I'm not really a writer...

I have a job that requires creativity and artistry but in a very different way than you might think. I am an ER nurse at an inner city hospital. We deal with some of the most marginalized patients in this country. Staff turn over rates are exceptionally high, verbal abuse is rampant, contagious diseases are ever laying in wait and most of the patients have no intention of rectifying their behaviours.

We deal with everything any big city ER would but we see high volumes of acute psychosis-often drug induced-giving doses of sedatives I had never even considered in other places. We manage life threatening drug overdoses daily and with the most minimal interventions so that we don't over correct the problem and throw the patient into intense withdrawal. We see really, really sick people who forego treatment because they are so terrified to come in or so mentally unwell that they can't seek help. They often come in because someone else called the paramedics on their behalf and they don't even want treatment.

My job isn't straightforward, you can get by with giving less, but I couldn't live with myself and not give it everything all of the time. It's dark, dirty and sometimes scary. You have to be flexible and creative to help get people the care that they need on the terms that they will accept.

We are constantly seeing people at their worst and giving them our best because they are human and they deserve it.

Sometimes I really need to talk about work. When it's really bad there's nothing to say.

Reading and especially writing are my escape from the intensity of my work. In order to be who I am at work I need to have time to use my imagination and try to write any time that I can. I have always loved books. I hope to instill that in my children and we have read to both of our kids every day since they were born. I love imagination and I think all kids should use theirs every single day. I love dreaming, letting my subconscious take hold and waking up inspired by my own thoughts. Mike and I have been discussing a bigger story idea for years and are just finally getting to where we have something worth sharing.

I'm not really a writer. I always secretly wanted to be, but never had the courage to take it very far...until now.