Pamela D. Gorgone, BSN, RN, CNOR
CCI Board Member
As we all know the average age of the perioperative nurse is between 47 and 48, we also hear that 50 is the new 30 (I’m sincerely not convinced of this, at least my body is not!!) and lets face it, not to many of us will retire at the ages our parents did. In addition to this, we as nurses are committed to life long learning right?......So with all this in mind, maybe some of you might consider doing what I have done – returning to school in the second half of your life!!!
Yes this may sound a bit daunting and scary and quite frankly it was just that in the beginning, but these feelings were soon surpassed by eye opening experiences, knowledge gained as well as shared and the realization of the many possibilities and opportunities that are awaiting us if we choose to go through the doors of learning.
My story began as a result of becoming involved at work with additional responsibilities besides direct patient care. I have always been passionate about certification and wanted to increase the number of certified nurse’s in our OR. I was empowered by my leadership to organize a review course for the CNOR exam and so began my project management side job. I was also involved with the hospital wide Staff Nurse Council and became politically active with nursing issues at the state house. I was designated a Magnet Champion for the perioperative area as we went on our Journey to Magnet Status. Through all of this I realized I enjoyed being able to guide and influence the delivery of high quality, safe patient care at a different level….through influencing the nurses delivering this care. This realization that led me to the idea of going back to school to gain more tools to work with to become even more effective at my new found passion.
It just so happened that my husband of only 4 years was also at a similar juncture. So off we went, a 47 and 54 year old enrolled in a Masters in Nursing Administration program at the university down the street from the hospital where we both worked as perioperative nurses.
If the idea of going back to school after 22 and 34 years respectively wasn’t enough to scare us, the fact that our acceptance into the program was contingent on getting at least a B in statistics (neither of us had ever taken this) was looming over our heads that first semester!! To this, add another course and continue to work full time…..hummmm…..crazy? yes! Challenged? yes! Happy? well lets not get to carried away? Ok…. Yes!!
Graduate school is nothing like your basic nursing education. First of all you are a valued and respected colleague by both your fellow students and your professors. Classes become the grounds for sharing professional experiences, assigned readings and current literature. We found that what we were learning could most times be put to use in our present practice, and school projects became a venue for solving work issues. It seemed to be a win win situation for both the institution and us.
As I begin my final semester and look forward to graduating in May I remember what
someone said to me when I first spoke of going back to school ….”you can take on going back to school and four years from now you will have a degree or, you don’t go back to school and those same four years will still pass by… and no degree”. Yes, the time not only passed by but flew by and I cannot begin to explain the growth that has taken place for both my husband and I. The realization that anything is possible with hard work and desire and the ability to really make a difference are the rewards we have gained. Time will tell what the next step will be in this adventure.
In closing this blog my advice based on my experience is make sure you are ready to go back to school, it is a big commitment…keep your mind open, be positive and be sure to maintain some balance in your life.
