PinnedVenusI walked out the Emergency Department doors and into a breezy warm summer night that caused my forearms to erupt with goose pimples. The juxtaposition of eminent excitement, a dawn of new experience, against the quiet and inky night was not lost on me. How could the world be asleep…Memoir4 min readMemoir4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Wrong Side of Deathby Jessica Nandino, RN Lying on my back, deep in the snow and the sky of that gray winter afternoon, is far from my earliest memory. Yet over the years, the singularity of the moment has kept in the forefront of my psyche, a poignant flake among millions. It was…Memoir16 min readMemoir16 min read
PinnedMember-onlyWhat will it take? An abrasive question from a nurse.Where would we be today if months ago, we held the supply chain to the same level of responsibility with which we now condemn the actions of individual citizens? …Covid 192 min readCovid 192 min read
Nov 18, 2019Member-onlyMy Tornado of DeathHer outstretched hands, 10 perfect fingers, each 5 attached to their rightful palm. Pillows of toddler pudge held the paper up to me. She stretched every fiber in her little being, willing her gift closer towards me. It’s for you. I drew it for you. She proudly announced. Take it! …Memoir2 min readMemoir2 min read
Jul 9, 2019Member-onlyMy ER Exit LetterDear Hospital, The last three years I have had the pleasure of working in our state’s renowned Emergency Department and Level 1 Trauma Center. My departure closes out a decade of my nursing career as an Emergency Room and Flight Nurse. This department, staff in particular, will forever hold a…Healthcare6 min readHealthcare6 min read
May 15, 2019An Unexpected PrimeHer face fell. The assumed disappointment should have been my purported relief. I knew the look, I had made it countless times. A mix of unexpected misfortune, a momentary surprise shooed away by denial, its heels followed by the dread of truth. Something’s wrong, I thought. It was reflected in…Memoir3 min readMemoir3 min read
Dec 7, 2018Turkey BossI love my goose. Truth. One of many unexpected truths. Ten years ago, if someone had written out, “Jessica’s Truths”, I would have politely looked the list over, tossed my highlighted blond curls over my slight shoulder, giggled in their face and waved them off. Assured they had the wrong…Memoir22 min readMemoir22 min read
Nov 16, 2018Don’t I Know You?I was the new girl at work. Brand new. I had barely graduated nursing school. Somehow, with a mix of smarts, stubbornness, and charm, I had willed my way into the Emergency Department. I had wriggled my way into the job of my dreams, a job I was completely unqualified…Humorous Life Lessons7 min readHumorous Life Lessons7 min read
Nov 10, 2018Don’t Cry Mama… He’s in Heaven.A bleating cry came from just beyond the unfinished barn. There was an urgency and fierceness to it, one I had not heard before. I turned off the kitchen sink, set down the dirty coffee cup and dishrag, and held my breath. “Blllleeehhhh”, she cried again. It was full of…Humorous Life Lessons11 min readHumorous Life Lessons11 min read
Jun 6, 2018MomderwearOn the rough days, motherhood is a battle. A struggle to let go of expectations, to soften ones previous standards of tidiness and order, while still maintaining a semblance of sanitation, and sanity. Just like marriage, only with slightly less rationality. “If I find it on the floor at the…Motherhood2 min readMotherhood2 min read
