167 - Allie Rader: Nursing is the Sweetest Profession

Join nurse and Wenatchee, Washington native Honored Guest Allie Rader as she talks all about finding positivity in hard situations, growing up with medical jargon, why she works postpartum nursing, the learning curve involved in working float pool, her love of nursing school, how you finish your shift when bad things happen, who inspires her most in life, the role of faith in her nursing career, and more!

Contact us:
thanks@feedingouryoung.org to send a note of appreciation to any of our honored guests - let them know how they touched you - I'll make sure they read your praises!
info@feedingouryoung.org all other inquiries, including having host Eric Miller speak to your nursing students or nurses!
+1 (509) 666-5636 text/voicemail line

Follow us:
@feedingouryoungllc Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

Many thanks:
Jon Holland (Jomarkho - found on SoundCloud, Spotify, and the like) Music - intro/outro/sting composition
10com Web Development Logo and website design
Jeff Burton (88 Creative) Planting and watering the seeds to start this podcast

Transcript

0:00

Okay. welcome to this episode of the Feeding Our Young® podcast, which is really part two of what I have now affectionately calling Ally/ie Week here in studio, because unbeknownst to this alley, ah I sat down with an alley a few days ago. And so today was uh the second of the two Ally/ie schedules in the same week, which is just crazy to me that these little serendipitous things happen. But I'm so excited. I'm gonna stop talking because I cannot wait for you to meet. the one that we all love and know at work as Allie the Pirate, Allie Rader. Allie, how are you my friend? good. I'm great. Awesome. I am uh so glad you're willing to do this and I've kind of let the cat out of the bag. Yes, Allie and I are co-workers and she so graciously said, uh, yeah, let's do this thing. So let's get to know a little bit more about you, my friend. I guess the before we really introduce yourself instead of since we've kind of introduced you, why are you known as Allie the pirate? I'm so confused. Well, when I first started working on mom-baby, there were two Allies. And so it was an Allie Rader. So Allie R. And arrr is of course what a pirate says. And I happen to have one of my front teeth is a veneer because my brother threw a squirt gun at me and broke it. And so I have a couple of pictures of when the veneer fell off and it's a tiny nub and I look like a pirate. No way! Oh my gosh, I knew the first part of this story, I didn't know the second one, so this is all fantastic. just all, yeah, and like a raider is like a pirate. They raid things. So it just all snowballed. And then a few of the ladies just took it and run with it. And now I'm just pirate. did that did that originate with one Jaime Michels? Yes, we're gonna shout we're gonna name drop her here also affectionately known as GJ. Everybody has their own nicknames She is GJ also known as geriatric Jaime and we're not making fun of her. She made that name for herself, but She is but enough about her we're not talking about her anymore. It's about you. So Allie what degrees do you hold when and where did you get them? I have my BSN and I got them from WSU, Go Cougs baby. And I graduated in December of 2022. So it's been like three years now, which is crazy. Almost four really. I mean, right? It's 2026. with the year, but it was December, so it's like closer to three than four, but I'll take it. it. I love it. But it's still amazing to me because like we all work together and all the things and like in my mind I don't see Allie as a three year only. I don't even like to use the word only but only a three year nurse like you're you carry yourself with much more wisdom and grace ah than someone who is relatively new to the job. I don't know is that a way to say that. So where is home for you Allie? What is it? Where do you come from? Where do you live? What is home for you? I am from Wenatchee, Washington, which is central Washington. And it's just the best, the best little piece of, it's the best part of Washington, I think. But I'm currently in Spokane and I'm growing to love it as well. I live with another one of our coworkers and it's just been the sweetest thing. We're up on the South Hill and it's just a little slice of heaven up here. It's the best. em And she's not joking you guys like we've asked them like there's got to be bad days There's got to be things where you get like no they just do everything together I feel like you guys are like a built-in not a sitcom for funny purposes, but just you get along life is good Yeah, it's the best. We have all the same interests. We just giggle and walk and hang out with dogs and cook yummy food. It's the dream life. Perfect roommate. Well, I... normally this is a question for getting to know you a in the middle, but since you're already kind of leading there, what do love most about your hometown? there's so many things. I feel like Wenatchee is the perfect size. It's small town, but not too small where you know everyone's business, but there's good community and it feels really safe. And, it's has that, you know, small town charm. We have this festival in the spring and it's called Apple Blossom. And it's just when all the apple trees are blooming and it's just the most beautiful