93 - Kylee Trotter: Trading in Bats for Bedpans

Join nursing student and Jasper, Alabama native Honored Guest Kylee Trotter as she chats about her inspirational family, “I’m not gonna be a nurse,” choosing nursing over her passion for softball, how being a collegiate athlete helped her in nursing school, where she wants to practice after graduation, the advantages of going to community college, relying on her team, and more!

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Transcript

0:01

Hello and welcome to this episode of the Feeding Our Young podcast. This episode has a very important warning in front of it because I have found out that who I have in studio today by her own admission is a talker. And now that means, as you know, we have two talkers in studio today, which means this will probably be like a five length episode. I'm just kidding. But point is we're going to try and keep it nice and tight. We're gonna keep it all reined in. I'm not gonna trail off the beaten path too often anyway. And let's get right to it. So ladies and gentlemen, I'd to welcome to studio, Kylee Trotter. Kylee, how are you this morning? Great, I'm great. I love it. Thank you so much for being here on a holiday of all things. It's President's Day today. Yes, thank you so much. So let's just jump right into it. Where are you from, Kylee? Because your voice sounds a little, there's something going on there. Are you okay? Yes, I am from Jasper, Alabama. If you couldn't tell. Very, very small. if anyone has listened to Mary Bec's episode, and this is not anything about Mary Bec this is Kylee's episode, but a shout out to Mary Bec because she's amazing. That being said, we might know where it is you're attending school. Where would that be, Kylee? Bevill State Community College. Yes, that's what I'm talking about. So have you always been in Jasper your whole life? I grew up in Jasper and then when I went to college I played softball at Northwest Florida so that's like right beside Destin. So I played there for about a year and then I came back home to go to nursing school. So most of my life, yes, here. Awesome. And what do you like about Jasper? It's small and it has its pros and cons, but I mean if you ever need someone, it's more than likely you're gonna know them if you're out in public. You're gonna know somebody that can help you. Like if your car breaks down, somebody you know is gonna be there to help you. That's a good thing about it. yeah, definitely not a thing up here in Spokane, that's for sure. Most people are be driving right by you. Well, with that, what three words, would you use to describe nursing school? challenging, eye-opening, and rewarding. We're going to talk a little bit more about those at the end of the episode as well as right now. What are three of your favorite songs in life right now? I like Different by Micah Tyler. I like Graves Into Gardens and I like Under My Feet by Zach Williams. and Graves into Gardens. Bye. It is by Brandon Lake, if I remember right. Awesome. I am sensing a theme there which I'm sure will come out in our discussion. So the only other question I have to ask you, which is a nice little icebreaker question that we've started doing with a few of our honored guests, and I have prepared you, have I not, that this is coming, but you don't know what the questions are. So you can give reasons, you don't have to give reasons, but rapid fire. five questions, the unofficial feeding our young personality test. As soon as you answer these, we'll know exactly what type of person you are, okay? Are you ready? Okay, no pressure. First question, would you rather have the ability to fly or breathe underwater? Okay, are you team pie or team cake? cake. Instantly learn a new language or instrument. language. Ooh, you have a time machine. Are you gonna go back in time or are gonna go see the future? future for sure. Nice. And the last one is Wham's song, Last Christmas. Actually a Christmas song. Wham's... No, that's right. Is Wham's song Last Christmas, titled Last Christmas, is that actually a Christmas song? This would be awesome. I wish this were a video podcast in this moment, just so can see Kylee's face like, what the heck is he talking about? I'd assign the song to you later, but I don't know that necessarily it's a very divisive song, but it's by the great George Michael when he was part of the band Wham! And it's all about him giving his heart away and it getting, you know, like broken on Christmas and all this business. So there's a debate. Okay, I have to listen to it now. alright, so even though you haven't listened to it, and knowing this fact, is it a Christmas song or is it not? I say no because I associate Christmas with happiness and if his heart's broken even though it's on Christmas then we can't celebrate. are in. After that result, you are amazing. stupid. I just love doing stuff like this, because it's kind of fun to get a little icebreaker, let everybody relax, and also kind of see kind of what direction you go on in some of those, because some of those are some very pointed questions. enough about that. Let's get into you. And let's go from something not so inspirational and jump right into Who or what inspires you most in life? I would definitely say my family. They're a huge impact on my life, especially my mom, my dad and my sister. They've always been my biggest supporters. They pushed me to work hard, stay disciplined and never settle for anything less than my best. I mean, whether it was on the softball field or in nursing school, they're always pushing me and sometimes I just want to be like, okay, that's enough, but they know I have more and they know I'm capable of things. So they pushed me to get there every single day. So my dad, that's my rock. He's the hardest worker I know and he's always led by example, showing me the value of just dedication, integrity