UCAP

There is a professional development ladder in place at work, and after two years as a nephrology nurse you can apply to go to the second rung of the tier and become an RN 2. The biggest perk that I've heard of so far, is that you get a 50 cent raise. So, not really a huge incentive, but enough of one, right? I passed the landmark of enough hours of dialysis experience a few months ago, and so I'm now filling out the paperwork so that I can apply. Part of the application is writing an essay about an experience where you demonstrated your skills as a nephrology nurse and how you are thinking critically and putting together all the pieces with a specific patient... yada yada yada. I understand this BS from nursing school- I know what to say, and how to say it.
There's just one small hitch... I don't have a specific illustration because as a nurse I don't actually like to be a hero. I am not your girl to rush into an emergency situation and put together the pieces critically in order to save the patient. In situations that require quick thinking on your feet, I am not the girl for you. To my shame, I am that girl that can organize and think through a group of labs on a routine day. I'm your girl if you want to look at some trends from the clinic and print out a report and teach another nurse to print that report too. If you need that nurse that remembers the patient's penchant for certain habits, and reports that to the doctor during routine visits at appropriate times- I'm your girl. If you want to have papers organized and in a row and the process streamlined, I'm your girl. I will probably be able to gather myself enough to call 911 and administer CPR if you drop in front of me while I'm wearing scrubs... but that's only through the years of intense conditioning from my hospital days.
So I don't exactly have any heroic moments to report on for the UCAP, and not only does it frustrate me, but this illustrates exactly why I'm not really super excited to be a nurse when you ask. I'm just so thankful that right now I'm in a job where I can make myself useful by organizing charts and teaching patients to care for themselves a bit better. I'm making a difference- even if it's not directly saving someone's life and being that hero I wanted to be in nursing school.