161 - Karli Petruso Pt 1: Even Your Struggles Become Part of Your Growth

Join recent grad and Spokane, Washington native Honored Guest Karli Petruso as she talks about perceived flaws being actual strengths, how previous jobs helped her in nursing school, her “ridiculously boring” reason why she chose nursing, getting her first C on a test, asking “how do you feel” instead of “what did you get,” transforming her nurse tech job into a job offer right out of school, her strategies for studying for the NCLEX, and more!

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Transcript

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Hello and welcome to this episode of the Feeding Our Young® podcast. Now by the time you're listening to this episode, it's about March. But as it stands right now, it is just brand spanking new this year. We're going to call 2026. And uh I make no bones about it. I've talked about it before. Last year was a, we had some good things last year. but it was also a pretty crap year for me and my family. And I've talked about it before. I'm not talking about it now. The reason why I say that though, is to preface the fact that I have an Honored Guest in studio who has a lot of things to look forward to this year. And so do I. This is gonna be a great year. We're taking this year. And she happens to be the first Honored Guest recording of 2026. So Karli, welcome to studio. How are you doing this morning? I am doing awesome. I'm feeling super excited to be here today. Oh, I appreciate that, because I just get so excited with every person I get to talk to. So Karli and I have been back and forth. I'm like, hey, we still on for Friday? And she's like, heck yeah. And I'm like, yeah, let's go. So Karli, well, we'll get into that here in the middle part. Let's open up the normal way. Go ahead and introduce yourself. First and last name, last names. I'm so confused what that could mean. And then also where's home for you. Okay, my name is Karli Petruso, soon to be Karli Meethy, ah coming in September. And then I was born and raised here in Spokane, and I have lived here my whole life. Awesome, then I'm gonna go out in a while then and think that you got your nursing education here. What degrees have you obtained, if any, and when did you get them? I got my AA in undergrad uh or AA in pre-nursing from Spokane Falls and then I transferred to WSU's Spokane campus to get my nursing degree that I just got on December 5th. Yeah, super exciting. Does it, let me just write here. What does it feel like to say those words? Uh, not real. I have imposter syndrome so bad. It is so weird because I felt like I was like working during practicum and then there was like, there's been a break. I haven't been in the hospital for like a month. And so I'm like, Oh, did I really do that? Or is someone trying to trick me? Yeah. Yeah. For some, it's a nightmare. anyway, ah then the other two standard opening questions. Since you've just recently completed nursing school, what are the three words that you picked to describe nursing school? This took me a long time because my journey was long and packed with lots of different feelings. But I picked challenging, fulfilling, and transformative. Mm-hmm. It is key. why you picked those words. But what are three of your favorite songs in life right now? This was also a really good question. I thought about this one for a long time. Me and my fiance have music playing all the time, so I have lots of favorite songs. But my one right now is The Blood by John Mayer. That one has been on the top of my plays. A classic, Vienna by Billie Joel. And then a newer country song called Heartlands by Marcus King. Now let me ask you this then, out of curiosity, since you guys have music playing all the time, do you find that, it truly like opposites attract? Do you guys have different musical tastes or do they kind of blend a bit? Oh, they, when we first started dating, they were complete opposites, and I would say as our relationship has grown, they've kind of fused. There's less Taylor Swift playing, unfortunately, but I feel like my music taste has gotten a little bit more dialed in, and I feel a little bit more comfortable talking about it compared to where I used to be like, oh, Taylor Swift all the time every day. Yeah, uh-huh. going to let you guess, Taylor Swift. uh That's so awesome. Well, let's get to know you just a little bit more, because I love some of your answers to the getting to know Karli questions. um What are some of your hobbies that you get to partake in, especially now that you're done with nursing school? Yes, that has been the best part of being done with nursing school, I will say. I am a grandma at the ripe age of 22. I thank you. I actually am very honored with that. My favorite thing to do right now is crochet. I've never finished a project, but I love it. And I'm self-taught, so I'm pretty slow, but I enjoy it. I love. my plants. I have like 52 house plants right now and growing because we got more space now. So ah anything that has to do with plants, ah reading, that's a big one. ah I graduated December 5th and I guess this is taking place almost a month after graduation and I've read 10 books. Like I jumped right back into it. Yeah, it's been It's been very fulfilling to be out of nursing school, I will say. Lots more free time. Oh yeah, I feel like me again. Good, good. Well, so a few questions that spurred into my brain. Number one, how many unfinished projects are laying around the house with your crocheting? ah I've got like three or four blankets that are being in the middle of being made and they're all at different like Lengths and like where they're stopping but the one I'm working on right now I have been solidly working on for a few months now and this one this one