Kimberly J. Cole is a clinical nurse specialist from California; she shares with us her best/worst day as a nurse and gives honest self-care advice.

Q: TRUE or FALSE “Nurses eat their young.” 

A: TRUE.

Q: What is your specialty and where are you based? 

A: Clinical Nurse Specialist - Adult Med/Surgical - Northern California

Q: Any self care or mental health tips for new nurses? 

A: Have fun! Laugh hard and don't be afraid to cry. We can't leave our work at work - because that's why we do what we do - but always try to debrief to relieve your burning questions/concerns - sometimes just asking if you could have done something different eases a lot of anxiety. Find a mentor - a nice one!!

Q: What was your best day as a nurse? Worst? What did you learn from either? 

A: My best day as a nurse was approximately 21 years ago. We are a level II trauma center, and a patient (late teens) and her "friend" were in a MVA - she broke her back and he (her “friend”), had a severe brain injury that he could not survive. She was on strict bed rest until surgery, and her friend (who was later known as her boyfriend) was about to be removed from life support. I was with her when she learned of his prognosis and the plan to remove him from life support. She wanted to say goodbye and her mother didn't think that was wise. In my heart, I knew this young girl needed to say goodbye to this young man, and I explained why this was important to her mother. We transported this girl on a gurney and placed her so she could be near him and she said her goodbyes. We were all sobbing before this was over. Our administration received a letter from this girl's mother thanking me for taking the time to holistically care for her daughter, to which she said, "she knew my daughter better than I did, and I will always be thankful she was her nurse." This is why I do what I do - it's the little things that sometimes are the most important to the patient. I learned to listen with my heart.