Life After Nursing School: From Chaos to Clarity – My Journey as a Nurse and Career Coach
If you’re a new nurse or soon-to-be graduate, you’ve probably heard that nursing school doesn’t prepare you for everything—especially the challenges you face when you finally land that first job. Common obstacles that new nurses encounter when transitioning from the classroom to the bedside: the dreaded pre-shift anxiety, imposter syndrome, and that overwhelming feeling that you don’t know enough. Did you know that that takes about ten years to become a true expert in a specific nursing specialty? That's right, ten years. So, remember—expertise is earned with time, not just textbook knowledge.
In addition to implementing didactic knowledge to nursing practice, it's important to exercise wellness and mindset strategies in order to thrive at the bedside. Here’s the thing: the secret to success as a nurse isn’t just about knowing your stuff—it’s about knowing yourself. Your core values, strengths, weaknesses, goals, boundaries, and most importantly, prioritizing your health. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so we’ll explore how you can care for yourself in order to show up as your best self for your patients.
I like to think of nursing like the flight attendant’s safety instructions: you’ve got to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. The same goes for nurses. If you don’t take care of you, you can’t take care of your patients.
Who Am I? Let’s Get Personal
Before we dive deeper into all things nursing, let me tell you a bit more about myself. I’m Caroline Danna, a 34-year-old nurse, mom to three energetic kids (two daughters and a son sandwiched in the middle), and a proud wife to Bryan, an orthopedic physician assistant and lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. We live on the beautiful shoreline of Connecticut, where life after nursing school took me on a winding, unexpected path.
Me at nursing school graduation in 2012
In 2012, I graduated with my BSN from Salve Regina University and immediately dove into the world of nursing. Over the next 12 years, I had the chance to explore many areas of nursing and outside of nursing. From a traditional sense, I’ve worked from bedside care in the ER to nursing management. On the flip side, I’ve held some non-traditional jobs from Hospital Nurse Recruiter to Travel Nurse Recruiter. Honestly, I never could have predicted the journey ahead. And the best part? It’s all led me to my current and most fulfilling and aligned position as a New Nurse Career Coach.
The Journey from Bedside Nurse to Nurse Coach
Like many nurses, my journey has been full of surprises. My first year as a nurse? A blur of learning, growth, and yes—humbling moments. It was far more challenging than I anticipated. I worked in a med-surg unit, picked up extra shifts, and dove headfirst into every opportunity to learn. I was so eager to become proficient that I let my identity become consumed by my job. But that led to stress, burnout, and exhaustion.
Me as a New Grad Nurse with flowers during my first ever “Nurses Week”
After a year, I decided to pivot into the ER—a setting I never thought I’d enjoy. But I ended up thriving in the fast-paced, unpredictable environment. I stayed in the ER for six years, earned my board certification, completed trauma nurse courses, and became a member of the Emergency Nurses Association. In this setting, I obtained an MSN in Nursing Leadership and Management.
It's a bit of a long story, but as I finished my masters program, I was approached to become the Hospital Nurse Recruiter before transitioning to my ultimate goal, as a Nurse Manager. I was totally shocked by this opportunity. It was not even a nurse-related role! I accepted the position, reluctantly, might I add but was pleasantly surprised to learn that I enjoyed this role and learned a lot about recruitment and hiring nurses.
From Hospital Nurse Recruiter, I dove into nursing management. I started as an Assistant Nurse Manager at a large level I trauma center and then progressed to the role as a Nurse Manager. At this time, we were engulfed in the pandemic and my unit was a covid and medsurg designated unit that also took all the behavioral health patients with medical needs. It was a challenging unit for many reasons, retention here was high due to the demanding patient populating. Here, I leaned into hiring new nurses and mentoring novice nurses. But life as a Nurse Manager took a toll on me, my family and my wellbeing. During the pandemic, I did what most people did and took some time to reflect on what I wanted for my life and the all consuming role of a middle manager, just was not it.
In the middle of a pandemic, I made a bold pivot and transitioned into a nurse recruiter role. This was another non-nursing position but it was remote and allowed me to support travel nurses all day long. The best part is that it gave me the flexibility to be more present for my kids. After a year and a half, I started to miss direct patient care and felt a bit disconnected from the work I loved. That’s when I started to dissect the idea of coaching and supporting nurses on my own terms.
So, I quit my job as a travel nurse recruiter, started my own business as a nurse career coach, and here we are today. I will add that I am also a clinical instructor which allows me to be hands on with patient care while also mentoring the population of nurses I love! Being a part time clinical instructor, something I swore I would never do, and growing my business is the most aligned work that I have ever had. I feel blessed to have found a corner of the profession that meets all my needs and leaves me feeling so fulfilled but my journey here was not without its trials and tribulations!
What This Podcast Is All About
If you’re new to nursing or trying to find your way, I want to help you make informed, intentional decisions about your career. Because let’s face it: the transition from nursing school to the real world is tough. But it doesn’t have to be soul-crushing. The nursing profession offers some of the most rewarding and flexible career paths out there, and I’m here to help you navigate them.
New Episodes Most Tuesdays
Listen on:
Spotify
Apple Podcast
Pandora
In each episode, we’ll tackle:
The hidden career paths in nursing (like travel, remote, and legal nurse consulting)
How to land your first RN job and navigate interviews
Coping with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and stress
Wellness tips to keep you thriving at the bedside
How to find your own unique path in nursing, whether it’s at the bedside or beyond
I’ll be sharing stories from my own journey, tips I’ve learned along the way, and plenty of interviews with experts who can help you grow in your nursing career.
Wrapping It Up
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Whether you’re still in nursing school, just starting your first RN job, or navigating your way through the ups and downs of your career, I’m here for you. This podcast is all about helping you build a nursing career that feels right for you. I want you to have the career you dream about—not the one you feel stuck in.
I hope that my transparency and honesty about my journey show you that nursing is not a one-size-fits-all career. And while the path is not always easy, with the right mindset, strategies, and support, you can make it work. So, if you’re ready to thrive—let’s do this together.
I’d love for you to leave a review, rate the show, or subscribe if this podcast resonates with you. Your feedback not only helps others find the show but also lets me know that I’m on the right track.
Thank you for being here. See you next time, and as always—I’m here for you!
XO - Caroline