time. All the hills around the valley are green and we have parades and a little food fair and everyone's just out and about listening to music in the park, dancing. It's just the best. It's dreamy. You should go to Wenatchee. Everyone should go to Wenatchee. Yeah. You're welcome. This is how we roll. 100 % as the Wenatchee representative. part. The Wenatchee poster child. I love it. Well, before we get to know more about the Wenatchee poster child, what are the three words, Allie, that you chose to describe nursing school? I said foreign, challenging, and fun. like that first one haven't heard that one ah and then what are three of your favorite songs in life right now? I love the song Blue Honey by Lunar Vacation. It's the best when the sun's out and the windows are down. I also love There's the Sun by Zach Chopp, because I'm a country girl through and through. And then another one that I've been loving is, well, I've been loving Billy Ocean, a little throwback, but I love Love Really Hurts Without You. It just gets me grooving. I love it, and I love that you refer to Billy Ocean as throwback. uh I'm glad, uh I'm like, man, I'm glad I put my dentures in this morning. This is fantastic. uh All right, my friend, well, let's get to know a little bit more about you. as a disclaimer for everyone out there, as you know, we have this fun little forum that people can or cannot fill out whatever they want. And every once in I get people who will fill it out. Others won't fill it out at all. and there's this select group that are the in-between and they'll send me the things they want me to ask them and I have no clue what they're gonna respond with. So I get to learn about Allie alongside everybody else because I have the questions she wanted me to ask and I don't know where she's going with them. So in no particular order my friend, a little more icebreaker questions for you. What is your superpower? I think that my superpower is finding positivity in hard situations and kind of like finding calm and the chaos a little bit. I feel like I can go through something hard and then I'll pick out little bits and be like, okay, this is good or like, it was like this for this reason, because I feel like for my own personal mental health and everything, it just lifts me back up. Because if you just stay focused on the negative, it just spirals down. So I'm like, no, I need to find the good things and focus on those. Yeah. you. I can attest to this fact, because I don't know. I'm sure you've had a bad day in your life at some point, but I have yet to see it myself. Yeah, I don't like to show that to outer world. I like to try to present myself as positive, which I usually am. I love it. love it. Well then does that positivity carry into carry over into your like your hobbies and interests? What is it that you're doing when you're not working? Okay, well, I feel like I have so many hobbies these days. I feel like after graduating and you know, having my own career and having so many days off when other people are working, I'm like, okay, I got to tap into these hobbies. So I love and have always loved sports. I grew up playing soccer. So I still play a little coed soccer team outdoor and then I play indoor soccer as well in the winter. and I love to go for runs, I love to go to the gym, strength train, do Pilates, do yoga, kind of whatever. I'm teaching a little exercise class at Union Gospel Mission here, which is super fun with these ladies. I also have picked up tennis in the last couple of years, which has been super fun. I have like, yeah, it's super fun. My boyfriend and his mom play and they gave me a racket and so I just kind of started playing. And there is this really sweet little old man who walked up to me and was like, can I hit with you? And I was like, sure. And so we started playing. And then every time I was out there, he would walk by and he'd come and hit with me. And now we're best friends. So shout out to Tom. Yeah, he's I know he's my Spokane tennis buddy and I love him. So that's sweet. I also have tapped into my creative side lately, like crafting. starting to sew, just made my first shirt. I'm making like, yeah, love making little cards and just paper, everything. Paper chains, little garland for the holidays. Yeah, trying to read more. Trying to do all the things. Sounds like, mean like you're doing a lot of the things that's what I love I mean it's the beauty of not having kids yet and not really having any commitments. I'm like, okay, let's try all these things. say working less than full time, but we already know you pick up so many shifts. Like you are like, we were just saying that before you showed up yesterday, cause she came in for a few hours yesterday. And before that, everybody's like, yeah, like she just always gets lucky and gets called in. And we think she's close to full time, if not a little bit more now. It is true. I am 0.6 but I do I do make my myself very known to our floor. I want to see the percentages of like how many times I'm called it because it feels like 80 or 90 percent truly, which is epic. my gosh. So you kind of briefly drop the fact that you have a significant other, so that just leads us naturally into telling us about your family, your loved ones, the people in your life. yes. So I have my parents, of course. They're the best. They're kind of why I got into