is the one Wow. And then, so, and you must live in a very hyper-oxygenated place with all those plants. How did you get into, you're one of the few people I've got to talk to in their 20s that just love plants. How did that come to be? I don't know, I think it was during COVID. uh We moved into my aunt and uncle's house and I had never really gotten to like make a room my own before because all of the places we lived, was small and shared rooms with my brother. So it was never girl's zone. So I think when we moved, I was in high school and I wanted to be a little bit more adult. And so instead of painting the walls, I was like, let's get some living things in here. Awesome. it started with a shelf and it just spread like wildfire. Yeah, I would say. You said 52 plants. That's a plant a week. You just inherit a plant a week. That is so- go to Home Depot and if there's, leaves laying on the ground that, have, the little nodes, I'll take them. You're like, starter, done. Oh my gosh, I love that. And then with all your reading, you also answered the prompt, what fictional character do you most identify with? I liked this question as well, I'm gonna say that probably throughout this whole episode because I think they were great, but I think this is a funny question because I feel like obviously watching Harry Potter and growing up with Harry Potter, I was very like, I could do that. And I feel that way for like every action movie that I watch. I'm like, I've got that, I could be that person, come on now. But I think if we're thinking a little bit more like realistic, there is the character, uh, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time. And I think part of her story was learning how her flaws were her biggest strengths. And I think that was the biggest, like the biggest part of my story as well was learning that my flaws that I thought were flaws were actually some of the best parts of me. And what a superpower to have with that, right? Like, I mean, to be able to recognize that and it turns it like just flipping the script basically, Yeah, 100%. Yeah, it, uh, yeah, it was something I had to figure out and it took a while to figure out. But once I did figure it out, it was 100%. It just felt like a superpower. That is so cool. Well, let's, you you talk about who you are, and obviously part of that's informed by your wonderful family. So I'll ask the two pronged question, because they go hand in hand. Tell us about your family, but also who are your heroes in life? Mm-hmm. I am super close with my family. I have a mom, a dad, and then a brother. So we're kind of like a compact little four pack. And we have been super close my entire life. don't feel like there's anything that has really been a cause of separation or anything, which I'm lucky for. ah And then I also now have a fiance and so with that comes a whole other family which has been beautiful in itself. He is a twin so that's been really fun. And then he's got an older brother and a younger sister and that comes with all the brothers are married so I have sisters now which is new. And I have two nieces and a nephew, or a niece and a nephew. So just lots of different things too that has been really special and made my family like bigger but better. uh And then I would say going along with like who are my heroes, I would say that it's my parents. uh Through everything, they've just kind of been like my backbone. Like I didn't really know what I wanted to do coming out of high school and they were very determined for me to go to college and be something great and beautiful, but I don't think I had that confidence in myself yet. ah So even though I didn't decide to go straight to like a university right away, like they helped me find the beauty in the community college, which ended up being a great like place for me to be like, yeah, I want to do that. Like that sounds like a good thing. ah And yeah, there's just always a stable place to land when like life or things get scary or rocky. So I owe everything to them. Oh, well shout out to mom and dad there. Hopefully you guys get to hear that. You already know that you're making them cry as soon as they hear this. uh Well, there was one other family member too at the risk of going from, you know, deeply personal to just not as much. There's one other family member you failed to mention. Who is that? My dog, Chi Chi. My dog is a Chihuahua and she's actually a long-legged Chihuahua, so she doesn't look like what pops into your head, but she has been with us for 14 years and she is probably the favorite child, if I'm being honest. My mom's listening to this right now, shaking her head, yes. yeah. Mm-hmm. Easy, easy. I just learned something new, because I knew about teacup chihuahuas, I knew about various, my aunt used to have a chihuahua, or chihuahuas, at one point I think she had three or four. And always fun to visit that house. But I've never heard of a long-legged chihuahua, that's so cool. Yeah, we adopted her and we were like, she's just like, maybe she's growing at like a different pace and nope, those legs kept going. She's actually called the deer chihuahua. And so when you look at her, she literally looks like a little miniature deer. So yeah, she's special. I'm gonna have to look this up now. um So let's talk all things nursing now. Before we jump into the, I see a natural progression in things. So what jobs have you worked before? Let's start there. I, like I said in my little conversation starter, I have been a babysitter since the age I could literally be trusted with another person's life. I was chomping at the bit. I grew up in a daycare, so I think that's kind of where that comes from. And I was one of the older girls growing up there, so I always kind of tended to the babies and wanted to be involved