The Things They Didn't Teach You in Nursing Schools

You bump into a friend from nursing school, they look great, and so do you! They’ve started their family and career, but so have you. They have done everything that they ever set out to do and well- two out of three isn’t bad, right? But what if I told you that nurses hold the power to change the world? What if you understood the influence that you possess? What if you could travel or support a cruise ship, or even make extra income as an entrepreneur? While the majority of nurses remain anchored to a job in a health care center or hospital, you could be borderless. Borderlessness is exploring the world and contributing to the society through traveling and volunteerism; as well as, unleashing inner strength and power to transform every aspect of life; financially, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Borderless Nurses have traded their traditional white nursing shoes for hiking sandals and are pushing the limits of perception.

According to Norma Chaska (2000), author of "The Nursing Profession: Tomorrow and Beyond," nursing is one of the most versatile professions in healthcare; which means the possibilities are endless. The BorderlessNurse.com is your door to freedom. Through adventure and financial freedom, this site will help you take the first steps. Here the Borderless Nurse will post blog articles, offer coaching, information, and products on how to find your true passions and achieve great accomplishment beyond shift work, periodic vacations, and familial duties. Once you begin the journey, the real adventure, extra income, and learning will occur. As you jumpstart your vision into action, you will soon find the connection between financial success, and a life filled with joy and purpose.

Before you begin, you must rid yourself of border bias. These limits may include fears, restrictive beliefs, the environment, or discouraging life situations. Bias shrink you and make you feel, see, and think small. Anytime you hear yourself saying “nurses should” or “nurse shouldn’t,” stop! There’s a safe and skilled way to be a nurse, not a right path to take when it comes to doing it. Think as if the word “can’t” didn’t exist and the idea was foreign. What, how, and where would you not go, see, hear, or do? Nothing. The truth is, your dreams, purpose, and call to make an impact on your community are big; thus, to receive this happiness, you must be bigger.

Then, answer the question posed by Sheryl Sandberg, “what would you do if you weren’t afraid?” Given the professional possibilities, the potential may be overwhelming. Naturally, it can be intimidating to take the risk and do something that you're not used to seeing. In this case, the greater the risk, the larger the monetary payout. Financial freedom is not achieved in an 8-10 hour workday as a nurse, doctor, or lawyer. Every professional or person is limited. However, nurses have the ability to earn extra money through other prospects; not by giving more time and effort, but through passive income. You could make money while learning and applying the world of automation and utilizing proven business strategies. Money is not a link to greediness or evil, but a tool towards greater goals. Why not dream to become the next big philanthropist like Bill Gates or the next medical research contributor like James Stowers? People may think that successes like these billionaires are impossible but as Robert Kiyosaki and T. Harv Eker stated in his seminar, "Success is a learnable skill,” the key to financial success is financial literacy, a tool not acquired in the classroom. There's nursing school, and there's reality.

Your face is the symbol of hope, love, and possibility for many. From the little girl who sees her dreams in medicine with every step that you take and the elderly man who looks forward to your feeding because it's his only conversations. The American Nursing Association describes nursing as, “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities. [In addition to, the] prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.” Still, you are a person, and you must live. The Borderless Nurse provides nurses everywhere with the manual to redefine limits. See the Taj Mahal as you support a clinic in India or shop your heart away while providing English training for staff on medications in Peru. Being borderless means being holistic and inspired to stretch beyond sight, language, food, and embrace the culture that resides in your backyard. Inspire a new generation of nurses who are globally solving today’s issues without fear.

Next, “begin with the end in mind,” (Steve Covey). Why did you become a nurse? If asked, most will answer that they wanted to make a difference, impact lives, and change the world. However, as life begins to unfold, offering responsibility after responsibility, our aspirations of conquering the world looks more like a 9-5 job. While you are making the difference in your community, you never make the connection between your profession and society as a whole. The day-to-day may offer stability, and you may love what you do, but as long as your dreams remain unfulfilled, the unstimulated state of content will continue to be the elephant in your life. As a nurse, you wear many hats. You are a healer, teacher, and servant leader. Your duty does not have boundaries so you shouldn't either. Create a better world.

Once you begin to explore, the best way to sustain your borderless lifestyle is to link with like minds. “Creating a better world requires teamwork, partnerships, and collaboration... to work together to build a better world within the next few decades (Simon Mainwaring)". You can't do it by yourself, and you shouldn’t want to. The only thing more impactful than one borderless nurse is two. Connecting with other borderless nurses is the best way to maximize your net potential. Not only is it great for networking, but support. Not every person in your immediate circle will understand your schedule or desires, and it may become difficult to continue to pursue your passion when you’re alone and facing negativity. You share your war stories and favorite countries for service trips. They understand when you donate to a cause instead of buying a new car or purchase a flight to join a bat conservation project in Australia over a beach trip to Key West. And best of all you are not alone for it all.

“Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time (Viktor E. Frankl).” Free of bias and overflowing with experiences, the borderless nurse is the bumble bee that buzzes from country to country, pollinating communities that seek germination in health and wellness. The beauty is that there’s something for everyone. Jump rope with children in Nepal, provide family planning counsel in Ghana or visit Angel Falls in Venezuela. Every nurse has a superpower like Spider-Man has Spidey sense, and Batman has supersonic hearing. And like a superhero, nurses, also have a kryptonite; comfort in limits. Today a nurse has at least 50 different disciplines to choose, ranging from the forest to the sea to the hospital. A borderless nurse lives outsides the realms of disciplines and allows the experience to be the teacher and the earth the classroom. Take this as your intervention. You’re standing at the edge, so leap, let the wind catch your cape and fly.

#explore #learn