nursing. They're both pharmacists. So I was always hearing about all the medical stuff kind of growing up. And then I have two older sisters who also happen to be nurses. So that also kind of trickled into why I became a nurse. And then I have a little brother who's 21 and He's my little bestie and he's at WSU as well right now. So again, go Cougs, let's go. Yeah, so that's my family. A lot of them are still in Wenatchee and then my sister's over on the West side of Washington. And then, yeah, I have a boyfriend who I've been dating for three years now. His name's Wyatt, he's the best. He's an accountant. He currently lives in Portland. So it's been a little bit tricky, but hopefully we get to the same place soon. Um, and then my loved ones, I just have so many, so many friends and so many different places from so many parts of my life. So of course my girl Andrea, all my coworkers, some of my besties from nursing school, and then my hometown best friends that I just adore. And I just saw actually on Monday, cause I'm wedding dress shopping with one of my bestest friends, Greta. So yeah, yeah, I feel very, very lucky and very blessed to have so many. sweet and amazing people in my life. Yeah. I don't like spending a lot of time with the fluff questions, but it's kind of fun because we get to know a little bit more about you. And you have this other prompt here that I'm just going to ask before we dive into the nursing content. And that is that with all these people in your life, I'm assuming it lends to bit of travel. There was something you wanted me to ask you. Have you traveled? Oh, I have traveled. I have traveled. Growing up, I played soccer really competitively. And so I would travel to different states for soccer, like Florida, Texas, Utah, California, kind of all over. So that was super fun. Just kind of experiencing it in a different way. And then, yeah, I do kind of, I traveled to Portland a lot. And I have a really good friend down in San Diego too, so I try to go see her while I can. It's a nice little escape, especially in the winter. And then this last September, I went to Italy for the first time and it was amazing and the food was delicious. And I went to Rome and then I went to Sicily and hopped on this sailboat, which my best friend's uncle is the captain of. And we sailed across the Mediterranean. And it was awesome. And then we just stopped at uh Sardegna, which is that little Italian island and just ported every day at a different place. And then we went to Bonifacio, which is a city on Corsica, which is the French island. And it was just the most amazing experience ever. I'm like, how do I get back there? Like, it was awesome. Like, yeah, life changing. Yeah. There's those sentences that you, you know what mean? Like I can't say that about myself. I can't say I've sailed across the Mediterranean. Like that is just, you know what I mean? Like that is such a fun thing to be able to say in your life. Yes, it's crazy. Once in a lifetime experience, I feel. I love it 100 % and maybe hopefully as you've already described maybe a two times in your life experience at least. Well let's bring it back to uh good old Washington State then and let's dial it back a little bit because you just kind of touched on this in the opening part but what led you to nursing? We got a little tidbit here and there but give us a comprehensive picture. Why did you join the nursing profession? Yeah, so like I kind of said, my parents had kind of always you know, little tidbits here and there throughout my life. So I just kind of had some medical jargon kind of sprinkled around. I'm just like, I thought I really thought I wanted to be an optometrist. And one day my mom's like, that would be cool. But just kind of think about with and this was what, 2017 or something. She was talking about kind of how. robots and technology are kind of taking over some fields. She's like, you know, looking at someone's eyes could kind of easily be taken over by some form of technology. And I was like, yeah, okay, that's true. So then I was kind of thinking, I was like, hmm, I don't really want to be a doctor. And then I talking to my sisters who were just kind of gonna start applying for nursing school. And I was like, I wonder if I would want to be a nurse. And so I kind of just picked their brain about what was going on and stuff. And I was really interested. And then at the same time, unfortunately, my grandma had an aortic aneurysm and was in the hospital and then passed away. But her nurses were just so kind and compassionate and just I was 18 and it was really the first loss in my life that I really experienced. And so I was like, my gosh. it was really scary and sad. time and the nurses just were so loving and calming and I remember them placing their hands on us and just being there and just reassuring that my grandma would be comfortable and all the things like that and I was just like my gosh that's so important so then I was like okay yeah I want to be a nurse because I really do love people and I do really want to help people and I feel like it's the perfect combination of helping people in their hardest, most difficult stages of life. And also being able to love into them and the love of Jesus onto them and just be with them, which is awesome. I love that. So then let me ask you this, because you're talking about