in the diaper changing and the feeding and all of that. So I have been a babysitter, I think, since I was 13. because there's just two doors down from my parents. in case anything, you know, want to stray. And that baby was a six month old, so pretty little and lots of trust. um And then I have just been gathering families as I grow, kind of like infinity stones, just collecting them. But they're all special to me in like different ways. And I think that they did truly inspire my career. um for sure. I was also a barista and I started that job at 16 because a babysitter's family's mom owned a coffee stand. So I kind of got grandfathered into that, which is pretty hard to do. Yeah. And it was right around the time COVID hit too. very, very weird. But that job, would say really... opened me up as a person. I was very shy and very critical of myself and I always wanted to make sure that like I fit in with others or people liked me. So that job really kind of uh taught me how to stick up for myself but also to be able to have a conversation with probably anybody. So I'm grateful for that. that is so cool. And I'm seeing echoes because you're taking me back a couple of years. I've been working since I was 14. And the very first job I got was as a janitor. Now it's environmental services. Back then it was just a janitor. um And I worked in an outpatient medical building. You know, it wasn't a hospital, but it had all the specialties. And my primary wing that I started on was the OBGYN wing of all places. So bags of dirty speculums, all that. But same thing, kind of an awkward, gangly teenager myself, just like not super confident in myself and all the things. And I was at the same time, then my mom got me babysitter, because my mom had worked at that clinic. And so then she was talking with the medical records manager who needed a babysitter. And so I was like, I'll do it, absolutely. And so her two kids, I would just hang out while her and her husband went out and stuff like that. And then she saw my work ethic there and was like, well, hey, do you want to work in medical records? So I started working in medical records at like, I was a few months before I turned 15. And yeah, it's just insane when I think about it and how those things lined up now fast forward so many years. So Karli, those two jobs, I mean, I feel like that lends to maybe what I would know the answer to the following question would be, but why nursing? I have the most basic answer when it comes to this. I actually was told that at a stand-up comedians show, uh Nurse John, I went to his show and I got called on to stand up and he's like, why do you want to be a nurse? And I was like, I love people. And he was like, sit back down. And so it's a very basic answer. know it is, but it's true. Like I have an immense love for human beings. It could be the meanest person ever. It could be the nicest. I just want to make sure that they're being taken care of, that they're being acknowledged, that they're being listened to. um I would say that's maybe one of my flaws is that I stay in patient rooms a little too long. But I wanna make sure that they're heard and taken care of. And this career path that I've chosen has really highlighted that love of mine. um But yeah, I just love people and I want them to be taken care of. And who's gonna do it but us? Exactly, exactly, and sometimes the most, as you phrase it, basic answers are the most profound. ah And I'm gonna piggyback off of what you're saying there when you're saying I stay in the patient room a little too long, yeah, so do I. But it's only too long when you are taking extra time to chart at the end of your shift. And so it's never too long to be in a patient's room, so long as it gets your job done, who cares, you know what I mean? my goodness, and for those that I... I had the honor of working with you ever so like it wasn't often enough but you know how did I work with you let's start there Well, I am secretly, I don't think I ever told you this, but as soon as I found out I was on the mother-baby unit, I was like, I really hope Eric's my preceptor because I think you're awesome and I've seen you before there. uh But I was graced with another amazing nurse and everybody there, including you, you guys were a great team. uh I felt like a nurse and I was a little baby student, but you guys made me feel competent and able. And I felt comfortable to take on challenges and push myself because I knew you guys were kind of like right there with me. I think you were charge nurse most of the time that I worked with you. And so, yeah, learning to communicate, I think it was easy to communicate with you to be like, this is where we're at. This is what's going on. And yeah, that whole experience was amazing. I would do it again and again and again. Yeah, it's, uh mean, and I say it and I know I'm biased. I'm like, we have one of the best teams around, but we really, really do. And I mean, I'm just coming off of this week. I don't know what it was. I don't know if, at the risk of sounding too risque, I don't know if everybody just had a wonderful Valentine's Day or they want the tax breaks or what, but it was like, it wasn't raining babies. It wasn't pouring babies. Like it just was like. you couldn't get babies and families discharged quickly enough because there were families literally already delivered and waiting on the labor and delivery side all this week. And it was just insane. And yet it's some of the most difficult, challenging shifts I've had from that perspective, especially when you're sitting in that charge chair. But when you have a team like the team we have, like I don't dread going to work. I guess that's the thing. Like some people get those shifts and you're like, Please just don't let it be this kind of shift