In this episode of Shift Happens, Tara and Millie share their unfiltered experiences navigating the healthcare system as Black women. From facing daily microaggressions to unpacking the deep-rooted history of medical racism, they pull back the curtain on what it is really like to be a Black healthcare provider and patient.

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🏥 ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to the digital breakroom! Shift Happens is a raw, unfiltered look at healthcare, nursing, and the hilarious, heartbreaking, and chaotic realities of hospital life, hosted by Nurse Millie and Nurse Tara. New episodes drop every Friday!

⚖️ MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The thoughts, stories, and opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not reflect the views of any employing institution or hospital. This content is for entertainment and educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.

Hey, y'all.

2

We are

talking about being black in scrubs.

3

I would like to know

what has your experience been?

4

I have a feeling I know what you're going

to say, but I am going to let you take.

5

What do you think I would say?

6

Do you remember the first time

I met you at the job?

7

No. Okay.

8

Do you remember I walk in?

9

I've never seen you before.

10

And I hear you telling somebody

11

be just because I got on these scrubs

and I'm black.

12

You think that I'm not a crowd?

13

I'm not the help around here.

14

I said.

15

Well, that sums it up.

16

Because they never think

you are what you are,

17

so you're never really what you are.

18

I was introduced myself to this doctor.

19

I was like, hello, I'm Tara, I'm before

I can say he goes, oh, are you a student?

20

He just assume that I'm lesser

than what I am.

21

And I feel like that's

how we're always looked at.

22

Could it be that you look so young?

23

Maybe you're not. Okay.

24

So have you had any positive experiences

about being black and scrubs?

25

No, no.

26

Well, I think the

whole thing about being black and scrubs

27

is, is just about diversity

and how important it is to

28

have African Americans.

29

I guess the positive is

when I have a black patient and I say I'm

30

taking care of them

and they look relieved, oh wow.

31

And they are happy.

32

Like, oh, because sometimes

I feel that way when I go in for care

33

and I'm scared, like,

are they going to help me?

34

Or they going to treat me with respect?

35

Are they going to treat me

kind as a patient?

36

So I feel like I myself worry about that.

37

So I feel like that's a positive,

that I can

38

be a face that they recognize

and taking care of them.

39

I take great care of them.

Not that I'm not going to take great care.

40

I mean, I'm

an excellent, excellent clinician.

41

I'm going to take care of everyone.

42

But, you know, we have that connection.

43

Yeah.

44

I feel like for me,

I haven't had like an outward experience

45

being black and scrubs.

46

But I do know as being a provider

47

and also being a patient, like

when I've gone in like I've had four kids.

48

So I always try to minimize,

49

like my the discomfort

I may be feeling, because I know that

50

if something really serious happens,

I want to be taken serious.

51

And I'm like,

oh, she's just being loud and obnoxious.

52

And, you know,

black women can bear more pain

53

or they have a higher pain

threshold during labor.

54

Yeah.

55

So I've just been very chill,

like all my providers.

56

I just go in there,

I don't have anything going on, luckily.

57

And then like the last two babies

58

that I had, we had severe issues.

59

And so it was like the doctor

and the nurses were like, okay,

60

now we know something's wrong

because you haven't acted like this ever.

61

And so,

62

you know, I was having this conversation

with my family members and they're like,

63

well, it's sad that you have to have

that predisposition of like not wanting

64

to express any discomfort

or even have to think about it

65

before it even happens or if it happens.

66

So that was an interesting perspective

that I didn't even think about.

67

It just naturally do

it. It's almost like code switching.

68

You just naturally do it.

69

Well, that's ingrained in us, right?

70

Like when we're with massive, massive,

we got a nice house,

71

but then we're around the other Negroes.

72

It's like

we don't give a damn about master's house.

73

So I feel like as black people,

we know how to switch it.

74

And when we're around our colleagues, it's

very professional.

75

And but then when we're on our homies,

like I say, the ghetto.

76

So I think this is black people.

77

We always

78

have to wear a mask.

79

And I sat back to for a long time,

80

like the slavery, like I said, that

we have to switch it up

81

because it can be tiring in the workplace,

especially in this climate.

82

Dealing with everything

that said negatively about politics

83

and just straight things

that are straight up races.

84

Yeah, and it just gets very tiring

and sometimes sad and it makes you sad.

85

One time I had a nurse,

86

we had a really sick patient

and she's like, who's your attending?

87

And at this hospital

there's really not an attending.

88

How their bill is, they're available

if we need them.

89

But we work the patient up,

do everything, give the whole anesthetic.

90

And she's like, I'm calling someone

because I don't feel comfortable.

