I began my career as a paramedic. After years of working in the field, I wanted to do more. As a paramedic, I got to see the healthcare system from the outside, and I really appreciated what the nurses did. They were the ones at the bedside implementing the interventions and that excited me, so I went to nursing school.

I’ve worked in MICU, SICU, CCU, and neurological and trauma units. I taught medical-surgical and critical care nursing, and am a frequent contributor to Nursing, RN, and Nursing Made Incredibly Easy.

Throughout my career, I continued my education while working full-time and juggling family responsibilities. Often times I thought “there’s got to be a better way” to learn without dragging several heavy textbooks around with me, or trying to read a page or two during my break. I found audio and video products to be invaluable. I could listen in the car, and even when I was too tired to read I could watch a video.

Later in my professional development, I found that relevancy became much more important. “Tell me how I can use this at the patient’s bedside” became my credo. But, the harder I looked, the harder it was to find practical and useful continuing education.

I made a decision to dedicate my teaching to “filling the void” between theory and practice. The final decision about whether I teach a concept depends on whether it would be useful and practical to the bedside nurse.