being with people in their most difficult times, but as is already established, we both work postpartum, where happiness is the general rule. So I have to know, what led you to that specialty then? Yeah, so in nursing school, I did my clinical rotations and I just did them at Holy Family. So it was labor and delivery, postpartum recovery, all in one. And I just loved it. It's just giving birth is crazy. One of the biggest life changing moments in a woman's life. So it's so cool to be there and support them. And then of course, hanging out with these sweet babies and teaching these families how to care for them and being there again in a very vulnerable spot in their life where it's like they're sleep deprived. This is maybe their first baby and they don't really know what's going on and just being able to give them that education and reassurance that they're doing good and they're gonna be good parents and kind of preparing them to go out into the world with this sweet little miracle is just the best. So I knew I wanted to do something in the OB world. I did my practicum on labor and delivery and I loved that. So I used to work in float pool when I got out of nursing school. And I kind of kept my eyes open for other positions opening in mom-baby or labor and delivery. And so I applied to a couple of each and then I finally got my baby and it's just been the best thing ever. I go to work and I'm like, yay. It was like a year and three months. Okay, so if you don't mind, because you're obviously very passionate about uh OB and women's health and everything that we do. um But so you have this, I don't know, I guess, know, this intro, like interim period where you're not necessarily doing what you wanna do. So I can already hear like nursing students and other people listening going, okay, how do you go through that? Like you already said earlier, you try and find like the little bits of the positive in whatever. Yeah. not trying to make it out that this was just the worst experience ever and you had to survive, lead us through that. How do you go through something that's not your favorite thing to start off with? Yeah. So I ended up picking Float Pool because yeah, I knew I wanted to do mom-baby and stuff. And actually, one of my preceptors when I was in practicum had been in Float Pool before she went to labor and delivery. So it's like, hmm, that kind of like planted a seed and it was a day shift position. And I didn't feel really passionate about any of the other floors per se in the hospital. So I was like, I might as well do them all. So I did Float Pool. And it was good. Like, of course it wasn't ideally what I wanted, but it was my first nursing job. And so it was a big learning curve, definitely just being a new nurse and then like kind of having to orient because in Sacred Heart there are eight different floors and they're split in half. So there were a bunch of different floors I would go to and I'd have to orient to kind of each of those and kind of know what to do on every floor. So that was crazy. And you could be floated, you could work four hours and be floated to a different floor after four or work eight and then float for the last four. So it made me really flexible. But it was good. feel like it really gave me a good foundation of yeah, being like, go with the flow, like, okay, I can get through this. It also really instilled in me like ask questions like. if you're unsure of anything, like ask questions for the safety of your patients, of course, and just to gain more knowledge. Cause yeah, every floor was different. So I'd be like, ah. And so it just really helped build a foundation for me. And I feel like it also helped me think critically, which has poured into mom-baby nows. Cause we do have some more critical patients. So it's like, there's a little something just clicks and I'm like, wait, it connects to when I did med-surg stuff. And sometimes that'll greatly benefit our patient or I'll identify something because I had a past experience. um Yeah, and flip-flop wasn't terrible. Some days are bad, of course, but other days were lovely. it's just nursing in general is the sweetest profession because you get to meet and connect with. these people who otherwise you'd probably never meet in your life, you know? So, yeah, I just remember having some of the sweetest patients who were like, you know, 80 or 90, and I would just ask them about their life, you know, like some of them were veterans, some of them just had these crazy pasts, and I'm like, I wanna know, I wanna know what you went through. And then, yeah, some of them were just the sweetest, and they'd be like. Can I adopt you as my granddaughter? Like, can you be my granddaughter? And I'm like, yeah. it was it's so sweet. And so sweet thinking of me as a 22 year old, new grad nurse, caring for these people who have so much wisdom. It was just so awesome. So I loved it. I know there were some days that were not glorious, but it was, it was really good experience and I'm glad I did it. And now working at MomBaby, it's just perspective. Like even on crazy days, I'm like, okay, like this is still good, you know, this is what I wanted, this is what I prayed for, all the things. So I'm like, good perspective for sure. For sure, and especially on those shifts. let me, but wait a second, mom-baby, you mean we don't just get to like hold and feed babies and that's it? That would be, wouldn't it? I'll never forget, and I've mentioned it on occasion on the podcast, but you know, my wife, it was like, I don't know, two, three shifts in and she's like, so what's it like, like holding all the babies? Yeah. response to her was, I don't know, you have to ask the moms and dads because we're too busy. Because we got too much going on. We got too much going on. And I love that you just kind of pick up, I just envision you picking up all these honorary grandparents along the way. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Well, I mean, like, okay, so then let's, let's dial it back a little bit. I know we're doing things a little bit out of order, but of course nursing school, right? Yeah. you just mentioned nursing school and kind of setting you on this path eventually to the OB world. But talk to us about your nursing school experience. Like what did you love most about it? honestly, looking back, I know in the moment it was more tough, but I'm like, I love nursing school. Like it was so fun. um It was like a new city for me here in Spokane. um And it was kind of the tail end of COVID is when I had it. So we didn't have any in-person classes our first semester, which was tricky, but. I lived with a couple of girls who were in my cohort. So I kind of got to build relationships with them, relationships with people who were in my clinical group, because those were the only people in our cohort that we saw. So that was kind of special. And I just remember learning a lot, like a lot. Like our prereqs never fully set us up for like, know, pharmacology and like, know, cathode and everything like that. It was yeah, I knew the anatomy and physiology, but this is just totally different. uh But it was good. And I feel super lucky, especially after talking to uh some people who I know from different areas who went to school in different areas. Their clinical experience wasn't as good as mine, I guess. Like I talked to some people who... went to school down in Oregon and they didn't get a children or OB clinical at all. They just had med-surg So I feel really blessed for that. Yeah, and just their schools, they don't do that. Yeah, which was interesting. Yeah, they just learn about it. They don't actually get to do the clinical experience. So I feel super blessed that I kind of got to dabble in all the different areas. um And then, yeah, I remember the first year of nursing school kind of being the hardest. And then the second year, you kind of are like, gain some confidence and you're like, okay, I kind of know what's going on. And then again, at WSU, the last year is OB-PEDS and then like your final semester psych and community health and stuff. So I was like, let's go, this is my favorite. Like, this is gonna be good. as it were. Yes, and then practicum being the last thing I did in labor and delivery. So I was like, this is epic. I loved it. Wow. You mentioned that that first year was kind of challenging. I mean, to the audience members, I'm sure this is an obvious question, but what for you made it the most challenging? Why was the first year so rough? I just feel like, and this is also kind of one of the words that I said for a nursing school, it's like foreign, it's totally foreign. like, all the information is new and you're trying to like learn and retain and also apply and see it happen in your clinicals. And it's like being in a hospital, usually for the first time kind of, or maybe you've been a few times before, it's just different and navigating all of that. like, kind of like we were saying with this podcast, feed our young, don't eat our young, but some nurses that you're paired with in nursing school are like, oh, I don't want a student today. And you're like, okay, like, you know, I'm just, yeah, I'm going to try to make you like me by the end of the day. I'm going to show you that I'm smart and can be helpful. But yeah, it was just challenging in kind of every way you're learning. It's a lot. Got a lot of classes going on with a lot of material and then yeah, being in a new city trying to make new friends because it's not the friends you had back at well for me in Pullman and stuff like that. So it was all just kind of challenging but a good challenge. It ended up being awesome. Yes, and I love that you bring that up because that's what I love telling my students. And this is key, you guys, and you're adding a layer to it that I didn't think about. But what I've always said and maintained is that when you're in nursing school, you are literally learning another language. It is like you're, and it's immersion. It's like being dropped off in the middle of a foreign country whose language you don't speak. And all of a sudden you are now trying to navigate how to just do daily functions. There's a reason why in Spanish, right? One of the first things you learn, donde esta el baño. Like you gotta learn where to go to the bathroom. But it's those things that you take for granted when you are comfortable in your society and in what you do, and then you're dropped in the middle of this new world. And the layer you added for me, Allie, is it's more than that. It's you just take a moment and think about all the new sights, all the new sounds. Yeah, there's the overwhelming alarm bells going off, you know what mean? Monitors and pumps and