91

And that's just from her seeing me.

92

And I was pissed

and I even told the anesthesiologist,

93

but I feel like she did that

just because I was black.

94

Like, we're never qualified. We're.

95

And even they try to do that with the I

96

or affirmative action.

97

That was never about right.

98

A lower quality

or a lower or no qualifications.

99

It was because there's been so much racism

in America

100

since America's been around.

101

And when they did institute affirmative

action is so that black people could have

102

a fair opportunity that had nothing to do

with being less quality, less qualified.

103

And I hate how they say, oh, you're just

oh yeah, you're a c you

104

they just pick me off the street.

105

I was on 23rd and Kelly, they just

picked me up and just threw me into it.

106

I work very hard as a nurse.

107

I was the best nurse in the thoracic

ICU recovering hearts.

108

The director,

the chief of the ICU, doctor

109

see wrote my recommendation for school

because I was the best of the best.

110

And even as a CR, I strive to be the best

111

because it's always, well,

they're probably not that good.

112

Yeah.

113

And the moment you make one more step,

114

one mistake,

that mistake will be magnified versus

115

all of the wonderful things

that you've done. Sure.

116

So I remember

it was like my first year as a nurse,

117

and then we had this patient

that, you know, had been there

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for a significant amount of time,

and the patient was overweight.

119

So there was no way to

support her bladder

120

without like putting a pad down,

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like she couldn't wear like a pamper

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or anything like that, and you couldn't

even put her on a bed pan.

123

And so when I got report, it was just

told to me that she's been there a while.

124

We put the, the,

the what is it called the

125

the Chuck's Chuck's pad.

126

Yeah.

127

We put that under them

and then she'll urinate on it.

128

And then you just kind of

129

have to roll her over the best you can

and then change her that way.

130

And her husband's by the bedside.

He's there to help. Whatever.

131

So that shift we were doing that.

132

No complaints.

133

Husband was their physician comes in. He.

134

I feel like he slightly did insult her.

135

So then the next day I get called

into the manager's office and she's like,

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well, we need to have a talk

about how you treated this patient.

137

And I'm like, what do you mean?

138

She's like,

well, over the last couple of weeks,

139

it was told to me that a black nurse

made her urinate on herself in the bed.

140

And I'm like, well,

what makes her think that it's me?

141

There's like three other black nurses

that have taken care of this patient.

142

Neither of them had been put

into our office to have a conversation.

143

And I was like, it's in the chart.

144

It's in the notes that this is the what,

you know, she wanted

145

or what was possible to do for her.

146

So I was just really insulted by that.

147

And, you know, being a new nurse, I really

didn't know how to advocate for myself.

148

And so it really hurt my feelings.

149

And I just thought, like,

why am I even doing this?

150

You know, like,

why am I getting reprimanded for something

151

that I didn't even do that was passed down

for me to like shift to shift,

152

nurse to nurse.

153

And it's my first time taking care of her

and she's been here for weeks.

154

But then she said, some black nurse

and then she called the doctor.

155

Negative name too.

156

So I was just like, you know, I didn't

know what to do in that situation.

157

So I was annoyed, I was hurt,

158

and I just felt like I'm not good enough

because what did I do wrong here?

159

Yeah.

160

Well, what would you have done

in that situation?

161

You are good enough.

That's a hard situation.

162

I feel like I maybe try

163

to be more proactive

than reactive in situations.

164

So maybe documentation,

maybe a little bit more documentation

165

in that situation to save yourself.

166

But this things I do that

no one thinks about.

167

So like we can bring a patient

that's in the intensive care unit.

168

They already are intubated and they have

the Intel tracheal tube down where

169

they're not able to breathe or their own,

and they're on the ventilator.

170

So we'll go to the ICU

to bring the patient down.

171

And I have to go

172

so I can bag the patient with the ambu

bag, you know, to give them oxygen.

173

So they'll be on propofol,

fentanyl drip anniversaire drip.

174

Me being the black Crna.

175

Keep your narcotics with you

176

because I'm not going to

177

be blamed when I come back

or bring the patient back

178

and they're like, oh,

there was a full bag of fentanyl.

179

And she did it, and they'll blame me.

180

So every time I go

to get a patient from the ICU,

181

I bring my own fentanyl that I can push.

182

And I give my paralytic very smart.

183

But no one else thinks like that.

184

So I tell the nurse, I said,

you can go ahead and disconnect her.

185

She goes, oh yeah, disconnected

because I'm not going to be responsible

186

for your drugs.

187

I'm like,

they're not going to blame the black Crna.

188

I'm one of three out of many.