today. And yet when I go in, I'm like, even if it is that shift today, I know I've got amazing people to work with. And so all that to bring up, first of all, I'll pay you your $20 later for that nice little compliment you paid me. That was already prearranged, everybody, just kidding. But no. Line, line. No, no, no. but, the reason why I brought all that up is because your passion for people was evident. Like you, like, and I mean most. precepted nursing students, like once you've reached that point, for the most part, you've got it dialed in, but everybody's still a little bit different, right? Some are still a little bit nervous, a little bit terrified, a little bit whatever, and I've seen it over the years, you know what I mean? And only once or twice have we really seen students where you're like, oh, you need more time to bake, you know what I mean? Like, got missed along the way. And that's not an insult, it's just the truth. But no, your passion for people were. was very evident. You came, you came ready to go. You were like, a call light rang and you're like, it doesn't matter who all sit there, you're answering it, you're going off and getting stuff. So kudos to you. That's going to serve you super well in your nursing career. But before we talk about nursing career, we talked about jobs. We talked about why nursing and your ridiculously boring answer for that. ah But let's talk about nursing school because you wanted to chat about your journey through nursing school. So open that can of worms up. I mean, that wonderful progress. Yeah, so back kind of backtracking when I was doing my AA at the falls I had no clue what I wanted to do But I knew I did not want to go into the medical field because I had the biggest fear of blood Probably known to man you couldn't even say it in like the room, but like all my limbs would curl and I would like so gross But I am a Christian. I'm a firm believer I was walking to my car one day and I got an overwhelming sense of you're gonna be a nurse. And I was like, I listened to God and I was like, yeah, I'm gonna be a nurse. And I went to the advisor's office, I changed my major and I have been a nursing student ever since. And it was very hard. Yeah! But I am so grateful that I trusted everything. I met some of my best friends in nursing school. We went through, gosh, some of the worst times of our life probably. mean, nursing school is no joke. It's really hard. It feels like a constant uphill battle that you're never gonna get to the top of. Even during practicum, like you have five, six shifts a week. Like you are just going and... It was hard, but it was probably one of the best things I've ever done. I enjoyed it. I had a good time. um I feel like the hardest part for me was the studying because I was a beautiful straight A student up until nursing school. And then they were like, whack, here's your first C on a test. And I thought the world was gonna end. Literally, I cried for hours. was like, I can't do this. I need to be out of here. Like, I'm never going to be a nurse. I'm not going to make it. Like, I can't do this. Yeah. Literally, I'm like, I'm a straight A student. What is a C? I can't do this. um But actually outing myself a little bit, I stayed probably like a B range student, the rest of nursing school. But I felt like I was understanding the material in a hands-on application, which I think is almost a little bit better than the book application and the test application-wise. ah I told my friends over and over, I'm like, if they could grade me on my clinical, I think they would be like, okay, bye, you're ready. But if they saw my testing, they'd be like, girl, what are you doing? And so that was a battle for me to like learn that that's okay. and that they're not looking for you to get 100 % on every test and that that doesn't define who you're gonna be as a nurse, let alone a person. um Yeah. Yes, test scores do not define you as a nurse or a person. Yeah, that was the biggest, hardest thing because I am also a comparer, if that's the word. And so, after my first exam I was going around and everyone's like, what'd you get, what'd you get, what'd you get, what'd you get? And I learned quickly that that does not make me feel good in any way, or form. And so me and my friends made a like a grouped pact to after every test, instead of asking, what did you get? We would ask, how do you feel? And so that way you could still get your emotions out about the exam or the studying or whatever. m without saying, oh dude, got a 70, I'm gonna have to retake it, or I'm gonna get a pip, or something drastic like that. And we figured that out pretty quickly, thank goodness. And I would say that that made the rest of the testing and the exams throughout the rest of nursing school so much better, so much better. That is like a tremendous key that rarely, I don't want to say rarely, but I mean, what I love about this is when I talk to people like life hacks, right? It's just these, these nursing school hacks. Someone had said once they used a fidget spinner ring to like ease the tension, the anxiety when they went in for testing. And I think even for the NCLEX and going back to, know, Sue Perkins, one of the legendary instructors who you unfortunately didn't get to meet. taught at WAZZU and was the chair at WAZZU in the Peets department. But she, her episode way back early on, just, B is for balance. That's what she would preach. You talk about living, you're like, ah, I just stayed in the B zone, you know, whatever. it cannot be overemphasized enough that your test grade does not define who you are, doesn't define how good of a nurse you are. And I love what you said there. You just dropped another hack, which is instead of asking each other, what did you get? What did you get? What did