everything else. And that is just like all of this together. Anybody wonder why you're stressed out in nursing school to start with or, you know, through the whole thing? Like, it's just crazy. So I appreciate you bringing that perspective to that. You know, since we're kind of in the murky waters, just a little bit at this moment, there is another question you wanted me to ask you, and maybe you've touched on it both professionally and personally. And I don't, again, not knowing your answers, but what challenges have you faced, Allie? Because you seem like a very positive person. So what challenges have you faced, and how do you navigate through these challenges in life? so I feel like professionally, my biggest challenges probably were inflow pool and it was like, you know, dealing with difficult patients, but specifically it was when I had my first patient die and when I had a few others that followed, it's like, it's a really crazy experience because you're grieving somebody. and it's a human life. And so it's heavy, but you also have two or three other patients that you have to you know, be sharp and ready to care for. So it's really tricky to, to grieve and give this person the right amount of honor, you know, and take time for them to process and then also be there for your other patients. I remember, yeah, the first patient I ever had who passed away, was just heartbreaking. like, oh my gosh, I wanted to just you know, sit there and honestly cry because I'm like, oh, this is heartbreaking. It's like nothing I've never experienced, seeing somebody pass like that. But then I had a zillion other things to do in my other room. And it just felt like, I was out my body, looking at myself, do all the other things, but mentally I wasn't fully present there. And then I just remember going to my lunch break and being like, my gosh, that just happened. It was just it's just crazy. I don't even know how to fully put it into words. It's an experience that. I don't feel like people should experience, but you have to, and you have to continue working for your other patients. So I just felt like that was hard. And then it happened a couple more times when I was in float pool, I feel like being able to sit and process it when I get home and talk to my friends or my family and kind of debrief and have healthy coping mechanisms. to kind of work through that grief and that just weirdness that you feel and not stopping and honoring and pausing everything to honor this person's life. So I feel like that's, yeah, that's been the biggest challenge. And then of course there's like social situations with humans come social situations. So just trying to be able to maneuver through that and just have confidence and be really honest with them but also in a loving way I think is really important. Yeah, no, you're very, very well said. I, you're, there's a couple of things popping into my mind as you're talking about all these things, because I just love, thank you for being candid about, you know what I mean, your experience with that and kind of opening that door. Cause it's a part of nursing that, I mean, maybe some people fear going into it, you know, hopefully I don't ever have to deal with that or, you know, I don't know. And others know that it's going to be something that maybe they have to deal with. And then there's a select few that experienced it in nursing school. I've talked with some. And I don't care what stage of nursing you're in when that sort of thing happens. You you're taking me back, Allie, to a couple of the patients that I would care for in pedsonc who I was their nurse when they died. uh Sorry, it's been a lot of years, but even still, it just, you carry a bit of them with you for the rest of your career. ah remember what they look like, like what rooms they were in. They're just like, yeah, they definitely are carried with you. Yeah, you never forget them. And what I loved about our unit was, you I worked nights at the time and I'll never forget because our charges, whoever was, you know, at the time it was ANMs who were almost always charged. And the ANMs that were on were very good about, hey, you know, for whoever took care of someone who had passed, whatever you need, do you need to go walk? Do you need to go? We have some sacred spaces at Sacred Heart, which are wonderful places to go and just be alone. and to pray and to cry and to whatever and to, like you said, kind of try and process what happened, but you still have a shift you have to get back to. that's the surreal part of it is, do you have any, is there even such a thing as practical advice on if you experience this in your career, how do you go about finishing the rest of your job, that shift? Honestly, like this is probably not the best advice, but I would say like you kind of have to dissociate honestly like tuck it away and continue your shift and then revisit after and yeah, really like think on it and Like I was saying kind of talk with Those close to you who can just listen so you can get it out instead of just holding it in Yeah And yeah, I feel like my faith is also kind of helping with that, you know, there's uh a bigger and better plan for all these people. So it's reassuring. oh, Allie, thank you. Thank you. just I love that and I love it. I guess I wouldn't be doing the subject Disservice if I didn't mention that there