I think just because of the difference in income that you may receive, and then the time frame, which is typically shorter, both of those things are very conducive to a grad school lifestyle. So definitely between traveling and doing strike assignments, it's super helpful.

00:04:34:19 - 00:04:53:12 Yeah, yeah. Is that like what got you into it? Like, how did you walk me through your, like, first we don't have to go through all the steps of the process of your first strike, right, right off the bat. But like, how did you hear about it? What did that like? How did you end up here? Yeah. So I ended up here by sheer sheer luck and curiosity.

00:04:53:13 - 00:05:09:06 I believe that I was scrolling a social media page and I saw, like, an ad for it or something, and I said, oh, let me just see what this is about. And then within two days, I was, you know, being told, hey, get on the flight. We're going here like we need support in this location. And I was like, two days.

00:05:09:07 - 00:05:26:02 Yeah, let me cancel my plans. Let me just make sure I can make this happen. And so I just showed up. The biggest thing I will mention with that process, though, however, is that I definitely have to be very self-aware and self evaluate my abilities to just say, okay. Am I able to just be thrown somewhere and just figure it out just in case?

00:05:26:02 - 00:05:40:02 There's no like, orientation? I didn't know what I was walking into at all. Yeah, and definitely when I got there, there was no kind of orientation or anything. You just you have to know what you know. You have to be very confident and very you have to be like, good a good assessor. You have to be a good nurse.

00:05:40:03 - 00:06:07:15 Yeah. So how long were you like a bedside nurse before you took that first strike assignment? So I was a bedside nurse for exactly 18 months, and then I took my first travel contract. It's typically in the NICU as a high, special, high acuity specialty. They require you to have two years before you start traveling. But my preceptors and the person, the people who I was working with when I was a staff nurse, they were like, no, you have this like go like be free.

00:06:07:15 - 00:06:27:21 And they encouraged me. And so I did my first travel assignment. And then after the first travel assignment is right after is when I did my first strike. So it was about two years as a as a NICU nurses when I did my first. Yeah, yeah yeah. And that's like I think about because I couldn't remember if you took a travel assignment and then went right into, right into like a strike assignment.

00:06:27:21 - 00:06:51:00 But I do think having travel under your belt probably prepares you a little bit more than, you know, someone just going straight from, you know, your staff, staff job to a strike just with that fast pace, you know, because even as a traveler, where, I mean, you're hitting the ground running basically. Yeah, most definitely. I would say that that first travel assignment was super helpful.

00:06:51:00 - 00:07:12:15 And like, you know, the short time frame and learning the ropes for a new facility because now I need to know where their code card is, where what their procedures are. And you just don't have the time to really learn like you would over a 13 week orientation with the bits, you know, the staff rule. So definitely that was a good like step in the door to like adjust my brain and get it moving a little bit faster.

00:07:12:17 - 00:07:32:15 Yeah, yeah. And we had I don't know if you listened to it yet before before recording this with me today, but we had one of the recruiters for strikes come on and walk through like what that process looked like. And, you know, from being in the group chat with you and all the other girls I hear about, like the chaos of what that looks like.

00:07:32:15 - 00:07:50:03 So when he was telling me what it actually was and like, this is pretty spot on from what you know, you girls have have told me and you're trying to find each other in the lobbies and, like, do all this stuff. So yeah, you know, it's just it seems it seems like a crazy, like a craziness, but also like a fun craziness too.

00:07:50:03 - 00:08:13:15 And then you get to know people like the fact that, you know, I was talking to someone. I didn't even tell you this, but I was talking to someone recently with, like, my new job that I, that I took and I think I even mentioned your name. And the girl was like, wait, that sounds familiar, because she also was like, had worked a couple of strikes and it's like a group of nurses that kind of do this together, which I think is is kind of cool too.

00:08:13:16 - 00:08:31:11 Yeah. If you work on enough strikes, you see the same nurses. Yeah, on rotation and you're like, oh, hey, I remember you. And you know, you get so you get to know friendly faces. Yeah. Which is awesome because once you go into a new environment, you kind of know how that nurse works and you already have a rapport, so it's kind of awesome.

