In The Field: Spotlight on Danielle Smith, BSN, RN, CCRN

Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Danielle Smith, a critical care nurse who’s using raising her voice for change. Based out of Florida and a travel nurse, Danielle is raising awareness about fighting COVID on the frontlines, racial injustice, and everything in between. She’s sharing why she wanted to become a CCRN and sharing invaluable advice for new nurses. Read on for a taste of her enthusiasm!

What is your specialty and where are you based?

I am a certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and am currently embarking in travel nursing, but I originally worked full time in Orlando, FL.

True or False: Nurses eat their young.

False, I’ve had the opportunity to work in a setting which includes nurses of all ages and experience levels. Throughout my experience in the nursing field, I have been supported by my colleagues and have collaborated in ways to help enhance my clinical progression.

How did you choose your specialty? What drew you to it?

I decided to pursue becoming a critical care registered nurse because I wanted to use my knowledge its full capacity. I loved the idea of knowing every detail of care that is being provided for our patients and having that feeling of gratitude knowing that I’ve made a difference in that person’s, or family’s, life.

Any self-care or mental health tips for new nurses?

Bedside nursing can be very draining mentally, physically and emotionally. You give your all to provide the best care to your patients and sometimes that could be taken for granted. So the most important thing is to take care of your mental and physical health. As a new nurse, it is very easy to guilt trip yourself into always saying “yes”, but saying “no” is also a good thing. You need to know when to take a break and indulge into self-care activities because you will get easily burnt out. Find out what makes you happy and indulge in those activities on your off days. Lastly, try not to “bring work home” with you; when you get home, decompress and do something that would help you to release your mind from your long day.