I completed my final exams yesterday and am set to graduate later this month. There were so many moments when I was working through a question and I went back and thought... WWTD... What Would Tulane Do? LOL. Seriously. Out of my five semesters in nursing school, I had clinicals at Tulane for four of those. Then, of course, I got plenty of extra learning opportunities through the Student Nurse Extern program. So I'd just like to stop and say THANK YOU. Thank you for all of the opportunities, experiences, and support.

I've met plenty of great nurses floating around the units at Tulane. But none have been more critical in my growth as the team on NIMU. In no particular order... Chelsie Brown, my preceptor in the SNE program. She truly embraced the program and gave me her all for those weeks. She never made me feel unwanted, unintelligent, or unsafe. D'Andra. I can't say enough about her leadership and guidance. I truly don't know how she keeps on going- she's like the energizer bunny. At 653 she jumps in providing world-class patient care and doesn't stop until her crew has successfully completed shift change. She is a leader that I'd follow to the end of earth and back because I trust in her skills, knowledge, and ability. Ms. Cheryl, Nicole, Lezlie, LaShawn... They are the hardest-working ladies in the business. I try to soak up as much knowledge from them as possible. They have probably forgotten more than I'll ever know. True experts in how to get things done at Tulane. Cole, Ella, Bri, Alicia, Hailey (may she travel in peace), and Mia... Always there to teach me something new or to lend a helping hand. This unit is truly a textbook definition of teamwork. This leads me to, last but not least, Stephanie. The Wizard of Oz. The culture of NIMU is what it is because of her leadership. You may catch her in a unit huddle communicating or in a room cleaning a patient up. I've seen Stephanie doing it all to ensure the patients are being taken care of and the staff is being taken care of. The list does go on... The educators, the night shift... So many great people to brag on but then you'd be here reading all day.

We all know working in healthcare is not easy. NIMU is definitely not easy. Neuro patients are especially mentally and physically taxing. But going to work knowing you're with a good team that is supportive and competent makes a world of difference. My experience on NIMU cemented my decision to want to continue to work and grow with Tulane. I would highly suggest more SNEs get exposure to that unit. Reminds me of the old idiom- it'll put hair on your chest!