Almost finish.

After six semesters in nursing at Montmorency College, I will finish the most stressful study program in a month. It is now time to choose where I want to go for my career. For two years, I have been working at hospital as a beneficiary attendant and a nursing extern to have a foot in the door. However, I have a dream to work with the Canadian army since I am in high school. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Want to go in the army.

Choice 2 : Want to stay at the hospital.

Want to go in the army.

I always wanted a life with adventures, challenges and surrounded by passionate people. I think the army is the perfect place for that. It also allows a lot of career opportunities and not having a repetitive job. I did my research to have my university subsidizes by them. If I sign, I have to work for them for eleven years, I can’t have another job during my studies and I have to train with them all summer. I also can wait to apply after my baccalaureate because I will be a clinical nurse. If I were you, I would choose to wait to sign the contract after my years of university.

Choice 1 : Choose to sign the contract.

Choice 2 : Decide to wait after the university.

Want to stay at the hospital.

I choose to work at the hospital at full-time to have a good wage and to take time before continue to study because I am so exhausted by the amount of work imposed when you are at school. I know I will learn a lot of new skills, and I always prefer to be in action than in the books. Also, it is a perfect time for that because there is a lot of jobs posting. Should I apply for a surgery unit or a medicine unit?

Choice 1 : Apply for the surgery unit.

Choice 2 : Apply for a medicine unit.

Choose to sign the contract.

I decided to start a new chapter of my life with the Canadian army. I am so excited to meet different people and live invaluable experiences. Summer has just begun, and they already offered me a position. Indeed, due to the war in Ukraine, they were short of staffs. They had need in Ukraine on the battle field to help wounded and in the clinics at Montreal to evaluate soldiers' medical situation. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Be on deployment in Ukraine.

Choice 2 : Work in a clinic in Montreal.

Decide to wait after the university.

I thought I had a lot to live before joining the army. This is why I choose to go to the University of Sherbrooke. I found my apartment where I will live with one of my best friends. Also, I loved to go at parties and dance all night long. This is one of my reasons of choosing this university because Sherbrooke is a City student. However, I have to focus on my studies and my physical strength to be able to pursue my dream. Should I take all my free time to train at the gym or to go at the bar?

Choice 1 : Takes time to workout.

Choice 2 : Go to the bar.

Apply for the surgery unit.

I choose to apply on a surgery unit that I appreciated when I did my internship because the teamwork was so great. There was a lot of mutual aid. The patients arrived on the unit often an operation by laparoscopy like for a hysterectomy. I had to take the vital signs regularly, make sure that the patient urinates and taught them the ins-and-outs care of the pads like the steri-strip closure. After a long day when I had several post-operative patients, many departures and methods of care, my boss asked me if I could stay overtime. Should accept or not?

Choice 1 : Accept the overtime.

Choice 2 : Go home.

Apply for a medicine unit.

I decided to go on a medicine unit because my work schedule is better to have a social life. However, after few weeks, I realized this place wasn’t for me because I felt lack of fulfillment. On this unit, it is always patients with chronic disease like diabetes or high blood pressure, so it mostly the same kind of care applied. To avoid to fell alienate longer and then to be in a burn out, I want a new challenge. Should I go work at the emergency or open a small business of medical uniform?

Choice 1 : Go at the emergency.

Choice 2 : Open my small business.

Be on deployment in Ukraine.

I accepted to go to Ukraine for one month to help the citizens to move to towns with less risk of bombardment and to assist the medical team having an overland of wounded. For that, we transported them by train and helped the nurses in the hospital to give some medical care. It was difficult to see people's distress, day after day, but it was very grateful to see family members end up safe and sound.

Choice 1 : The end.

Work in a clinic in Montreal.

I chose to go work in a military clinic for few months because I wasn’t ready to leave my family and friends. I had to check soldier's health situation by taking their vital signs, asking about their lifestyles and follow up after a recent consultation. Also, if I need, I taught them the importance to have a good alimentation, to do physical activities and to stop smoking. For now, this job suits me but the next time that I have an opportunity to go on a deployment, I will leave the country.

Choice 1 : The end.

Takes time to workout.