you get? Which honestly, I feel like sometimes as a carryover from high school, right? Like everybody just wants to know, how did you do? What's your score? How did you, know, athletics, all the things, comparing, comparing, comparing. But instead of asking, what did you get? Ask each other, how did you feel? Like just let that sit everybody. Make that change. Cause I mean, I mean, you just said it, but like, how does that, you're talking about flipping the script. This is, this is the theme of your episode. You're just flipping the script. So how does that flip the script for you moving forward? How does that? embolden or empower you moving forward in your nursing career. I would say one thing that I noticed from the beginning of like my nurse tech journey was that unfortunately I think that's why you make this podcast but there are some nurses that tend to kind of eat their young and when I found your podcast I was like yes this is everything that I want to do when I become a nurse I want to help people learn and instead of maybe at like I think I've trained a few nurse techs and they like, for example, a few weeks ago, I trained a nurse tech and they had never done an IV on a person. And I was like, no, you got this. Like the worst thing you can do is like fail. Like that's not a bad, that's not a bad outcome. Like, you know, I have missed so many IVs on the labor and delivery unit, especially. And I was like, again, throwing in the towel, I'm never going to be a nurse. Like I can't do it. And so. I told her, was like, no, you've got this. I'm gonna let you do it, even though you kind of don't want to, you have to. And she did it and she missed, but afterwards, instead of saying, you should have done this different or you should have done this, I asked her how she felt about it. And she was like, you know, I think I maybe left my needle in a little too long. And I think maybe that's what blew the vein. And I was like, great, that's awesome. So what are you gonna do next time? She's like, I think I'm gonna take my needle out a little bit earlier. And I was like, great. So you might not have gotten it, but look what you got out of that experience. Somebody who knew that she was learning how to do it, and hadn't done one before, knew that there was the chance that it wasn't gonna work, but let her do it. And she came out with, I think, a little bit of confidence. I don't wanna pat myself on the back, but maybe a little bit of confidence that she can do hard things. I mean, you're carrying wisdom that some of us don't, you know what I mean, don't learn anywhere along the way. And so that's just huge. And that will be not only a boon to you in your career, but obviously those that will have the pleasure of working with you and for you if you're already carrying that mindset. And yeah, that's why this podcast exists. Like let's change the culture. Let's change the culture. Because there's nothing that benefits from, you know, well, I don't want to say nothing because we have talked about some of the few benefits that we can choose to glean from tough love. And every once in a tough love is needed. tough love, the key component of that is still love. It's different than just eating our young, which is belittling, uh giving crap assignments to, like, you I had to go through it, so now you have to go through it. All of that is what we're trying to get rid of. And so. Yeah. topic you wanted to talk about was, and B is for balance, I suppose that's a good intro to this little topic that you had that you wanted to chat about, which is navigating life outside of nursing school. What does that look like? You mean you didn't focus on nursing school 24-7? uh you know, as we've mentioned, I'm getting married. I'm starting a new job. I have to pass the NCLEX still. So there is still some of my life that kind of feels a little nursing school-ish as I'm studying and all that. But I think the weirdest part is kind of like finding that balance of like, you can have a life now. Like, you know, I had a life in nursing school. I made sure of that. But like, what do I do with my free time when I'm home alone for eight hours? Like, I don't know. I'm trying to figure that. I'm trying to become okay with being alone. And I think that that's like the been the weirdest part since being out of nursing school is like, what do I do with all my free time? Like, you mean I have like, can hang out with friends? Like that's okay. Like, so I think my goal for this new year, um I want to be more comfortable with being alone. um But I also just wanna nurture the friendships that I have and make the ones on the unit that I'm gonna be going to. um I think this is just a year to really refill the soul. Yeah, well then tell us a little bit more about that process, like getting a job as a new grad. Where are you going to work? How did that? I mean, do you have a job? Let's start there. OK, so how did you find that job? And what tips do you have for those that are like, my gosh, what do I do? What do I do? I don't know if I'm the person to ask for tips because I lucked out. The first unit that I ever uh was a nurse tech on was the oncology unit at Sacred Heart. And I was offered a job there two weeks into being a nurse tech. Mind you, I was a J2. And I was like, my gosh, I would love that. But I still have like a year of school left. And the manager was like, oh shoot. Okay, well come back to me when you are graduating. And I was like, okay. So, lo and behold, I'm a S2, I'm about to graduate. um A lot of people are going crazy, like, you don't have a job, like, you need to get a job, like, there's not gonna be, like, you have to get a job, there's not gonna be enough, like, and so it was a little stressful, but I firmly believe in going and talking to somebody face to