Everett Moss II , BSN , RN , NRP , CCRN , TCRN , CEN , CFRN , CPEN , CTRN DNP / Nurse Anesthesia Student , Atlanta , Georgia @ the _ paramurse
I started my nursing IG account … When I realized my journey could be a source of inspiration , especially for young men and men seeking a career change . Coming up , I didn ’ t see a lot of people in my industry who looked like me . Mission of my IG account : I aspire to inspire . Best advice for a nurse starting out on IG : Be authentic . Do what you enjoy and not what you think others would like . If people like it , great . If they don ’ t , there are a lot of other people to follow . Best ways to grow your following : Do what moves you . People feel passion in a post . They can tell when you really like something or when something really motivates you . IG pitfalls to avoid : Trying to imitate another page . Create your own content . Authenticity is what ’ s most important . Why did you decide to be part of the BCEN InstaCrew : They didn ’ t even have to ask ! Having achieved all five emergency nursing board credentials , it was only right . I was proud and appreciated the opportunity to talk about certification . Cool thing that happened through my IG account : I actually got onto The Tamron Hall Show because of my social media . Also , I ’ ve met some phenomenal people I never otherwise would have known without IG . Advice I ’ d go back and give my new RN self : Pharmacology ! I would have paid a whole lot more attention to foundational teachings way back then . They never leave ; they just keep coming back and they help you along the way as you grow . Secret to success : # 1 Follow your passion . If you find yourself in an area , and you don ’ t have passion for it , leave . Leave and go find your passion . That ’ s what makes a good nurse great – when you are passionate about the care you deliver . How to tell if emergency nursing might be a good fit ? Ask an ED nurse : “ Tell me about your day . I just want to know what it ’ s like . Can I come spend a shift with you ? I ’ ll stand in the corner and watch , and I won ’ t touch anything .” Don ’ t watch the TV shows ; they ’ re not good examples . There are some terrific day-in-the-life stories from ED nurses on IG and YouTube too . Advice on selecting a specialty or considering specialty certification : Stay motivated . Stay hungry for knowledge . Be confident in what you know and learn what you don ’ t know . Don ’ t get discouraged because you don ’ t know something an ER nurse with 10 years ’ experience knows perfectly . It ’ s okay , because 10 years ago , the nurse may not have known it either . As long as you are alive and breathing you have time for learning . Self-care go-to : Vacation ! Professional pursuit I ’ m most excited about right now : Getting into anesthesia school . To be surviving it and feeling like you are thriving in it , in any way , is substantial . All of the professional development I pursued along the way has really set me up for success on this journey .
28 NSNA IMPRINT • JANUARY 2022 • www . nsna . org