Jan came from a highly dysfunctional family. One day at age 14, after a physical altercation with her drug-addicted mother and years of abuse and neglect, she decided to take her own life by swallowing downers she had accumulated from her mother’s stash and a bottle of gin. She was found unconscious in the girls’ bathroom at school and brought to the ER. After successfully pumping her stomach, Jan woke up angry because she had to live another day. She recalls that one of the ER nurses, in spite of being very busy with multiple patients, took time to talk to her, conveying that no one was going to save her and that it was up to her to save herself. The nurse also told Jan that this incident was not the measure of her being and that she could be so much more if only she believed in herself. This experience was part of what eventually led Jan to nursing. Today she is an exceptional clinician, educator, and nurse leader who supports students as well as new and experienced nurses. Read more about her story (and others) in the new 3rd edition of Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition From Total Novice to Successful Professional https://donnacardillo.com/
You Are Not Alone: A Nod to Caregivers
March is National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month. Twenty-six years ago, my husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Twenty-six years ago, I became a