00:08:31:12 - 00:08:53:06 Yeah. I mean, very valid point. And the strike that I ended up working, I was on a travel assignment, so that's why I say I accidentally worked it, but I was so impressed by the nurses that came in. I have I said this on, you know, the episode with the with the recruiter is like, I've never seen such competence right out the door.

00:08:53:07 - 00:09:13:20 Like the fact that you just are, are potentially given the sickest baby. You know, in our case, the sickest baby, the sickest patient and like, you know what to do and you're not complaining. Yeah. Like it's just it was so fascinating and really, really like, put faith back in me of like the nurses that we really do have across the country.

00:09:13:21 - 00:09:43:20 Like it's really incredible. Yeah. It's definitely a very special experience. Yeah, yeah. How many strikes have you worked do you even remember is that it's been a couple. So I would maybe five so far say wow. Yeah. It's been a it's definitely been like a year you know of these workforce disruptions. And you know it's I think it's gaining a lot of even outside of the nursing community, it's gaining a lot of attention from just everybody, you know, across the country.

00:09:43:21 - 00:10:02:16 And so that's why, like when I was brainstorming ideas, I really think this was something that I wanted to touch on because a lot of people don't want to talk about it because there's there's two sides. And, you know, we'll kind of dive more into that in a little bit. But, you know, I just again, I appreciate you being so vulnerable to come on here and do this with me.

00:10:02:20 - 00:10:21:05 But what is so getting back to your first, that first strike that you ended up working. You know what did like what did that feel like? I mean, in two days, you can't even really put a put your feelings in a bow on it. Like, how did you how did that work for you? It was so high stress.

00:10:21:06 - 00:10:38:10 It was high adrenaline, high stress, just high frequency overall. Like I said, I was alerted about 48 hours beforehand that I had a flight to get on and be ready. You're not aware of the facility beforehand, so it's not like you could do research and say, okay, what's what am I walking into? So you kind of just have to be ready to go.

00:10:38:10 - 00:10:54:03 So once I arrived and did my onboarding and things, I had a few hours or a night in the hotel to just kind of like get myself together. I personally just reviewed a few notes just because I was like, you know, I don't know, I'm going to get let me just review a few things I haven't seen in a while, you know?

00:10:54:05 - 00:11:15:00 And then just again, just I was very honest about my ability because once you walk onto the unit, managers are typically still there and they will ask, okay, who's okay with an XML patient who is okay with a feeder? Like, you know, they'll ask, you know, so that they know how to do the assignments. And then, you know, if you if you're not certified, you don't want to get an extra patient, you know.

00:11:15:00 - 00:11:33:02 So just definitely making sure that I was aware. But I'm going on to the unit for the first time was definitely very scary and stressful. But then after about an hour, it was like, I don't know how to be a nurse. This is this is all fine. Yeah. You have your skills to fall back on. And and you said this like in the very beginning, you you have to know yourself.

00:11:33:02 - 00:11:57:00 You have to know your skills and the feedback that you got from your preceptors. Like they they saw you were ready to, like, be on your own and bring your skill set and your knowledge to other facilities. And that's how I view traveling. Like I view it as you're going to share your knowledge from wherever you're at in the United States with another part, because as you know, it is very different depending everywhere is so different.

00:11:57:00 - 00:12:25:19 Yeah. And it's also very symbiotic relationship. It's really cool because you might be used to one thing and then you go somewhere else and you're like, wow, that's a really more efficient way to do it. I never, you know, I never seen that before. So you learn as you give and it's a really nice exchange. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just thinking about like how I would be like in the, in, like the hotels just like this lost like puppy like not knowing where to go, but, you know, it's it's nice to know that you're also surrounded by people that that could be their, their first time as well.

00:12:25:23 - 00:12:47:03 You know, that kind of gives you a little, a little, I don't know, able able to take that breath. And that night before getting your. Yeah. You know, collecting them all together. Yeah. Yeah. What what do you think. Like the one thing that stood out for for you from that strike. Like, do you remember that one, anything specifically about that or you know, what you gained from it or why it pushed you to do more?