189

So I feel like as is being more proactive

than reactive and I, I don't know,

190

I've been a nurse since 2001

and I just feel you've learned something.

191

Yeah, you've learned to protect yourself.

192

You just have to protect yourself.

193

And and it doesn't stop me

from giving the care

194

because I really love my patients.

195

And we do have a connection.

196

And I think that's why we do it,

because we really care about people.

197

And I don't treat anyone different

because they're white,

198

or the color of their skin,

color of their skin or anything like that.

199

Well, the piggyback, you know,

200

I like a good piggyback off

of what you said about ICU.

201

So that was when I was actually first

inspired to be an ICU nurse.

202

I never thought I would want to.

I wanted to do OB.

203

And so anyway, I had the best,

what do they call it?

204

Like the nurse, you fall.

205

It's not a preceptor,

but it's like your nurse.

206

Yeah. Kind of we.

207

I was just assigned to her

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while I was in school and just so happened

she was black.

209

Her name's Monica.

210

She's amazing.

211

And I think you know her, too. Yes.

212

Do I know her? You do?

213

I think you did.

214

Yeah. Yeah.

215

So I'd never met her before,

and she was so nice.

216

She was so put together.

217

I mean, from head to toe scrubs.

Beautiful hair.

218

Beautiful.

219

Make just presentation, just chef's kiss.

220

And so that was the first thing.

And I was like, wow.

221

She looks she presents herself a lot

better than all the other people here.

222

So she's like okay,

you're going to come with me. Perfect.

223

She was explaining everything to me

and she just kind of said, hey,

224

you know, sometimes us being black girls,

we got to do things a little differently.

225

And that was like

my first one on one thing about, okay,

226

I'm black going into this field, you know?

227

And she was like, one of the things

that I feel is very important is

228

you always want your patient to look like

how you would want your mother or father

229

or, you know, family member to look.

She was like,

230

I don't wait for housekeeping to come

clean this room, I clean it.

231

My patient is baby.

232

Their hair is washed, the bed sheets

are clean, and the items are tucked away.

233

There's never any trash on the floor.

234

She's like, everything is removed

from the room because you are

235

a representation of the patient,

and that is the care that you're giving.

236

That was totally me. Yes. Yeah.

237

And that that's really I was like,

So she was like,

238

hey, if you ever want to work,

I see you did great.

239

And so that's really

what I was going to do.

240

I see you was because of her.

241

And then let's talk

242

about some of the positive experiences

that you've had being black and scrubs.

243

Oh, I don't have any positive.

244

Can I talk about another negative.

245

Yeah I want to be negative.

246

Be negative.

247

And then I'll I'll swerve on in

with the positive.

248

It is okay.

249

Let's be negative I agree with that's

how my patients were in the ICU.

250

Clean room, clean. Everyone had cornrows.

251

Everyone could tell

when I took care of you.

252

Did not? Yes.

253

Why are you.

254

The patients were very ethnic

with their cornrows.

255

Because that's a way to take care of them.

256

Braid there. Yeah, like they have it

on. It wouldn't get mad.

257

And I was just telling me

you grab me from. Yes.

258

Oklahoma cornrows.

259

Oh, me and mom would have.

260

She was from the west side.

261

Mary James, Mary Jane.

262

So what would her family come in?

263

And they're probably like, oh,

but they like,

264

they're holding their imaginary pearls

like, oh,

265

I can play, right?

266

We kind of did that 20 years ago.

267

We went to Jamaica. We got it right.

268

But it's just for them to look presentable

and look clean.

269

It is hard to brush that hair

when it's matted in the back.

270

So I never thought about that.

271

I don't think just

how we talk about with patients.

272

Like one time I even had a patient

call me a nigger.

273

They're like, you're not a nigger.

274

I said, yes, I am indeed a nigger.

275

And he thought that was going

to hurt my feelings.

276

Like, I don't care.

277

I'm here to provide you care.

278

And I just didn't

even think anything about it.

279

I just and you continue to provide.

280

Yeah, I think I would have been like,

nope, we're not going to do that

281

because I don't want to be accused

of anything that happens to you.

282

Well, he was great and in great care.

283

And then one thing that I remember that

I even was talking to someone else about,

284

and they were shocked

I was working with this I doctor.

285

And we would always

just like Kiki and talk about,

286

oh, you have a Louis Vuitton

and just talk about purses.

287

And then when like days

288

or months, we were talking about purses

and this and she says

289

one time she says,

how do you afford all that?

290

I did.

291

Well, do you think she said that

now you don't have to be?

292

No, because she thinks like

293

you make nurse salary or I don't know,

but you don't ask for one.

