Today, we're shining the spotlight on Steph Kamataris, RN.

She hails from Boston, MA and is sharing her non-traditional path to her nursing career. She shares the passions that led her to nursing, the nurse mentors she had as a student, how she dealt with impostor syndrome, and how following her heart has led her to pursue a Masters of Public Health degree.

What is your specialty and where are you based?

Cardiac icu, cath lab, occ health. Boston, MA

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

Before I went back to school to be a nurse I wanted to get a job in the hospital to be sure this was the career for me. I applied as a clinical care technician and began working in the cardiac ICU. From there I decided I loved cardiac and how all systems are affected when the heart isn't functioning properly. I work in the same unit I was a tech in and went on to work in the cath lab as well. Truthfully, I hated the cardiac system in nursing school! I thought there were too many things it affected in the body and there was so much to learn. Now, that's the reason why I enjoy it so much - there's still always something to learn!

Before working in your current role, what was your nursing career path?

I graduated college the first time with a BA in human services and rehab studies with a minor in marketing. It wasn't until second semester senior year when I thought about how I might want to be a nurse (this idea came about because my brother was in a terrible skiing accident [he's completely fine now!] but I was fascinated with everything in the room). I pushed the idea out of my head because at that point it was too late - I was graduating in two months. Fast forward a few years later I couldn't keep nursing school out of my mind so I retook classes that I needed a science lab for (I didn't take the labs in school to save money since they weren't required - funny how I ended up spending so much more!) and applied for school. While I was taking prereq classes I worked in the cardiac ICU as a tech full time, then transitioned to per diem while I was in the accelerated BSN program. After graduation I knew I wanted to work in an ICU so I applied to nurse residency programs in the Boston area. Thankfully, my current hospital had one and accepted me. I've been there ever since! I now split my time between the cardiac ICU, cath lab, and occupational health.

What current events in the nursing field are you most passionate about?

Nurse burnout is a huge passion of mine. This is something I (and a lot of nurses) have experienced, but is rarely talked about. I would love to have part of my career include work on nurse burnout and how to prevent/combat it. This idea has been something in the back of my mind for a long time!

Any self care or mental health tips for new nurses?

Yes! Take time off that first year! I know it's easy to "stack days" and not use any vacation time, but you really need some time off even if it's just to sit on your couch for a day and do nothing (it's not a waste of a day!). Also, don't feel guilty if you need to call out for a mental health day. You'd call out if you had a fever or the flu and your mental health is just as important! It's also helpful to find a positive way to decompress whether it's talking to your nurse mentor, other new nurses, or maybe you take a walk after work. Anything that can take your mind off work! Reading, traveling, a passion project, etc.

What's one must-have that gets you through the tough days?

I work with a great group of people. There is always someone to lend a helping hand or an ear for me to just explain how I'm feeling. It also helps to remember that nursing is a 24 hour job - if you can't get to everything, it's okay, just do what you can with what you have.

Ideally, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Ideally, I would be working at the bedside per diem and would be working in nurse education, specifically nurse burnout. I've always wanted to be a hands on educator working at the bedside, but I think my talents may be best used to help with nursing mental health. I'm trying to figure out a way I can make this happen!

What would you say is the single biggest challenge nurses face today?

I would say mental health only because it isn't talked about as much as some other nursing issues. In order to keep nurse longevity, this needs to be addressed. I feel that nurse mental health recognition from hospitals would go a long way in job satisfaction.

Did you/do you currently have any nursing mentors guiding you?

I had two preceptors when I first started in the ICU. One I would go to for everything and would vent to her, which was incredibly helpful in such a stressful environment. I didn't see either preceptor as mentors per se, but she did help guide me. I don't have a mentor now, however, I'd love to be a mentor to other nurses!

Given the opportunity to speak to yourself on Day 1 of nursing school, what advice would you give?

Don't feel like a fraud! Everyone in nursing school was so smart and motivated. You're smart too, you just need the motivation (the work load was a nice touch of motivation and I quickly got into gear!). Start early, don't procrastinate. Nursing school really taught me to get things done early and to study hard. On day 1 of nursing school I wouldn't have even dreamed that I would be going back to school (again) for my master of public health.