and working hard. He's the kind of person he won't just tell me how to do something, but he's going to show me even if I get it wrong four times, he's going to sit there and show me. But he'll push me to do my best in softball. He'll encourage me through nursing school. or just be there when I need him the most. He's always believed in me and his strength and determination have shaped the way I approach challenges in life. And me and him carry a lot of the same mindset about things, which, but he's truly the best dad in the world. And carrying that same mindset, does that lead maybe to some butting of heads sometimes? Or does it actually help? butting heads with other people in my family, really me and him, I guess everybody else usually, but, into my mom, she's the definition of strength and selflessness. she's really my best friend. She's always put her kids first and she's always just showed up for us no matter what, no matter how busy, tired she is. mean, life has definitely through some challenges her way and she has just been through so much. and she just still shows up positive. She's always joyful, always full of love. And I truly don't know how she does that, but she's taught me to never give up, even when things are tough. And she just handles everything so well. And I hope to be half the mom she is one day. And then my sister, that's my best friend. She inspires me every day with her determination. I mean, she's confident in the way she goes after things she wants in life. She has the biggest heart. No matter what I go through, I know she's going to be there. No matter what. She also has a daughter and she's two years old today and that's my niece, that's my girl. So, happy birthday, Renlee. happy birthday. And also, I mean, so I was gonna ask, it's an older or younger sister, but I'm gonna guess it's a little bit older sister than with the daughter. Six years older, wow. That's all right though, right? So then anyone in your family work in healthcare at all? Yes, my mom, my sister and my aunt, they're all nurses. And growing up, I was like, I'm not gonna be a nurse. I'm not just because everybody else is. Like I'm gonna do something different. But here I am. But they're great nurses. I mean, like they really push me every day to be like the best nurse I can be and just seeing how they take care of their patients. It's amazing. What do each of them do as far as specialties are concerned? So my aunt, she works in the cardiac ICU. And then my sister was a float nurse, just she worked everywhere forever, but now her and my mom do home health, so. Yes, and I love it. Yes. my goodness well that's amazing anything else you want to share about your family at all before we move on to the next subject They're amazing and I couldn't be, I wouldn't be where I am without any of them. All of them are just amazing. So let's talk, let's get into you then a little bit, Kylee. So obviously they've helped push you. You said on the softball field and elsewhere. So I have a hunch this might be a major subject of discussion. You play softball. Let us know a little bit more about that and how that helps define who you are. So I had played softball since I was four years old and I ended up ending my career at 19, so 15 years. But I played at Northwest Florida, I think I said that, for college, six hours from home. So that was interesting. My sister had my niece when I wasn't home. So that was like the hardest part, honestly, just not being home. But throughout my career, I accomplished a lot and I enjoyed softball so much. I was... state championship. We won a state championship my senior year of high school and then I was hitter of the year for class four A. In college my last year of my career we actually placed second in the national championship so was bittersweet way to end I guess. I actually stopped my career because the college I went to didn't have a nursing program so it was like either or and I knew softball wasn't going to last forever and nursing is truly what I wanted to do in the end so it was a hard decision but I know God led me to where he did when he did. So, but that was my identity for 15 years, literally. Like, it's all on you. Yeah, and to hear you like in 15 years and you're not just talking about 15 first of all the longevity of that but also your like those are your formative years right you grew up in softball and so to be able to have to make that decision you chose nursing over softball when the two collided like can you talk a little bit more about like you obviously said like you feel like God led you to that place but How do you make that decision? Because I can't imagine that was easy to do. It was lots and lots of prayers. But I knew nursing was truly where I wanted to go because I wanted something that a career that I could help everybody in life. And you know, it has just so many options in nursing in itself, but lots of prayer. And I feel like God had many signs, you know, point me one way or another. And then also I'm a big family person. So I knew my sister just had a kid and Mm-hmm. but it was extremely hard like you said like I knew coming up it was going to be really rough because day in and day out it was softball every day every weekend softball softball softball so I knew it was going to be like a big change but just lots of prayer and I think God really showed me signs and things to kind of point me to that direction and I know now that it was a great decision even though I miss it with all my heart I bet that's not something that's easily given up after that amount of time and that much investment for sure. So let me ask you this then. say, you know, originally you weren't going to become a nurse because everybody else was a nurse in your family and you're not doing it just because of that. And I know you've sort of touched on the subject already, but if you