00:12:47:05 - 00:13:03:20 My very first strike, the thing that I remember the most is just how seamless it was. It was genuinely so seamless, and I was just expecting so much more chaos, just cause I didn't know what I was walking into. And I was like, oh no, I could definitely do this again. This is like, wonderful. And then at the end of the day, the nurses got what they wanted.

00:13:03:20 - 00:13:17:23 So I was like, yeah, this is a win win. I love this. So yeah. Yeah. And that's and you know, again, when I say this is a sensitive topic, you know, we'll again, we'll get into this. Don't want to get ahead of myself but just it's a win win. Like you say like you're able to get in there.

00:13:17:23 - 00:13:36:12 You learn you share your knowledge, you meet different people. You get to see what different how different units act and how what they use and like you can bring that back to your your own practice, but you're also there to help the nurses who are fighting for what they want and what they deserve, get what they deserve, which is which is rewarding.

00:13:36:12 - 00:13:56:19 And, you know, I don't even think we kind of talked about that the first time we spoke, that it's rewarding in a couple of ways for you. Yes. Yes, definitely. I always, you know, consider the patients and their safety. But I also consider the nurses. I used to be a staff nurse, too, and I felt very underappreciated. And so I understand what they're experiencing and I very much support them.

00:13:56:20 - 00:14:17:21 So yeah. Yeah, yeah. Do you think like the process of the strikes gets easier? Do you think that they it just really depends on on the facility and the size. I mean I guess there's just so many variables that change. Yeah. I don't think the process necessarily gets easier. I think each facility has their own organization or lack thereof.

00:14:17:22 - 00:14:37:01 So that can help or hurt how you matriculate in during a strike. But yeah, I don't think it gets any easier. Every facility is just different. So you just adapt differently. But it works out. Yeah, yeah, I guess you get a little bit more comfortable and confident in yourself versus with process, because the process can be very different.

00:14:37:03 - 00:14:57:00 Something that it's funny because I'm just like glancing over at my notes and something was like, what do you research about the facility? But you just said you don't know where you're going. No, you don't know until you're like, there. Yeah. And that's so I was thinking, I'm like, how do you not know? And then I was like, you know, researching the the strikes recently and was like, oh, can I sign up for one?

00:14:57:00 - 00:15:18:08 And then I accidentally signed up for one of the hospital that I was working for. And I'm like, yeah, because they named them, you know, different out of safety. Yeah. Right. Exactly. So it is a safety concern first and foremost. So I think that helps with like keeping it as seamless and things like that. You don't want to have any extraneous forces like, you know, disturbing anything.

00:15:18:08 - 00:15:43:22 So definitely yeah, they try to keep it as secretive as possible, but then you'll have people leak things on social media. Social media has changed things, but for the most part, we don't know what we don't know until we know it. So yeah. Yeah. And like what, you know, with that availability for I'm thinking about like the, the girl group and I'm actually thinking about Jasmine not to call her out, but like, you know, how she just like, she's a hustler.

00:15:43:23 - 00:15:59:10 I mean, I think she has, like, a couple per diem, and, you know, you have to you have to really have the flexibility. Because if you sign up for this, I know that that can be frustrating to like. You sign up for it. And then it's like, well, no, I can't go. I have to, I have to work my job, you know?

00:15:59:11 - 00:16:24:07 So yeah, there is there is some things that you have to know for yourself and for the commitments that you have at the other hospitals. But, you know, it does give you a lot of flexibility. Yeah. I will say also, in my personal experience, I don't have any children and I'm single. So it does help a lot as though so so I know it can be difficult.

00:16:24:07 - 00:16:45:00 But we do have nurses who have families husband, they have their taking care of their mom or you know, we have that as well, but it's just a little bit more difficult. I think that they put contingencies in place for when strikes do come out and those cases. But if you are a single nurse and you don't have any like full on responsibilities at home, definitely it's super it's super, super flexible.

