Writing has been integral to my life since I was in first grade. My first research paper as a seven-year-old was written about manatees. I grew up in Florida, and in 1974, manatees were a hot topic. Their unwieldy shape and habitat entranced me; they were creatures of the water that would not bite me. Florida is rife with alligators, various water snakes, turtles, and some cranky fish that like to nibble humans. Manatees live in our rivers and prefer winter in the freshwater springs, some of the most beautiful and magical spots I have ever seen. I was hooked when I received an A++.
Throughout my life, writing is how I sort out situations like whether to date someone, which job to choose, whether to move to another State, what next step to take on my life journey, how to raise my child, and whether to transition from being a Family Nurse Practitioner to a Freelance Writer. Everything big and small is approached through writing, not just pro and con lists. I still find notes from middle school stuck in the pages of books, determining which haircut to pursue. It seemed highly important at the time. It would be called journaling now, but it was simply how my brain worked through decisions at the time.
Life continued, and writing stayed a pillar of my functioning; I now wish I had all those notes for posterity and a good laugh. Several careers throughout my adult life required writing as part of the job, which was always the easy piece. After careers in biotechnology on the first Recombinant Factor IX product, as a Fusion Center contractor with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, and as a Health and Safety Officer for a cancer research facility, I finally pursued a lifelong dream to be a Registered Nurse. I was the oldest student in the class. Juggling full-time work, full-time school, clinical hours, and being a single mom was more challenging in my forties. Two weeks before graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I realized I was not finished; I wanted to be a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Two more years and an insane juggling act of life, and I did it.
Being an FNP in primary care was my dream job, allowing me to care for people over time and help them improve their health and lives. Educating every patient at every visit, bonding with them, understanding their lives, tailoring their care to meet their resources, and seeing them get better has been a gift and an honor to share with them. After years of practicing educating patients, I have learned that everyone learns differently, and I must customize my approach. Figuring out the best way to explain their diagnoses, medications, care plans, and lifestyle and diet changes is challenging but something I love solving. After speaking to thousands of people, I have had to learn to explain many things that are not medical. When you develop trust with a patient as a Provider, they will come to you with questions and problems about everything in their life.
However, while necessary, educating one patient at a time is limited. I want to reach more patients and help them understand their health, wellness, and medical issues and how to manage and improve them. Working in the clinic is fulfilling, but in my late fifties, the daily schedule, heavy patient loads, and emotional and mental investment are exhausting. I realized I needed to find a happy medium. A few days in the clinic and a few days as a Freelance Writer would provide the balance I need and allow me to pursue my two favorite things: writing and patient care. Having over ten years of experience in patient care and a lifetime of writing creates a unique combination of expertise that allows me to address the writing needs of my clients from a different perspective.
With this goal in mind, I started The Practitioner’s Pen LLC in July 2023. I signed up with RN2Writer to learn how to make this work as a Freelance Writer and have yet to look back. My first goal with my career as a Freelance Writer was to replace my pay for one day per week of clinic work. That was quickly met, so the next goal is to replace income for two days per week. In a short time, I have fully realized the balance of this arrangement, and I can help the most people with this combination. The creativity of writing and the science of clinical work keeps both sides of my brain busy and happy. The goal is a thriving home writing business to keep my brain engaged. At the same time, visit the manatees in the springs all over Florida.