can expand on it a bit, that would be awesome. You go from, I don't want to be a nurse just because everybody's a nurse, all the way to I'm choosing nursing over softball. You know what I mean? So why nursing? How did nursing become so important to you? Well, I did want to be a nurse at first when I was growing up and funny story, there was career day in high school. Okay. And I went to our local nursing thing for career day and the mannequin, you know, those mannequins can do some amazing things. And at that time I really didn't know what nursing was all about and mannequin delivered a baby in front of me. And I decided then I was not being a nurse, but later I later changed my mind because I wanted a career where I could actually make an impact on people's life and like literally nurses, you know, not just physically, but they also are there for the mental part of, know, people are at their worst days in the hospital. And that's what I always think about. Like they don't want to be here, you know, so just trying to spread a little bit of joy when they're literally on their worst days or could even be their last days and just spread in like that little bit of joy, you know. And I also knew that nursing had so many options with it. And I like, I don't like change, but sometimes I do get bored. So I feel like nursing is great because there's just so many floors. There's so many specialties. It's just so diverse. And I'm a people person. We know this. I talk a lot. So I was like, nursing, you know, I could talk in nursing. can't, you know, so I liked that part about it. And I just really want to be there for patients in their most vulnerable moments. Like I said, it could be their last days, it could be their worst day. But yeah, I just really wanted to make a big impact on people's life and spread joy. Hmm. And do hear that listener? Do you hear that nursing student? Do you hear that, you know, anyone who's listening, like nursing is that amazing? It really is. It is that challenging, but it is that amazing that you have someone like Kylee who's willing to take this passion that she's had for 15 years and go, you know what, if the two are going to come head to head, I'm going to choose nursing. And so I, it, it, Again, it's the best career on all the earth. We're pretty biased here. We make no bones about that as far as that goes. So Kylee, you offer a different perspective than any honored guest has come before you. And by the way, I should take this opportunity to say, because it just occurred to me last night, I was going through and updating all my paperwork and all the things. And I was like, there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes when it comes to running this thing. I was like, anyway, I was looking at all the things that I'm like, my goodness, Kylee Trotter, who Until now, you and I have never met each other. Mary Bec was the one that was like, hey, Kylee, you should be on this podcast, right? Well, by doing that, you have now become the 70th honored guest since we started this last May. It's an amazing milestone. So thank you, Kylee, for being honored guest number 70. I'm honored. Thank you. I'd love to say I have a bunch of 70th honored guests swag for you, but no, I don't. We do have thank you gifts that we send out, and you will be receiving one of those, but nothing special pertaining to the 70th. Sorry, you get a virtual high five. Thank you, we're happy to have you here. So, 70th honored guest, Kylee Trotter. I really probably should have led with that. The brain is slowly coming online this morning. But like I said, you have a different perspective than any of the 69 honored guests that have come before you in that you are one that has emphasized being a student athlete prior to becoming a nursing student. And so my understanding is you'd like to talk a little bit about college software and transf- that sophomore? Did I just say sophomore? You like, I told you those things, you're gonna flub up, I'm gonna flub up. This all stays in the episode, I don't care. But I also understand you would like to actually talk about college softball and transforming from a collegiate athlete to being a nursing student, how those skills overlap and things of that nature. So if you don't mind providing that perspective for us, that'd be great. Yeah, so like I was saying, I was very scared at first because I thought my life was just going to completely change. But honestly, one of the biggest things that really shocked me in my transition from softball to nursing school was that in many ways, the two really aren't as different as I thought they'd be. So, you know, in softball, I was used to early morning workouts, long practices and just pushing through exhaustion to perform at my best. But that same mindset carried over into nursing school just in a little different way. So instead of like physically draining, I was grinding through hours of like studying, I'm memorizing medication and I'm preparing for clinicals. And sometimes when I push through those late nights studying for a test, which I will be doing tonight, It reminds me of those extra innings games where you just had to stay focused no matter how tired you were. You just had to have your eye on the prize. So it's like the same work ethic and discipline and drive I had on that field became the foundation for how I tackle nursing school. Whether it's studying late at night or handling the pressure of clinicals, I just stay determined even when things get tough. But I also do give hitting lessons on the side. So it does, I still have a little part of softball left in me. that is amazing. And the fact that you're like, you know, you're learning, you're a student, but you're also basically a teacher of softball, right? Like you are you are helping others through their passion as well. my gosh, I love that. So you first of all, I