Meet Nachole Johnson: "Renursing" The Profession
Since she began her nursing career in 2001, Nachole Johnson has accumulated a wealth of experience in infusion therapy, urgent care, cardiovascular ICU, travel nursing, and many more nursing fields. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, she published her first book in 2013 has been a prominent blogger and commentator on issues that affect the nursing profession.
Today Nachole shares her story and offers tips to current and aspiring nurses.
Five words that best describe you?
Patient, kind, advocate, resourceful, creative.
Who are your biggest influences? Who or what inspired you to do what you're doing now?
My parents are my biggest influencers and fans. I’m inspired by my Dad because he is where I get my creativity from. He is also a very creative person in the way of music, art and writing. Both my parents support me fully in whatever endeavor I embark. I love that they offer their support even when my ideas may sound outlandish!
From infusion therapy to urgent care, to travel nursing, you’ve obviously had extensive experiences in multiple fields in the nursing industry. Which field did you enjoy the most? Any fun stories you would like to share with us?
I’ve been a nurse for 15 years total this year (it’s hard to even believe that!) as a nurse, I enjoyed all of them to a certain extent actually. I’ve come to find out that I love speaking to my patients as far as educating them on their condition and just getting to know them as a person. I think patients really appreciate when you take time out to get to know them personally. My favorite position I’ve held would have to be when I did onsite health screenings. It was my very first job as an NP and I loved educating my patients on healthy lifestyle changes that can make a big change in their overall health.
We know you are very busy. How do you balance work and family demands?
As best as I can. I try to make a mental schedule of what I need to do for the day, week, month. I block out time for things that are important to me, such as family time and working out. Anecdotally, I’ve found I’m most productive when I’m juggling multiple things at once. I’ve always been that way.
What are you most proud of from your entire career?
I’m most proud that I stuck with it (nursing) all this time. Early in my career I contemplated leaving the nursing profession because of the stress involved, I even took a hiatus in my 2nd year and went to work for Target! Never in a hundred years would I have imagined that I’d be in the position I am writing books and having other nurses (sometimes more experienced than I) asking me for advice. I’m actually pretty satisfied with my career as an NP now and I immensely love writing and educating others in the profession.
What is one piece of advice you would give to nurses who want to move to another specialty or start a business?
My best piece of advice is to educate yourself on your next move whether that be changing specialties or starting a business. There’s going to be a steep learning curve with either, find a mentor if possible. If not, read, read, read! Take courses or certifications that will help you reach your goal. Never stop learning.
What's next for you? What project will you be working on next?
I’m in the process of working on a book of memory aides for Nurse Practitioners, medical mnemonics actually. I’m more of a visual and auditory learner so if repeating a silly sentence and visualizing a picture gets me to the answer, I’m all for it. I think many other people enjoy mnemonics too because of this. I’m excited because this will be the first book I’ve written that will have illustrations included.
Dedicated, multi-talented professionals like Nachole remind us that nurses can be found in a variety settings, serving their patients in many different ways. Inspired by Nachole’s story? See how you can take your nursing career to the next level with our Nurse Practitioner guide .
Learn more about Nachole on her blog www.renursing.com