face. Hmm? And I already had established a connection on that floor. So when I was on lunch from one of my shifts, I walked up to that floor and I printed out my resume and I handed it to them and I said, hey, I haven't applied for the job yet, but I want you to know that I'm interested. I've worked here. I really love the culture of the floor. That was like the biggest selling point for me. ah I love this culture of the floor. I am a new grad. So when you guys open applications, let me know and I will be applying and I actually talked to like the main manager who I had never talked to before and she was like, my gosh, like this is amazing. Like here's the rec number. It's not open yet. When it does apply, you have it like it's yours. So I didn't have to interview, which makes me feel a little spoiled. Makes me feel a little spoiled, but I think it is that old fashioned way of going, showing someone that you want this. You're determined to get it. Like, just the passion I think that I had for it too. I think that was really a boost in my benefit. Well, and you say you didn't formally interview, and yet, you know, being a nurse tech on that floor, I guarantee you, you know what I mean, that your reputation, and I tell this to my students all the time, your reputation will precede you, uh whether that's for better or for worse, and I frame it as, it doesn't matter whether you think you're going to work at this hospital or wherever you're at, even if you don't think you're ever gonna see anybody here ever again. you still want to be the best version of you because I guarantee somehow, someone, somewhere down the road that will follow you. And your reputation is something, and it's the thing we can't teach, right? Your character, it's the thing we cannot teach. And it's the one thing, valuable, again, and you'll talk to any manager and they'll say, you know what? We can teach you the skills you need to work on this floor, to work in this. organization to work at this establishment to whatever the case may be. We can give you all the skills you need. We're happy to do that. We'll pay you to do that. However, the one thing they're looking for is what makes you you and that dear listener is what you bring to the table. That's why I say when Karli was on our unit, evident, absolutely evident. And so the fact, I'm not surprised at all that when you walk in there and they're like, oh, hey, would you like the job? Yeah, I have a year left to work. Mm-hmm. to educate, but yes, I would love to come back, you know, like give me a chance and then let me come back. But um it legitimately, like I did, this is not tooting my horn because I don't know how much of this played into anything, but when I wanted to get peds onc once I knew that was locked in as the piece and the thing I wanted to do when I was done and got my degree and got and sat for the boards and all the things, I was like near the end of that, of my educational experience. I didn't go in person at first. I was calling the manager, you know, leaving a message. Not obnoxiously. I try not to go that far because I can be obnoxious sometimes, but a little bit. know, squeaky wheel gets the grease out of something. I don't know. But that was it. You call and I'll never forget one of my peers was like, there's Eric doing Eric-y things. You know what I mean? Like just trying to, you know. say about me. Like, you're kissing butt. I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm just being me. Yep. And there is a difference between that and kissing butt. You know what mean? Kissing butt is like taking someone who is obviously like, I don't know, and you're assigning attributes to them that aren't true. know what I mean? I don't know. It's a different spirit behind it. You're not kissing butt. I just was like, hi, my name's Eric. I really hope to work on your unit one day. I'm happy to tell you more about myself, my passion, like I can't, dah, dah, dah, the end. It's not, you're amazing. you're the most, I've heard you're the most amazing manager ever. Can I get a job there? That's kissing butt. That's different, yeah. So um I feel like we're digressing, but we'll pull it back around here. So getting a job as a new grad, congrats, that's so exciting. And that's what sounds like a wonderful place to go with my little oncology, Peds oncology background. I'm a little biased there too. But there is one more hurdle to pass there, and we're not gonna make a big mountain out of it, and that is that uh little four-letter, five-letter word, the NCLEX test. So you wanted to talk about that too. How are you studying for it? What's your plan there? You know, this has been yet again another uphill battle, I feel like, because everybody studies so different in nursing school, but everybody also studies so different for this NCLEX. I have seen some of my friends that have been studying since December 5th. I have seen some of my friends who have not started studying. I am kind of right there in the middle. I am gonna be honest, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what to expect. I'm really nervous. I... Yeah, I think it's just like an unknown like void right now. I got Archer and that is what I'm using right now for a bunch of practice questions. And then I was also recommended the Mark K lectures. So I've been listening to those. um And then I did the little boot camp that our school like got. I think we pay for it, like part of our tuition through ATI, our bootcamp. And that was actually really fun. It gave me a lot more confidence than I thought because before that I was like, they are gonna test me about every topic under the sun. Like you remember that thing you learned in J1, you don't, they're gonna test you on it. I had a feeling and that's not true. Like there is like a very