Being diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum (during nursing school  to become an RN no less) was a relief, but it also brought with it confirmation that I would have alot of work to do to be able to help people the way I wanted to. I didn’t want to miss anything.

    I studied body language and nonverbal communication, and therapeutic modalities as much as I studied pharmacology and nursing skills. It paid off, as did all my experiences as a caregiver and CNA.  I was never  as fast as those younger nurses 20 +years younger than me, but I gave patients everything I had to give, and got my charting done before going home each day.  I had been growing as nurse for more than 5 years before I went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. 

I made it through school and licensing, and realized I had gone from an experienced competent  RN to a brand new nurse practitioner…And now was taking care of Dad, working as an RN, as well as looking for the next step – my first job as an NP.  Would I be able to do this?  Dad was so proud, and was sure I would be a great NP, but I was worried. Now I had even bigger shoes to fill…and where were all these jobs?

Life was about to change, in bigger ways than I could imagine.  I would lose my Dad, but find my calling, my true north.