After reflection, it was better idea to go to the gym rather than go to my friend‘s party. Doing CrossFit helped me to be less stressed for my professional examination of the OIIQ. In fact, the next day, I had my tryouts for the ultimate Frisbee and badminton’ teams at the university. I had good chance to be selected because I played those sports for many years. Also, I found someone attractive during those tryouts. Should I asked him to go out someday?

Choice 1 : Go ask him to go on a date.

Go to the bar.

I was young and I wanted to enjoy it. I was more often than not in a bar or at a party. I started to study less and my grades weren’t very good. I almost failed my first year of the baccalaureate. However, I finished my university in time and was able to sign a contract of six years with the Canadian army. I was still proud of myself to be a military and serve my country.

Choice 1 : The end.

Accept the overtime.

I finally excepted staying for another eight hours shift because I didn’t want to be undermined by my coworkers who would have been overworked. When it was nine o’clock, I administered a Lovenox, an anticoagulant, to a patient that had a colostomy, which is an operation, on the same day. I wasn’t supposed to give him because it makes the patient having a higher risk of bleeding and becoming anemic because he will have less hemoglobin. I didn’t see my mistake because I was so tired. I hesitated between telling to my superior or keep it for myself. If I were you, I would choose to say the truth to my boss.

Choice 1 : Confess my mistake.

Choice 2 : Say nothing.

Go home.

I preferred to listen to myself and refuse staying longer. I had no more energy which could have been dangerous for the patient if I do a medical error due to my lack of concentration. My head nurse wasn’t happy because she had to find some else. However, I took the good decision because I almost had an accident when I fell asleep while driving.

Choice 1 : The end.

Go at the emergency.

After a long reflection, I choose to change for the emergency. I knew there is always something new to learn and my nursing tasks change a lot. During my OJT, I got to go in the reanimation room. After only few minutes in, a patient came in bradycardia and in hypoxia. One of this signs was that his fingers were cyanotic. The doctor was worried about his medical situation. He was right because after five minutes of his arrival in the hospital, his heart stopped beating. We had to stat cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, it was the first time that I am faced to this situation. Would I be able to help my colleagues or I would freeze?

Choice 1 : Help with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Choice 2 : Freeze and do nothing.

Open my small business.

I wanted to choose something that I would be able to modify my schedule depending on my activities, so I thought that the entrepreneurial was a good choice. After reflection, I started a company of scrubs made in Quebec and with a good quality. This encouraged local purchasing and the possibility for the health personnel to have a nice and practical uniform. Even though I wasn't anymore working at the hospital, I was really happy to help my colleagues in this way.

Choice 1 : The end.

Go ask him to go on a date.

I took my courage by both hands and want demanding him if he wanted to take a cafe after a practice. He accepted, and it was one of my best dates. We had a lot in common, and he was very supportive for my future plans. After few weeks of dating, he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend, and with no hesitation, I said yes. I think I really found my soulmate.

Choice 1 : The end.

Confess my mistake.

I chose to be honest because the patient has the right to know that he received a medication that he shouldn’t have. He wasn’t mad at me because he knew I was tired. I still had to make an incident report and had a meeting with my boss the next day. After this event, I promised myself to never accept an overtime if I don’t feel an enough vigilante to do it.

Choice 1 : The end.

Say nothing.

I was afraid of the repercussion if I told somebody of this mistake. So, I preferred to keep this for myself. The next morning, when I arrived on the unit, my boss was waiting for me, and she didn’t look happy. She talked to me for fifteen minutes about it because the night nurses saw it and went tell her. At the end of the conversation, she told me to not do this mistake again or the consequences for me will be bigger. Now, I doubled check the medication before administrate to the patient to avoid errors.

Choice 1 : The end.

Help with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

I had a rush of adrenaline that pushed me to ask my co-worker what I should do to help. Because it was my first time, it was easier for me to start the compression on the thorax like I learn in my class, and let the more experienced nurses administer the medication. After thirty minutes of compression and defibrillator, the emergency physician found a pulse, and we stopped resuscitation maneuvers. I really liked this new experience and had the feeling of accomplishment.

Choice 1 : The end.

Freeze and do nothing.

I couldn’t do anything. My feet were like stuck in concrete and my body just froze. During the intervention, I just watched my co-workers do the CPR. I felt so useless and considered the emergency not my place. After months of changes and nothing that I was good in it, I decided to take some time out of being a nurse and planned a trip in Italy to visit this beautiful country.

Choice 1 : The end.