Mina, a pleasure to meet you! Can you tell us more about you?
I’m a nurse by accident, that is, I never planned to be a nurse. Growing up in Nepal meant that my career decisions waited until I got to New York in the early 2000s.
Business Management was an attractive choice, seeming to offer lucrative opportunities in California where I settled. While I was waiting for my acceptance to college, I took some healthcare classes. Suddenly, I had clarity, that nursing was it!
People ask me why I didn’t go for nursing in the first place. I don’t have an answer, rather I’ve got the same question.
Right out of school in 2012 I started out in a nursing home. Seeing the lifecycle was bluntly depressing. It is sad to see the elders being disrespected then moving on. In long term care it was easy for your mind to start being consumed with end of life fears all day which started driving me a bit crazy. I took on a temporary assignment in the mother-baby unit, a 360 degree turn from the last quarter of life, to beginning of life. L & D and mother baby units are delightful and warm. Parents are grateful, and I was just plain happy.
Every day in nursing we make a difference, what was a day you felt you marked as special?
In nursing we must expect the unknown. You can never predict your shift, that’s what adds the suspenseful factor to the job, keeping you on your toes. Working in mother baby is not like ER or ICU where it is literally roller coaster curves at every given moment. Still, there are those moments. I won’t forget the time as a new nurse in the L & D when a healthy patient was delivering with no complications abruptly went into cardiac arrest. By acting quick, I was able to save the mother and baby, it felt like an infinite endeavor where I was truly able to touch a life, save a baby and a mother from the worst.
At the current time, I work on an L & D floor servicing a bulk of high-risk patient clientele. You need to keep a watchful eye, have your knowledge at the forefront, and be prepared and vigilant for everything to run smoothly.
What do you love doing in your spare time to refresh after a hard day?
I love to travel! I have visited many Asian countries throughout the years. Observing different cultures is fascinating! Spending time with family and friends helps keep you young and fresh to make everything be great, especially when that equation involves food!!
What is a challenging aspect of working on the L&D or mother baby unit?
It is very painful to see a parent losing a child! Somehow, when you work in long term care you sometimes see death, but it’s different. Sort of, you expect it. The life cycle is natural when it happens. Seeing the hope of infancy not making it is sad. They never saw the world.
What is a message you would love to impart to more nurses?
White Glove recruiters are so dedicated to your needs, and extraordinary fast paced! Join them and you’ll love your job!