can't help but notice anybody else pick up on the fact that Kylee says, I have homework I'm working on tonight. So you're on the podcast taking, you know, an hour to two hours of your day. to further the cause of the Feeding Our Young movement. So thank you first of all for that. Goodness gracious. And two. second test tomorrow of this semester, Yes, respiratory, everything respiratory. Gas exchange, yes. have fun with that one. I, respiratory wasn't necessarily, I feel like going back. remember both cardiac and respiratory were kind of lumped together and cardiac was one of worst. Any student you ever talk to, cardiac seems to be one of the worst unless you're really dialed into the heart. So, but that being said, I'm rambling as I said I wouldn't do. How much longer do you have of school? So I graduate this August, so I have about six months left. Six months left. You're in the final stretch. Does that feel real? How does that feel knowing that you're nearing the finish line? It doesn't even like, it hasn't soaked in yet. And I remember my first day of nursing school walking in there like, gosh, like, do I really want to do this? But it's just, that felt like yesterday and I just can't believe how far I come. just the way my mind's transformed in nursing school is crazy because I really see the world different in a lot of ways, just being more kind to people, just because you truly don't know what everyone's going through, but you see a lot in a hospital. It doesn't feel real, but I'm so excited for it. I'm so excited for the next adventure and just actually being in a hospital every single day and helping people. I'm excited. How inspiring. Let me ask you this then too, only because this is more of a curiosity question from me having graduated from a community college originally myself. We had what was called Capstone, which is similar to like a four years program practicum, where you kind of put it all together. It's your last clinical experience. Do you all have something similar to that at Bevill State or is that, do you have different words for it? Are you aware of, you know what I mean? So we don't really call it that, but I know in our last semester, we have to have like so many hours of pre-setting is what we call it. And it's like one-on-one in the specialty that, you know, they try to put you in the specialty that you're thinking about going to. And you have to have like a lot of hours in it and you just really get a feel with it. And I think that's amazing because I don't know if I've said, but I'm hinting towards ICU. So hopefully I'll get that position and I'll know before I even graduate nursing school if that's really what I want to do if I get placed there. So I think it's a great thing because we really get to see all about where we want to go before we go apply for a job there. So that's what we call it precepting. I don't know if that's what you meant, but yeah. I was about to say, Prantastic. No, is incredible. And I love that colleges provide that opportunity because then you don't have to hit, you're going, well, I'm thinking about ICU. And so you start in the ICU and you're like, oh yeah, no, this is not what I wanted to do. That would be horrible to do from a, you know what I mean, starting the job. and getting trained on the job. yes, that is something I want to unpack with you here in a little bit. Before we do that, jump around just a little bit, only because it ties into what you've talked about already so well. What is one of the biggest or a couple of the biggest challenges you've faced in life? So definitely with my identity with softball. For 15 years that was my identity. mean like I said, every day, day in, day out, every weekend we were at the ball field. It shaped who I was, how I spent my time, and the way that I even saw myself. So when that chapter ended, I really struggled with the question, who am I without softball? So for so long my goals, my discipline, and even my confidence was tied to being an athlete. Stepping into nursing school felt like completely starting over. And for a while, I wasn't sure if I'd ever find something that gave me the same sense of purpose as softball did or even have a passion for something. But as I got deeper into nursing, I realized that the same drive, teamwork and dedication that I had on that softball field translated into that patient care. So instead of working hard for wins or hits, I'm working hard to help people and instead of pushing through long practices, pushing through clinical hours and studying. So over time, I found my identity again, not just as a nursing student, but Just someone who thrives on helping others. Nursing gave me a new purpose and in a way it kind of filled that space that softball left behind in a way. But I'm so thankful God led me into nursing. So then on that note, what do you love most about nursing? Well, in nursing school, I like seeing everything click. You know, when the things that you actually are studying in the classroom finally make sense in clinicals and you're realizing like, wow, like I'm really capable of taking care of somebody. Like I really like, I like that part, but it's very tough. But the moments when you help someone feel better and know you have the ability to literally change someone's life, make it all worth it. Also a great part of nursing school is just the people I've met along the way that will be my lifelong friends. We're all going through the exact same thing. We're all studying late at night. We're all crying together. mean, so it's very easy to relate to these people and we truly just try to push each other and encourage each other even when things get tough. Also my instructors who have made such a huge impact on my life, not just in the classroom, but in the real world. And I would encourage anyone who is thinking about going to nursing school, to do some research