From Director of Nursing to Self-Discovery: Redefining Success After the Hospital

Healthcare heroes: Dedicated nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, exemplifying courage and resilience.

I started working in a hospital when I was 18 because I needed a job. I never could have imagined how quickly I would rise through the ranks, I started by going to nursing school, stepping into leadership, and eventually serving as a Director of Nursing. My career was built on long hours, hard decisions, and the belief that leadership meant being present for my staff and patients, no matter the cost.

Leadership was something I loved. Every day I relied on compassion, listening, and the ability to guide teams through challenges. Those skills were tested more than I could have ever predicted when COVID hit. I was tasked with turning a unit into our hospital’s first COVID ward.

Walking into that room to tell my team they would be the ones caring for patients with a virus we only knew could kill was one of the hardest moments of my life. I can still see their tears, hear their fears, and feel the weight of responsibility I carried for their lives and the families they were protecting.

Over time, the strain became too much. Staffing shortages, burnout, and the relentless demands of a broken system made it impossible to continue. Stepping away wasn’t a sudden decision. It was a slow realization that in order to preserve my family, my own health and humanity, I had to leave.

Now, I’m in a completely different chapter of life. I’m redefining what success means. For so long, my identity was wrapped up in titles and responsibilities. Today, I’m rebuilding that identity around passions I had set aside: art, music, storytelling, and creating. I’m learning that leadership doesn’t end when you walk away from healthcare, it simply transforms into new forms of influence and creativity.

I discovered not only joy but also a deeper connection to myself, my family, and the world around me.

If you’re considering leaving healthcare, my advice is this: do it. The system is broken, but you don’t have to be. There is life, joy, and healing waiting on the other side.