are also wherever you're working your facility your whether it's hospital or whatever the case may be Tap into whatever resources they provide as well because I know that our organization does a really good job of that especially if it's something that like happens suddenly then you know, there's a lot of uh opportunities to hopefully there's an opportunity to debrief debrief what went down whether it was the code or you know what I mean like I don't know but And like you said tapping into those loved ones that are around you your support um And that includes also those your people at work Whoever your people are and and especially those that maybe have walked that road before you like hey ah How do I deal with this feeling that's coming up and? And it's not something that just goes away. uh But you're absolutely right, Allie. I think in the moment, like, the way I envision is compartmentalizing, right? Like you kind of tuck it away in a box. You recognize that, let me caution too. What you don't want to do is tuck that away in a box and then leave that box closed in the corner of your heart. uh Because it will open again later if you don't open it yourself. And usually it's a lot worse. box if that happens. Yes, yes, so much worse than it could be. So, Allie, I thank you for sharing that bit. This is what helps, I don't know, to me, that's what makes you kind of an inspiring person. You know what I mean? Is that you still don't shy away from the challenges that come up in life. I didn't know that you had this experience and just knowing that and knowing who you are, it's like reconciling those two things. like, oh, it fits. I see how she gets through this sort of thing. I mean, being the inspiring person that you are, have to ask, because this is one of the questions that you wanted me to ask you, but who then or what inspires you in life? Yeah, I think my biggest inspiration in life was my grandma. She was just the most kind, loving, sacrificial woman. Like I don't think I ever saw her angry, even when me and my brother were being so annoying and fighting with each other or whatever. She was so graceful and everything she did and now that I'm adult and looking back, I can just see all these times where she was just kind of moving in the background, just so like everything was perfect for us kind of kids. And like every time we went to her house, it was just you know, the most fun and it was just so sweet. So she inspires me to be kind and loving and all the things and try to carry myself with grace. Oh, I love that. And what is it about grandmas in particular? And no offense to the grandpas out there. We have some amazing grandpas, all the things. I loved my grandpa very much, but my grandma was like no one else. Like, you know, these words that you're describing are basically her. And it's like, what is up with grandmas that they can just be that way? Yeah, I feel like they've been moms, they've been through it, and they have so much wisdom, and now they're just like, okay, I don't totally have to parent these kids, but I get to love them and do all the fun things with them, you know? that's the bit of it because you don't have maybe the stress that the parent, you know, speaking from a parent, I can't speak as a grandparent yet, but like the stresses and the worries you always have in the back of your mind for your own kids. And it's like, wow, you can love like family members and then not have to deal with that bit of it because your children will hopefully be dealing with it. So, oh, that's awesome. So, and let me ask you then, so. before we close in our traditional manner, and this is just kinda coming to my heart and mind here, but you've mentioned faith more than once, and it sounds like it's very much a part of who you are and your life. I, did your grandma have a part to play in that, or where does that come into play? She did, definitely. um I also just, grew up going to a Catholic school, um kindergarten through fifth grade. I'm not Catholic, I'm Christian, but uh it kind of, it definitely instilled good morals and just kind of that base. And then I feel like kind of had it sprinkled throughout um growing up, middle school, high school, and then I've come back even stronger into my faith, especially in nursing and dealing with hard things and other hard things in life. It's just also I feel like, for me at least, kind of knowing and understanding the body. I'm like, my gosh, you know, there has to be a creator. There has to be all these things are so intricate and there's no way that all these things just work perfectly just, you know, by happenstance. So It really doubles down for me, but yeah, it's just in a career where you're seeing like brokenness and like hardship, it's for me so important to be like, okay, you know, there's a bigger plan in place, things are happening and all you can do is love and show God's love through the work you do. And I'll like every time before shift, I'll like say a little prayer. I'm like, God, use me. in the way that my patients need me today. Just bless my presence on these people and yeah, showing the love through me, which I feel like gives me confidence going into a shift. I love that. And I think I'll add my two cents worth to this too, because over my career even, my career has been long enough that there have been varying levels to my faith, you