00:16:45:00 - 00:17:20:01 You just got to go roll with it. Yeah. I think, you know, again, we're not like wanting to persuade anybody to do this, you know, because it does come with the challenges on the other side. And it can be like an internal conflict of how you feel about situations. But, you know, it's it's the things that I'm getting from what you're saying, because you're teaching me a lot, is that you have to be confident in your skills and you have to you have to know a lot about yourself as a person, how you handle stress, how you can handle chaos because sometimes it can be chaotic and then, you know, just, you know, really be

00:17:20:01 - 00:17:43:12 honest and transparent about your skills. Because I think that in the in social media, in the general media, that's one of the biggest contentions that comes up when there is an active workforce disruption going on. And that's what you hear about in the news. And that's what gives this whole process such a bad name. I don't know if you know what I'm what I'm getting at is just like that.

00:17:43:13 - 00:18:03:10 Oh, yeah, I hear you. Yeah, I hear you. That people show up. Yeah, yeah, I think I, I don't know if I've just been fortunate, but I'm not really come across many nurses who don't know what they're doing. So yeah, it is definitely something you see across social media where it's like, oh, this person just saw a price tag and they just wanted to, you know, quick.

00:18:03:10 - 00:18:26:11 But it's not that's not the case all the time. Well, and I think like our patient population is a lot different to you. I think NICU nurses really love their patients and really understand the skill set that is required when it comes to a baby. And you can't really yeah, you can't really fake it in the NICU realm because Nikki nurses will spot you out real quick.

00:18:26:13 - 00:18:45:15 Yeah. And then because we have our patients for so long, the parents as well will spot you out because the parents, they've been there, they've been involved. And they know, you know, they know their their babies care. And so yeah, it's definitely a different role than the NICU. And even just bringing up the parents, that's a whole nother part of the strike where you want the parents to feel very, very secure.

00:18:45:15 - 00:19:03:21 You do not want the parents to feel overwhelmed or scared by any means. So even coming in as a work disruption nurse, I make it my duty to like over like not coddle, but like, you know, comfort the parents and make sure that they know, hey, I'm competent, I'm good. Your baby will be good. Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay.

00:19:03:22 - 00:19:19:15 The nurses who are out, you know, fighting for what they need, they're they're still great. Don't worry. Like, this is all. We're all together. We're all working together. I just, you know, just to make them feel better. Because sometimes, I mean, if I was a parent, I had to be stressed, like, wait, what's what's happening? You know, so it's definitely.

00:19:19:16 - 00:19:36:21 Yeah, you just gave me the chills saying that because it's it's definitely something that I've felt because I have been on now both sides of what it, what a, what a strike looks like. And sometimes you'll get feedback from the parents that's like, we're so happy you're back. We were so scared. But then sometimes you'll be like, nurses were great.

00:19:36:22 - 00:19:59:03 Like, yeah, you want them to come back? Like what's what's going on? But you know, it is. You almost have to go a little bit over what you would be used to doing. You know, in our case, it's the parents, which I think parents and babies in our world are like 50, 50. Sometimes parents require even more than 50 than the babies do.

00:19:59:05 - 00:20:26:13 Yeah, that that can switch a little bit. But that that goes over to anybody, you know, anyone that has a loved one in the hospital. No one wants to be in the hospital. No one wants their loved one to be in the hospital. So the nurses that are coming in is the, you know, the replacement work. You know, replacement workers have to really understand that this is an emotional time not only for the nurses, the employees, the faculty of the hospital, but also for the patients and their loved ones.

00:20:26:13 - 00:20:33:14 So you brought up a really good and I love that you gave me the chills. It like kind of was like.

00:20:33:16 - 00:20:54:06 You know, because I think, I think at the end of the day and you said this a lot in our first conversation was that the patient comes first. You know, why, why, why are we there? Why do these things happen? You know, and you like it's you think like the media is always like, oh, selfishness, whatever, blah blah blah, whatever word they're going to use.