set, it's still big, it's still very vast. But there is a set kind of like what they're expecting from you, which makes it a little bit easier to study. uh And it kind of gave me some of that confidence because it's not, for me it wasn't the questions that I was getting wrong on the exams and getting Bs on. Like it was the questions that I'm getting right that they're testing me on. the, what would you do in this case? What's priority? Like those are things that you really understand and kind of that is what. Like they're kind of teaching you throughout nursing school, like the priorities. So as nervous as I am, I'm feeling okay about it. I've also talked to, not yet. I'm calling the Board of Nursing after this episode and I'm gonna be like, where is my attestation? I turned it in weeks ago. Yes. Yes. But along with that, I talked to one of the nurses on the labor and delivery side and then one of the nurses on the postpartum side who didn't pass their NCLEX the first time. And they just kind of reassured me that like no matter if you pass or you don't, again, it doesn't make you any less of a nurse than the person sitting next to you. And just because you don't pass a stinking test does not mean that you are not gonna be a good nurse. uh So I'm really trying to like, hold onto that and like remind myself because I'm not the greatest test taker. uh When I got my EMT license, I failed the first time and again thought the world was ending and went into a spiral and then passed it the next time. So I'm hoping, fingers crossed, praying that doesn't happen with the NCLEX but again, like kind of like we've been talking throughout the whole episode like. just because you don't do it the first time doesn't mean that you're gonna be any less of a nurse or a person. So really holding onto that. Yes. I love that you're being real and candid. Someone listening to this is going, okay, here's a woman who has it seemingly for 35, 38 minutes. You've got it going on, right? You didn't have to formally interview for a job. You're getting married. Life is awesome. And then you're like, also, I have no idea. Like, I'm terrified. Here's the practical things I'm doing. And I love that you are open that way. And so a couple of the pointers I like to add under the subject of NCLEX, which I preached before and I'll preach till the day I die. Number one, it is the one test in all the world that'll make you feel the stupidest. uh There were like 20, 30 of us in our class that had like uh tested the same day. It might've only been a dozen, I don't know, it grows over time. But there was a bunch of us that tested the same day and we all decided we'd go to lunch afterwards, which at first we thought was a very bad idea because we all sat around that, we sat. I don't want to see anybody. Legit, we sat around a table at Red Robin and it was like, okay, well, I'm going back to medical records. What are you guys doing? You know what mean? Like each of us were like going, yeah, I totally, got the minimum questions and I still feel like a moron. I wasted two, four years of my life. And so one, that's the test. No matter how you do on the test, that's how you're going to feel for the most part. Every once in there's a rare exception where someone's like, I felt pretty good. I don't know who you are. Come on the podcast and tell us why you feel that way. that person is. I know that person. I know they're going to send me that text afterwards. I can already feel it. prepared for it. ah But practice, and for me it was just practicing questions. I trusted the institution that I attended to give me the base knowledge, like you said, the things that you know, the things that every nursing school should be teaching you and are likely teaching you. Trust your institution for the baseline knowledge and then just practice. Practice, practice. I practiced for a month, took the test, and fortunately passed the first time, even though I felt like I didn't. And I love that you bring up Archer. I love that you bring up Mark Kay lectures. These are things that I no clue when I became a nurse, you know what I mean? Those weren't in existence, but a lot of people keep bringing them up. And so you guys take advantage of those situations. the areas, the last bit is the areas where you are the weakest in, whatever you use to determine that, whether it's through a boot camp or whatever the case may be, then shore up those areas, but then trust the other areas. like that you have the base knowledge for that. Does that make sense? Yeah, I would 100 % agree with that. I would say one of my stronger suits is labor and delivery because I have such a passion for it. And so when I get those questions, I'm like, oh shoot, I'm flying through these. Like I know these like the back of my hand. But then they'll ask me a question about a medication for a med search problem. And I'm like, ooh, I don't know what that medication is. And that's when I'll go and I'll go back to that question and I'll read. all the explanations, like the explanations for the wrong answer, and then I'll read the one for the right, and then I'll do some more digging. And I would say a tip that I have for myself that I've kind of had throughout nursing school is I make up the weirdest, wackiest, like, what are they called? Anag- not anagrams, but like, acronyms, yes, I make up the craziest out-of-pocket anagrams I've ever heard of. But my friend who tends to do very well on tests and is gonna be the person that gives me the call after his NCLEX and goes, I did it, it was easy. um He, after every single test, would say, I used that one that you came up with, I knew it because you said that and it was weird and it stuck in my head and I knew it. So that's something that I've also been kind of trying to do because I would say a