know what I mean, as far as that goes, and being closer to God and then feeling much farther away from God and going through stuff and all the things. But that's the story of anyone's life, I know. But there are some shifts that I legitimately... You know what mean? You don't want to float to this one place and it's the one place that makes you, you know, I don't know, whatever, or dear God, don't give me this type of patient today. I don't have the patience for it. And yet then you get, you know, it's those shifts where you're feeling that way. And then you end up with someone that is challenging or perceived as the least favorite type of patient to have that I find that like, that's where the greatest growth and the greatest shifts that I've had have come to play, right? Like you're like, my gosh, like, okay, I see why I had to go into work today. I see why I had to take care of so and so today. So, ah, we can talk about this forever. Okay, so, Allie, then, is there anything else that you wanted to make sure you shared before we close in our traditional name? think so. I think we covered all the bases. I love it, I think we did too. Amazing. Well then, I know you've kind of touched on the whys, but what were the three words you chose, and again, why did you pick? Yes. So I chose foreign. And again, kind of like we were saying, just new everything, new information, new situations, new skills, new place, new connections and relationships that you're making and developing. anywhere in life where there's something new, it's challenging. And then when it's seven different things that are new, you're like, ah, overwhelmed. Which one do I focus on right now? Yeah. And then I said challenging, which kind of feeds right into that. You're learning new things. You feel like you're a fish out of water. You're like, how do I do this? But then you kind of get your confidence and your feet under you and you figure it out. And then I said fun because yeah, when I think back on nursing school, I'm like, I had so much fun. Like I loved it. Like I got to meet new people. I got to learn new things. I get to take these little bits and pieces of knowledge that I learned about nursing and just about life. And I just get to take it into my life. And I just, yeah, I think back and I had so much fun, building relationships through, honestly, like, you know, trauma bonding a little bit with the people you're going through it with, and then being able to have fun outside of. nursing school with them and just continue to build it like a little different angle of uh relationship with those people. So I loved it and I would totally just soak in all the bits of nursing school where you don't for me at least I didn't have a job during that time. So it was like doing nursing school and then hanging out with my friends and you know and having weekends off and stuff like that because of course when you're a nurse you have random days off but it's nice to have shorter days and all weekends off so I would just soak it up. Nice. Well, then that, you know, normally this is the closing part. I don't ask extra questions, but it does make me wonder. Obviously you didn't have to work, you just said, but how did you balance the rigors of nursing school with being able to disconnect and having those moments of fun? m Well, I feel like I thrive under pressure truly. So I would have fun and then I'd come home at night and I would study or like four days leading up to a test, I would be like, okay, it's time to lock down and really absorb this information and learn it. So I wouldn't ever be too strict on myself. Like you can't go do this, you can't do that. Cause if you're like without balance, it's like torment, you know? So. I just would say it's like your life, know, experience life and have fun in life and then also learn and be a good nurse. But you don't have to just subject yourself to just your textbook all day, every day, you know, it's like in order to take care of others and learn to take care of others, you got to take care of yourself. So have fun. You heard it here first from someone who is a model of success when it comes to that, you guys. So don't all the perfectionists out there kill that, kill that as soon as you can. All right, so Allie, you have one piece of advice to give to those who are listening. The one thing you want them to walk away from your episode knowing and carrying in their heart forever, no pressure. What is that one thing? So my one piece of advice would be to ask questions when you're unsure, because we are taking care of people's lives, which is precious. So make sure that what you're doing is right, but also have confidence in yourself and trust yourself and your knowledge and your skills, because you are smart and you do know what you're doing. And even when you feel overwhelmed, like you... studied and hours and hours and hours and you really worked for this and you do know what you're doing so trust yourself. Yes, and I love how those two fit hand in hand. Allie, thank you so much for giving time out of your what is turning out to be a very beautiful sunny day, which is rare for us right now, recording in February. uh So I'll let you get to it, but thank you so much Allie. Greatly appreciate you taking time. It's good to see you. Good to see you, friend. I'll see you probably in the next few days. Yes! Yay!