00:20:54:06 - 00:21:15:14 But it's so the patients get safe care and I hate that. That's something lost. So can you speak on that a little bit. Like how does that go into like why you've wanted to, to to do this for so long. Yeah definitely. So sometimes I am able to see some of the, the interests of the nurses when they are going on strike.

00:21:15:14 - 00:21:29:14 And a lot of times, you know, it's like patient ratios as a concern. And so for us in the NICU, I know that a lot of times, I don't know if you've experienced this, but a lot of times in like travel assignments, you might get like for patients. And typically for us a good ratio is 1 to 1 or 1 to 2.

00:21:29:15 - 00:21:53:01 It's an ICU setting, you know. And so definitely when I see those things, when I'm going into the assignments, I'm like, okay, well I can see what they I can see why they're striking. So I definitely want them to get what they deserve. And definitely making sure that the patient have the best opportunities to thrive and have a safe environment which will be, you know, having those safe ratios and making sure that, you know, security is around in the case where there's a disgruntled parent or things like that.

00:21:53:01 - 00:22:10:16 So definitely there, there there are things that we see and process that need to be improved. And we just definitely want that for the nurses. Yeah. You're bringing of so many things that I don't even think of because and I and I've traveled like I feel like I've traveled. I mean, I kind of got stuck in California because I'm, I love it so much.

00:22:10:17 - 00:22:35:11 But, you know, the whole security aspect of things to, you know, not really necessarily as much in our world, but just in the adult population, like what that looks like. And, you know, that could be something that the that the nurses are fighting for, you know, to feel safe, you know, and to have. And I do think I've been lucky to see the signs over the hospital that's like, this is a this is a non-negotiable.

00:22:35:16 - 00:23:08:01 There is no harassment tolerated towards, you know, health care workers of any kind. But I bet there are places that that's not something that's really kept to a high level. Yeah, definitely. I would say probably, you know, more so in like the Ed, the emergency room population or even like psychiatric populations and stuff. That's definitely something that I've seen as a repetitive theme, where they need a bit more security force and making sure that our nurses are protected and not being, you know, assaulted and things like that.

00:23:08:02 - 00:23:25:22 Yeah. You know, and this is so good. Like, I think that we've we've actually gone a little bit deeper than what I was even thinking. We, we would, you know, we're I feel like and I hate to say this, but, you know, one of the things that everyone says is, oh, the nurses are just greedy and they want more money, you know, and it's like, oh, that's not I mean, is that a part of it?

00:23:25:23 - 00:23:47:09 Probably. But as, as it should I mean, nurses and teachers are some of the hardest working careers out there, and it's forgotten about sometimes. And the world is expensive right now. Like we all have to be able to live. And where I live in San Diego, there are nurses that have to have roommates because they can't afford to live.

00:23:47:10 - 00:24:04:14 So these are even though this isn't something that we want to be like, oh, they're doing this for more money. It is something that is important. I'm sure teachers do the same thing. Teachers belong to unions that can fight for their rights as well. But there are so many and I'm so happy you brought them up, Melisa. Like, I really am.

00:24:04:15 - 00:24:33:14 Like the fact of like, safety, not just safe safety for patients, obviously 100%, but safety for the nurses having adequate staff. Meaning security, meaning like even ancillary help, you know, just hospitals can't function. I worked in a hospital where, you know, the environmental services department went on strike and it fell apart. Yes. Could you imagine? I can, because I was there.

00:24:33:16 - 00:24:55:21 It was awful. It was awful, you know. And that's the thing is that hospitals function with every single person. And, you know, we always say, okay, nurses, you know, are at the top, which they are. But honestly, every piece, every person is a piece of the puzzle and the whole, you know, success of a health care facility. Definitely.

00:24:55:22 - 00:25:17:06 And you sometimes can take it for granted once you see it's missing. Now you're taking out dealing with the environmental stuff in. You're like, oh, that was so helpful when they were here. And now, you know. So yeah, just as simple as your break room trash being taken out. Where does it go? So, you know, getting into like, what this is look like for you and, you know, getting to advice for nurses.

