Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut

November 5, 2024

I frequently attend nursing conferences, including AORN, OR Manager, and AORN Chapter Conferences. They are so much fun! In October, I attended the Periop ConneCT conference in New Haven, Connecticut. It was an incredible conference, and I was honored to be selected as a speaker for this event. I’m going to give you a photo… Read More Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut

— Real Life —

The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

July 9, 2024

I’m not a food blogger, and I promise I’m not going to turn this into a food blog. However, I recently posted on LinkedIn about learning a new way to make buttermilk biscuits, and I connected it to being open to learning new things in every area of our lives, including the operating room. We… Read More The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

— Medical Missions, Operating Room, Real Life —

Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case

February 8, 2024

In December, I served on a medical mission trip to Honduras. I had the privilege of working alongside world-class surgeons and surgical teams from across the country. It was my first time traveling overseas on my own, it was my first time serving on a medical mission trip, and it was an incredible, humbling experience.… Read More Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case

— Real Life —

Surgery with a Purpose: Bringing Healing and Hope to Honduras

July 24, 2023

I have some exciting news to share with you!🤩 I have been approved to serve on a surgical mission trip to Honduras through One World Surgery! I firmly believe in giving back, and the longer that I have worked in the operating room, the more I have felt called to give back by participating in… Read More Surgery with a Purpose: Bringing Healing and Hope to Honduras

— Real Life —

AORN Expo 2023 + 3 Ways You Can Afford to Attend

April 27, 2023

A couple of weeks ago, I spent an incredible 5 days in San Antonio, Texas, attending the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo. It was five days of learning, networking, making new friends, and seeing friends that I only get to connect with at the conference. There was a very marked difference between the attendance… Read More AORN Expo 2023 + 3 Ways You Can Afford to Attend

— Real Life —

Chasing Chickens & New OR Nurses

January 30, 2023

I haven’t written much here lately, have I? I’m spending more of my time writing on the First Case blog, but sometimes it’s nice to come back here and write what I’m thinking! And today, we’re chasing chickens… so join me! My thoughts today are rather disjointed, somewhat like the 19 energetic chicks that are… Read More Chasing Chickens & New OR Nurses

— Operating Room, Real Life —

Back to the Beginning: How The Circulating Life Got Started

April 18, 2022

To tell you how The Circulating Life began, I have to go back to my first day in the operating room. It was November 7th, 2011, and I can remember it vividly. Although I considered myself an “experienced” nurse, I was not prepared for how different the operating room environment was from the bedside and… Read More Back to the Beginning: How The Circulating Life Got Started

— Real Life —

Sad Goodbyes and Exciting New Beginnings

July 26, 2021

This summer has been a whirlwind of hard work and change. I don’t like change. But I recognize that sometimes change can be a really good thing. I quit my job in June. I had been an Orthopedic Team Leader at my facility for almost 6 years, and it was the only job I’ve had… Read More Sad Goodbyes and Exciting New Beginnings

— Operating Room, Real Life —

11 More Things I Learned in the OR

February 22, 2021

My very first post when I started this blog was called “10 Things I Learned in the Operating Room.“ It probably wasn’t my most well-written post – I’ve learned so much since I started this blog 3 years ago. But, with the anniversary of The Circulating Life approaching, I thought it would be fun to… Read More 11 More Things I Learned in the OR

— Operating Room, Real Life —

You Must Make Yourself a Priority

December 14, 2020

2020 has been anything but normal, hasn’t it? “Normal” seems to be a thing of the past, and it seems that every day presents new challenges and new changes to the ways that we care for our patients. We’ve dealt with frequent policy changes, reassignments (sometimes without adequate training), inadequate PPE, constant supply shortages, and… Read More You Must Make Yourself a Priority

The Circulating Life

O.R. Nursing with a dose of reality

Tag: Real Life

Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut

The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case

Surgery with a Purpose: Bringing Healing and Hope to Honduras

AORN Expo 2023 + 3 Ways You Can Afford to Attend

Chasing Chickens & New OR Nurses

Back to the Beginning: How The Circulating Life Got Started

Sad Goodbyes and Exciting New Beginnings

11 More Things I Learned in the OR

You Must Make Yourself a Priority

thecirculatinglife