because I'm telling you instructors just make the biggest difference and I'm so lucky to go to a campus where I feel like they really do care for us. I mean they're always there for us not just to be like better nurses but they also care about like our mental health and I just know I could go to any one of my instructors about anything not just about nursing and they would all have my back and be there for me so instructors and friends in nursing school truly make like the biggest difference and I believe God pushed me into making that decision when he did because I wouldn't have crossed paths with half of these people if I didn't. And on that note, know, so Bevill State Community College, it's a community college. So typically community colleges have a more diverse student population. Can you speak towards that at all? Yeah, so in first semester, I want to say we started out with about 55 people in the classroom. And then after, I would say second semester, that got cut down to about 40. So about 40, but we actually do a merge program. So we merge with people from the LPN to RN program. So once we hit a certain semester, we merged with these people. So now we're back at 60, which is amazing. I love people. So we usually, think the graduation class usually ends up with about 55 to 60. Goodness, and is that people just from Alabama? Are they all over? Like what is what's the age difference? What does that look like? age difference was probably my biggest shock, honestly. I've never been like one of the youngest people in a classroom. So that was that was definitely a shock. But I would say mainly, I mean, some people drive an hour to class, but usually with it being a community college, it's just people from around where we are. But like I said, some people drive from Birmingham, which is about an hour. I have a 30 minute drive, but we have people I think one woman. is old, she's in her late 40s I think, but I love it. I think it's amazing that she's coming back and further in her education, but I will say even with the age, no one ever feels like there's, you know, a 20 year, you know, they're double my age. I never feel like it. They all welcome me and they're so sweet and they help me and I think it's great that they're in there because they have so much experience and you know, you don't get that real life experience unless you've done it and they've done it. You know, they're LPNs. they've already been working and they helped me a lot. know, if we're in clinicals or something, they show me the right way to do things or easier way to do things. So I really like the age difference because I feel like we all are at a different points in our life. So I think it's great. We all help each other. And I feel like that that is And again, I'm not poo-pooing any, you know, four-year universities. I work for one. I love it. I love it But I think that's one of the advantages to going to a community college too is because you get to work alongside people who are double your age or half your age or You know what I mean? Different backgrounds different walks of life different life experiences Some have had kids some have it and that's what the real world is. You're gonna go out there You're be working with somebody and there's a whole generation versus generation. Wow, this generation doesn't like the millennials and wow, the baby boomers, they're all dying off. So now you got the generation exodus, well, they're kind of a pain in the rear. All that, whatever. There's all sorts of ways we try and divide ourselves. And that's what I love about the community college experience is that I feel like it really brings people together. I went to it, I graduated when I was, I ended up becoming a nurse when I was 30. So I started community college or started the nursing program probably when I was 28. And we had people in our class at that time in their 50s. And you know what mean? And you just run that. And people younger than me. And so you run that gamut. And like you said, you don't, stop viewing each other as, you know what I mean? Like, oh, there's that mom of two or there's that single mom or single dad or there's that grandpa. No, it's like, there's my peer and we're all trying to survive this together, right? Yes, and it's funny because I say all the time, I'm like, I have friends my age, but I always catch myself, like a lot of my friends are my mom and dad's age now because of nursing school. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it. yeah. Can you speak specifically towards, and this is a little bit of a curve ball for you, but can you speak specifically towards the similarities between having to rely on your team in softball and relying on this team in community college? Yeah, so in softball, you know, we rely on each other to pull hits together. You know, you got to string hits together. If you have one great hit, it's not just like, like good job. No, you got to have several hits, you know, to win a ball game. One person can't do it all on its own. And I feel like you also, I've always tended to play with older girls and I feel like they've always taught me things throughout my softball career. I mean, you learn from your coaches, but you really learn a lot from your peers. you know, you see what they do, you look up to the older girls and in the same way in the classroom, I look up to them, not just just in nursing school, but like in life, they live life. They know a lot more than I do about stuff, you know, and it's funny whenever we take like a pediatrics exam or anything to do with pediatrics and the ones that have kids, like they know all this random facts and I'm just like, how do you know that? And then I'm like, yeah, you have three kids. Like that makes sense, but I really lean on them and they just they show me a lot. We work together to bring ideas together and you know even me being