00:25:17:06 - 00:25:39:13 We've we've touched on a lot of things. But what like if you think back over the five the five assignments that you've worked, what is one thing that stands out for you, good or bad? Like what is what is that one thing that you're like, gosh, this will be something I'll never forget happened? Yeah, I've had experiences where sometimes you may get a little pushback from the staff.

00:25:39:13 - 00:26:01:05 So like maybe the doctors, nurse practitioners or Pas who are staff to the hospital and it's just simply because they don't know you. Right? So when you're staff to a hospital, they know how you work, they know your work ethic. They they know that you can you have a critical thinking ability. But when they're meeting you for the first time, you know, they're second guessing everything, which, you know, rightfully so.

00:26:01:07 - 00:26:21:04 And so, you know, I've been in situations where you might see your patient decompensated or your patient going through something and you're escalating it to RT or escalating it to the doctor and they're like, nah, they're not really taking you seriously, and you just really have to put your foot down. You have to be so firm and say, listen, this is this is my patient.

00:26:21:04 - 00:26:37:18 I've been here for 12 or 10 hours and this is what I know, and this is what needs to happen. And you just kind of have to hold firm because they will tell you no, and you just have to present them. Whether you got to bring an evidence based article, you know, or something, you have to like, let them know, yeah, this patient needs an intervention and then stick with it.

00:26:37:18 - 00:26:55:20 And then, you know, typically once they realize that it's for the benefit of the patient, they will become amenable and they'll realize, okay, you know, she she knows what she's doing. But sometimes that first interaction can be a little rough because they just don't know you and they're feeling you out. Yeah. So that's something I always think. Yeah.

00:26:55:21 - 00:27:14:21 And that, you know, that just goes back to that whole thing is being confident in your skills and not doing not not you have to feel comfortable before you take that leap into traveling into work disruption assignments. You have to be confident in your skills. And that is that is always my big biggest piece of advice is you.

00:27:14:22 - 00:27:35:12 When you get in these situations, sometimes your alone will and you can't rely on anyone and you and you have to know your stuff. You know you have to people to rely on that education and your experience to fall back on. And also arguing with a provider. No one is going to encourage arguing with the provider. No, no, no.

00:27:35:15 - 00:27:56:08 But in these situations, if you know, because again, the patient in our case, the baby comes first and we are their voice. You know, that is yeah, that is who we are. And we have to be able to have those difficult conversations and ask why, you know, and no, no provider likes to be challenged. And that is just yeah, that is just what it is.

00:27:56:09 - 00:28:16:05 But but it's coming from a good place. And yeah, you know what? What happens when you don't listen or they don't listen. Right, exactly. So definitely like if you get an order that's questionable, it's okay to question it. It's okay to get more information. Try to figure out where their headspace is at. Because also I don't think we mentioned it yet when it comes to these strike assignments.

00:28:16:05 - 00:28:40:19 Typically we are a bit sleep deprived. We're working every single day for 6 or 7 days in a row, and that's with the physicians that we're all working constantly during this time, so it can be heightened emotions or not. Some people are not eating, you know, it's just a different kind of environment. So you have to be considerate of, you know, maybe they're not typically so touchy, but, you know, you just have to like, work with them and keep it professional.

00:28:40:19 - 00:28:54:15 But just, you know, stay firm with what you need to and just kind of be aware of the environment that we're in. Yeah. And that's a good point. It's not just the the nurses that are, you know, working long days because, you know, it's not just being at the bedside. You're like, what's 12 hours? How is that different?

00:28:54:15 - 00:29:13:15 But you're waking up early to travel together, maybe sometimes from an over an hour away. So you're, you know, it's a lot it's a lot of a lot of work. And it makes me think of when I was on that assignment and the girls were like, I was just so grateful for them. And I worked as like a team lead in when the strike happened.

00:29:13:20 - 00:29:35:01 And I was like, what? What do you guys need? And they're like, real food. And I'm like, I was fresh, like, I don't want a pizza, I don't want this. And I was like, do you guys want bag salad? And they were like, yes, yes, literally. Yeah. I went to the store and I'm like, and I'm thinking, I'm like, how can you not get bag salad?