weakness of mine is meds. So just making up those weird things, whatever works for you, however weird, however normal, however out of the box it is, do it, trust your gut. um We've got this, I think. I think, yeah. I love that. And I love you took me back to my quote unquote Bible college days. It wasn't like official Bible college. I did not go on to some campus. It was a distance learning thing. But we had one of our peers who she was very musically inclined and for whatever reason, because we had to memorize certain scripture and uh this, that and the other. And I'll never forget she would make songs out of certain like, you know, and just like I mean, nothing, not talking about like worship songs. She just literally like put a tune to certain things and that's how it laid down in her brain. So whatever you have to do to make it sick, like you said, do it. And the other bit that I want to add to that, and I'm so glad you ended with that, like we've got this, I think. And so like the day of the test, when you go in to take the test, first of all, don't cram the night before, get a good night's rest the night before. Yeah, all the things. But the day of the test, I was like, here's what I have to do. I'm going to go in and kick this test's ass. And that's not how you feel on the inside. But you have to get to that place because you're going to have nervous energy no matter what. So instead of allowing it to cripple you, channel it and use it as a motivating force. So, ah, Karli, I love it. Is there anything else that we didn't talk about that you wanted to talk about before we close in our traditional manner? Oh goodness. No, you know, just one thing to anybody out there who is listening, is a nurse, who's a nursing student, who is gonna change career paths, who is maybe thinking about nursing. uh Just know that you've got this. Just trust your gut. Go with the flow, however hard that flow is. uh And just do it. It's a beautiful career. I haven't even really started it, but it has already been such a blessing in my life. ah yeah, remember to feed your young, please. I love it. I love it. love it. Okay. So then you chose three amazing words to describe nursing school. What were they again? And why did you choose them? Okay, my first word was challenging because I think nursing school really pushed me in ways that nothing else really had. ah You know, it required that constant studying, the emotional exhaustion, time management, like sacrifices of time with family, sleep, personal time, all the above. ah You know, there were also moments throughout of like self-doubt and exhaustion, but those challenges really forced me to grow, um to become more discipled and disciplined and kind of realized how capable I truly am of things. um And I have said throughout this whole time, but even though it was the hardest thing I've ever done, it was definitely one of the most uh meaningful accomplishments in my life. And then my second word was fulfilling ah because despite how hard it was, it gave me a purpose. ah You know, every long night of studying, every clinical day, every exam that felt like I failed, it was all worth it in the end to see myself gaining the skills that I need to genuinely help others, but also to like help myself along the way throughout. ah Knowing that I was learning like what I was learning would directly impact like the patient's lives. ah Just it made it all worth it. ah And it was also fulfilling to watch myself transform into someone more confident and knowledgeable and be prepared to care for others during some of the most vulnerable moments of their life. Which leads me to transformative probably. my goodness. probably the best word I would say because nursing school doesn't just teach you content. It really changes who you are. It reshapes the way you think, how you handle stress, how you advocate for your others, how you advocate for yourself, how you see yourself. And I really truly don't think that you come out the same person that you went in as. I think you come out stronger, more confident. And I think you come out just able to handle like hard things better, like anything really I feel like I can handle now. I'm like, I got this. Should I go to med school now? I don't know. ah So yeah, I just think even your struggles become part of your growth. And that's why I really do think it is a transformative moment in your career. I could not have said it better myself, my friend. And for whatever reason, people aren't listening. They didn't listen, they tuned out, they fell asleep. Not because you were boring, probably because I got out of the talk in a little too long, and they just woke up and they need one thing. What is the one thing you want them to walk away from your episode with? ah I would say don't measure your success by comparing yourself to others. Something we kind of talked about the entire way. um Everybody learns differently, struggles differently. Everybody grows at their own pace. And so I think comparison only adds unnecessary stress and self-doubt upon an already very demanding journey. So focus on your progress. Ask questions without fear. Ask questions without fear, please. ah And just trust that showing up and doing your best every day is enough, and you're gonna get to where you're meant to be, no matter how long or how short it takes. Mm-mm. Karli, thank you for bringing the truth, dropping the wisdom, and just shining like the light that you are. So thank you so much for doing this this morning. Yes, hopefully I get to bring you patients someday. That's my goal. It's, it's, no, no, it's not if, it's when, it's when. And so you, you have amazing fun taking care of those incredible patients over oncology and we are gonna see you in our neck of the woods someday. Yes you are. Yes you are.