young still I have things to talk about that maybe they don't know you know so we really bring things together and pin together the same concept and I think like when we do study groups and stuff like we all just throw in little bits and pieces of stuff and it really just helps to form like the main concept the main win just like softball did. Kylee like, I'm already a nurse and here you are inspiring me. That's what I know I've got gold. Cause if you're inspiring me and I'm already doing the thing, like I know you're inspiring others, but I just love that. I love that emphasis of one person can't do it all. That's your tagline. That's your t-shirt right there. I keep joking about, you know, we've got this merchandise tab on the website that still is completely empty. Because I'm not a businessman. I'm more of a heart guy. Someday it'll get up and running and I have this vision where I'm like different honored guests have these different quotes that I'm like I just want to like make a t-shirt out of it. So there's Well with that then Before we start getting into some final questions here I had one other one pop into my brain and that is this in the amount of time that you've had And you can even relate this back to the softball field too, if you wanted to, but also specifically in nursing school so far. Have you personally experienced that phenomenon that we call nurses eating our young? Have you experienced that? Have you been on the receiving end of that? Have you seen it happen before? I definitely think like when we go to clinicals and stuff, I think that there are some points where I understand where nurses just get like really, really busy and they obviously can't tend to us and being nursing students and stuff. There are some nurses like that, but on the other hand, there are a lot of nurses who see us and know that they've been in the same exact spot as us and they really try to help us with everything and they understand, like we were there too, let's help them as much as possible. Cause you know, starting in nursing school, you don't know a whole ton and sometimes you can look back on that and be like, Wow, she knows nothing but instead like a lot of them I feel like do remember the time where they were in the same spot as us so they really want to help us and not only because a lot of things you learn in nursing school are not by the book in real life. So when you get into these clinical situations, I like it because you learn things in different ways and you figure out a lot of stuff on your own. So to be able to learn from other nurses and show us how each one of them do different things, it's really cool to see because you can see one nurse might do something totally different than another nurse and whichever way works better for them. But it's cool to see different perspectives of how nurses do things because everything works different for everybody. So I feel like I've had a pretty good experience with other nurses feeding into me and being very encouraging and helpful. And that's huge and I love how you phrase that because it is a matter of I and and to nursing students out there I'll say this right now because you know, we're we're your biggest advocate for sure that being said you also have to do your part and I've heard of personally of stories I have fortunately have yet to have a student like this in my own clinical rotations But I've heard of stories where one nurse told a nursing student on my own unit. Hey, can you go? And they said, no, I'm good. I already did that skill or whatever the case may be. I already did X, Y, or Z. And so I don't need to do that now. so that's what Kylee's saying there. You'll see different nurses do the same task in different ways. And as long as it doesn't compromise patient safety, man, you can learn so much. So don't say, I can't do this because, and that's the other thing, other students have said, you know, can't do this because I was shown how to do it this way in nursing school, and that's the only way. Yeah, okay, maybe while you're doing a skills exam or something, you gotta do it the way they want you to do it, 100%. But in that same file folder in your mind, put in, but when I become a nurse, I can also do it this way and still do it safely. It's just a fantastic thing, and that circles between doubles back all the way around back on the teamwork thing that you're talking about, Kylee, you know, that's you're learning from nurses who have been there done that. Even the ones who maybe treat you poorly, or quote unquote, eat their young. You know, we've had guests on this podcast who have said, man, that those people have become my biggest advocates to this day, you know what I mean? Or they taught me the greatest lesson that I needed to learn in that moment. So even if you feel like man, I am being discredited, I'm being discounted. This is not teamwork. I'm getting eaten and chewed up and spit out. Still, what can you learn from that moment, take it, and then move forward? So, Kylee, thank you for of shedding some insight onto that. With that, we've kind of saved that tease for the end there, but you've teased us a little bit with your plans after graduation, which is coming soon. What's what what does Kylee RN look like down the road here? So location-wise, I've always been a beach girl. I chose Florida to play softball for a reason, but after graduation I plan to move to Orange Beach, which is about six hours from where I currently live. And Mary Begg actually talked about Orange Beach in her podcast, so that's funny. But my goal is to work in the ICU. I have always thrived in the high pressure environments. I guess a little bit of that comes from softball. But I love the critical thinking and hands-on skill that I see. nursing requires and this semester of nursing school for me actually is more of the critical care applying part and