00:29:35:04 - 00:29:57:03 Like, because we get on a bus and we don't get home until 11:00 and there's nothing open. We're not supposed to leave, you know? And I'm like, I got you guys like. And I brought bag salad. And they were so excited to not have to eat something processed, like, where were you at my last assignment? Because I really the one thing we were begging for was just some fruit.

00:29:57:03 - 00:30:13:19 Because exactly. Like, we're getting up at 4 a.m. and we're not getting home until 10 p.m., so it's like every single day. So we're not really unless we like, you know, do like a delivery order or something. But even then we're probably not getting something fresh. And, you know, that's something we take for granted as well. But yeah, love that for you.

00:30:14:00 - 00:30:33:16 It just it was so funny. And I'm like, man, a bag salad. And in fact salads get so much, you know, wrap. And I'm like, this was a life changing for these girls. And I've been working eight days straight like it was, you know, it's just it's funny and like, you know, and both sides of it too. Like, I love that you say you've been saying such amazing things that I didn't even think of.

00:30:33:17 - 00:31:00:20 It's the entire team is stressed, everyone you know. And so it's about working together, understanding that everyone is in kind of the same, same shoes. The managers, they're not out there. They're in there having to, you know, make sure everything's still functions. And, you know, just being able to take the emotion out of it as much as you can and just make sure that we're there to do to do a job, you know, and make sure that these babies in our case are safe.

00:31:00:22 - 00:31:22:11 Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Something like we kind of touched on it a little bit, but I love that you say like the the two things can be true at the same time. Yeah. Yeah. That is that is my signature statement because I love that a lot. Yeah. So I always say that two things can be true. As you mentioned a few times,

00:31:22:11 - 00:31:25:12 this is a very highly emotional and sensitive topic.

00:31:25:12 - 00:31:43:01 And so people tend to feel like it's strike nurse versus staff nurse, and they kind of put the two sides against each other. But in my experience, I've never met a strike nurse who doesn't want the staff nurses to get what they want. And two things can be true. We very much we very, very much support the staff nurses.

00:31:43:04 - 00:31:56:05 We want them to have safe ratios. We want them to get better. A lot of times they want better health insurance. And, you know, they have families and they have things that they want, goals they want to achieve and things they want to take care of. 100%. True. But also it's 100% true that we want the patient safe.

00:31:56:05 - 00:32:10:20 So two things can be true. And we try to support both sides as best we can. And the way that we when we come in to these disruptions, that's our way of supporting. We are making sure the patients are safe and making sure that the staff can be outside picketing because of or not there. They can't be out there for themselves, you know?

00:32:10:21 - 00:32:32:09 So we two things can be true. We won't both. We love the staff. We love the staff. We really do. I love I love that and that's that's something again, like just your vulnerability to say to say that and put yourself out there and just knowing I care. I care about everything you know, and everyone is benefiting from this situation in a way.

00:32:32:09 - 00:32:52:12 And I know that's kind of crappy to say, but like, you know, it might not just be a monetary thing. It's it's experience. It's growth. It's, you know, something to add to the resume, the flexibility. So you can go to school to, to do what you ultimately want to do. You know, it allows, allows for these opportunities that otherwise may not may not be the case, which, you know, I just love that.

00:32:52:12 - 00:33:13:03 And I love I love that you literally can be conflicted within yourself. And both things be true. Yes, yes, I live in in my truth. Yeah. Your opposite truth that are still true, I love it. It's the most confusing thing. And the fact that you're going into psych, right? Isn't that what your NP. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I actually am going to do a focus on like postpartum work.

00:33:13:03 - 00:33:31:04 So just dealing with the NICU world. Yeah. Postpartum parents. And there's been a lot of things recently in the media that have definitely pushed me that way as well. And I just want to definitely make a change where that's concerned. I love that, but it just it really speaks to your awareness of your emotions and everything. You know, this is it's going to be a good fit for you.