this has probably been one of my favorite topics so far and one of my favorite things to learn about because not only are we just learning we're applying everything so the idea of just caring for the most vulnerable patients and managing those complex conditions working alongside a highly skilled team really excites me. guess that's still the softball inside of me. But hopefully ICU and then after a few years after I get really, really comfortable, I'd love to be a tribal nurse for a little while, at least while I'm still young. But like I said, I love to travel. So that's like one of the things to do. Hopefully like the rest of my 20s, once I get really comfortable. Long term, I'm also interested in becoming a nurse practitioner and exploring the aesthetic and plastic sides of nursing, we actually have an instructor and she worked in it and I just remember hearing her stories and I was like, wow, that is so cool. But I just think that is so cool just to help people feel confident and combine in healthcare with that. And it's a completely different side of nursing, I will say, but one that still focuses on patient care and making a difference in someone's life. And that's what nursing is all about anyways, so. I love that you've got an eye on the short term, which is just you know, no big deal. Just ICU That's fine. Whatever. And also the long term aesthetics, plastics, beauty. I just to know that well. At what point did you kind of get an idea that that's the direction you wanted to go in and what did that look like for you? Honestly, I've I really wanted to do ICU because I'm always up for a challenge and I know that's like the sickest of the sickest and like I said, my aunt works in cardiac ICU. So I just loved hearing the different things that she you know went through and stuff. I think it's so interesting, but hopefully I have hopefully I get to free set there next semester and hopefully I'll love it. But the aesthetic side, I've always been interested in just hearing about people's lip filler and Botox and you know, plastic surgery reconstructing their face. Like I just think that is so interesting to learn about. And then when I heard my second semester teacher talking about her experiences, I was like, wow, it's much more than just, you know, lip fillers and this like people get in traumatic accidents and they never feel the same again. And you can, they can have a whole, you know, life changing moment or the surgeons go in there and completely reconstruct their face and they feel so much better about themselves. So one little moment like a car crash or something changed their entire life and then they just help them find that confidence again and I love nursing and I really want to do bedside for a while but I want to end up somewhere where I see people happy every day and just coming out a surgery with a smile on their face. That's amazing. Thank you, Kylee, for sharing that. So as we always do, we're going to circle back around. You chose three words to describe nursing school. What were they and why did you pick them? Challenging, eye-opening, and rewarding. So challenging, as we all know, nursing school is very challenging because it's a non-stop mix of studying, clinical rotations, and emotional stress. So not only do you have to learn the material, but like I said, you also gotta apply it in real patient care and juggle long hours of studying with hands-on experience. But it pushes you mentally, physically, and emotionally, but that's what makes it all so rewarding in the end. I eye-opening because nursing school completely changes how you see healthcare. think, some people think, I just want to get into nursing, but it's a lot to unpack. But you witness the realities of patient care from life-saving moments to heartbreaking losses, and you just gain a deeper understanding of the human side of medicine and just humans in general, you know? And it's not just about learning skills. It's about seeing the impact nurses have every single day on life. I said rewarding. Because despite the challenges, nursing school is incredibly fulfilling. Every skill you learn and every patient you help brings you so much closer to just becoming a nurse. Knowing that your hard work will make a real life difference in people's lives make it all the stress and long hours worth it. And the friends and instructors I've met along the way make nursing school a lot more enjoyable. So, very rewarding. Mmm. Very well said. Thank you, thank you, thank you. So, someone for whatever reason has tuned out your entire episode. I don't know why. Shame on them. Go back and listen. But they're just picking it up right now. What is the one thing you want that person to walk away from your episode with? So if you're in nursing school or even just starting out nursing, and I will take this advice for myself, because I need to a little bit more, I have learned you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable because nursing school will push you way out of your comfort zone, whether it's speaking up in clinicals, performing a skill for the first time, or handling tough patient situations, because we all will at some point. I've learned that growth happens in those uncomfortable moments. And the more you embrace them, the more confident and capable you'll become. So I think nursing isn't about just knowing everything right away, but more about being willing to learn, adapt, and keep showing up even when it's hard. Kylee, thank you. Thank you so much for taking time out of your apparently study day and also holiday. So you took a break from studying for nursing to talk about nursing. So thank you so much for doing that. It's an honor to make your acquaintance. You're going to make an incredible nurse and I look forward to seeing like where your career takes you in the future. Thank you. You have a good day, Kylee. You too.