00:33:31:04 - 00:33:53:01 I'm I'm excited. So yeah. Thank you. I'm proud of you. You know, the little the little bit of time we spent together, our two weeks together. You know, I just you you learn a lot and even, you know, speaking to the to the strikes, the eight days, five days, three days. You really like you're like in a relationship, like right away, you know, and you just don't know.

00:33:53:03 - 00:33:56:10 Which is I love that, you know, that's just the type of person I am. So

00:33:56:10 - 00:34:06:12 I actually want to touch on what it's like emotionally after like what does it feel like when you leave the nurses come back, you know, your job is done.

00:34:06:13 - 00:34:11:09 You wipe your hands and you walk away. What do you that has to feel weird?

00:34:11:10 - 00:34:29:14 Yeah, I think it depends on the length of a strike. So I think sometimes strikes can be. I've seen one day strikes, three day strikes, one week strike. So that little short time frame is not as much of a release, but for an open ended strike like I participated in, I was on strike for over two months.

00:34:29:14 - 00:34:50:02 Something like that. Yeah, super cathartic to be done. You feel like you can breathe. It's like a release. It's like, okay, the nurses are back. Things have been for them. Like, you feel proud in a sense. I don't know if that's the word I want here, but you feel like satisfied. You feel like, okay, this has been accomplished, I feel good, my work is done now.

00:34:50:02 - 00:35:08:05 I'm going to sleep for two days. Time to go. So. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. And like, you know, I think it's important for self self-help too. You know, just like being aware of how you're feeling and knowing that it's okay. Like, you know, I always hate like and these are the friends that are no longer in my life where they're like, well, you chose to do it.

00:35:08:05 - 00:35:27:08 Or like, how hard can it be? You know, they're those are not the people you want in your life. Listeners. Okay. Just so you know, as a nurse, we give a lot. So we need someone who and people who will refill our cup because it can be depleting. Yes. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. So okay, so to wrap this up we've been chatting about this.

00:35:27:08 - 00:35:46:11 I appreciate your honesty and just a lot of these things that you brought up that didn't even I didn't even think we would go there, which I love. But someone who is listening this obviously we people are listening being like, okay, either love this, hate it, confused about it, whatever. Now we're going to educate and they're going to know all sides.

00:35:46:11 - 00:36:13:14 What is one piece of advice you can give to someone who may be thinking about doing this for the first time? The one thing I would say that's left is probably just to be like, patient with the process if you are interested, because a lot of it is very, very last minute. It's not something where if you're a nurse who likes to have structure and things in order and lined up and this is planned for this week, this is not that scenario.

00:36:13:18 - 00:36:33:18 Things change fleetingly. You might have a flight on a Sunday and then they change it to a Wednesday. You just have to be prepared. So I would say being patient with the process, things are ever changing. The nurses in the union are constantly in negotiations. So what you may know on Monday might not be true on Wednesday. You just have to stay up to date and just be flexible.

00:36:33:18 - 00:36:49:17 You have to. That's where be flexible. Be willing to just go with the flow and don't be, you know, don't stress out your recruiter. Don't just be super. You know, I want this, I want this, I want this formation because they don't have it either. You know, they're also looking and it's just a very fluid situation. So definitely I would say be patient.

00:36:49:17 - 00:37:07:10 If you're someone who can be that way, adaptable then definitely. But also again, be aware of yourself. If you know that you're a nurse that needs your schedule six weeks in advance. Yeah. You know, just be aware of yourself because this is not going to work. You got to be able to just go with the flow.

00:37:07:12 - 00:37:08:12 Yeah. Yeah.

00:37:08:13 - 00:37:19:08 Well I love that. Thank you so, so much. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, I'm just so happy that I met you, along with all the other girls that I met on that crazy, fun, interesting assignment

00:37:19:10 - 00:37:21:00 work together. And yeah,

00:37:21:05 - 00:37:29:03 yeah, it brought some insight for sure on many levels. And you know, I just good luck with every with everything.

00:37:29:15 - 00:37:37:12 you're at the very end and I'm excited for your future. Thank you so much. I'm excited to. It was I'm so happy to have met you. It was such a good time.

00:37:37:12 - 00:37:38:05