294

You don't ask someone. That is.

So what do you think I'm doing?

295

Do you not know what a nurse anesthetist

makes?

296

Go and Google it.

297

Yeah, and let me tell you something.

298

Oh, I by can I touch it?

299

$7,000 bag. This is a go yard.

300

I'm feeling thousand geo y a d.

301

Okay, I have a bottle of a ton in years,

so this would be put my Louis away

302

so I have a go yard,

so don't ever come for me.

303

I'm a hard worker.

304

Yeah you are.

305

And it was really offensive

for her to to say well how are you.

306

How are you affording that, you poor

little black girl?

307

And that's how I felt.

308

And now I look at her very side eyes.

309

What can I be, a poor little black girl

and have your purse?

310

I know you have a whole bunch of them.

You can just give me one.

311

You got so stingy.

312

Well, any more negative stories?

313

Because I just kind of want to shine

a little positive.

314

Well, Jesus Christ.

315

This is about the history of healthcare,

okay?

316

And this was way

before us that we have to think of.

317

Okay. Educate. Why?

318

Maybe black people don't trust

319

the healthcare system and maybe they

320

there is an issue that as black nurses

and black patients or you know,

321

yeah, physicians we really need to look at

is this the health care disparity.

322

And like I'll tell overweight black pays

when they come in.

323

I'm like you're overweight.

You have diabetes.

324

And I say

you know there's a health care disparity.

325

And my health care I mean racism

to let them know you're already here sick.

326

So when you come in

327

you're morbidly obese, you have diabetes,

you have hypertension.

328

You're already lower as far as

329

like maybe a recovery

because you're so obese.

330

Like if you have your obese,

331

you can have poor wound

healing and diabetic

332

because you have that triad of diabetes,

sleep apnea, hypertension.

333

So you've got to be at your best.

334

So you've got to eat better.

You've got to be healthy.

335

You cannot smoke cigarettes.

336

And I think about some of the issues

that have been in health care.

337

Why blacks don't.

338

We're not going to be organ donors

because we don't trust

339

what they're going to do,

not going to go to the doctor at all.

340

We're not going to go to the doctor at all

because of Tuskegee,

341

when they withheld penicillin,

when there was a cure to see

342

how black men would react,

or the appendectomy procedures

343

that they did on black women acting like

344

they're going to take out their appendix

and they sterilize them.

345

Oh, I don't think I knew about that.

Oh, okay.

346

So it just makes you think, like,

if they're doing this to black patients,

347

then how can black nurses

be accepted in a already

348

really races structure?

349

And that's something

that we really need to look into.

350

I guess just a quick little tidbit.

351

So I remember

352

we were working together at the one place

and then like I would be doing pre-op,

353

get the patient in there,

354

do get ready for the procedure

post-op, whatever we needed to do.

355

At the time,

I always thought it was funny.

356

I just want to know

if this has happened to you.

357

I always thought it was funny

or like weird

358

when I would be with the patient,

checking them in, talking to them,

359

doing their health history,

talking to the family.

360

We walk back there, get you on the big,

get you laid down, start

361

sedating you, and then they go,

are you black?

362

What are you or are you?

363

I've never seen anything like you.

And I'm just like.

364

And then they go to sleep.

365

I'm like, so is that what you were

thinking the whole time

366

when I was taking care of this liquid

curse via anesthesia, right?

367

Like what? I'm just like.

368

I mean, I would say like, maybe 20 or 30%

of the time that would happen.

369

And that's kind of a lot.

370

And I just because you do

371

kind of look, not

372

I mean, you look like you have

373

like you're a mixed race,

374

so maybe they just don't know.

375

They just want to know what?

You just ask me.

376

Just ask me.

377

Well, Millie,

I don't think people are going to say no.

378

Don't ask me

because it's none of your business.

379

And don't touch my hair.

380

Oh, Jesus.

381

Don't touch my.

382

Now, I will say that one time

I was at a nursing home

383

and there were these

three little elderly ladies

384

probably see dial and whatnot,

and I'd been there all day.

385

I can't even remember.

386

It was in a small town.

387

So I was already like, let's go to go.

388

So they were like looking at me and like,

you know.

389

And I was like, okay.

390

So anyway, when I was

391

when it was time for me to leave,

one of the ladies excuse me, honey.

392

And I said, yeah.

393

She said, we don't mean to be offensive,

but we have all been talking

394

about you all morning and afternoon,

trying to figure out what you are.

395

I said, well, what do you mean?

396

I said, I'm a nurse.

397

They're like,

no, honey, your skin is so beautiful.

398

And we just want.

399

Are you Native American? Are you?

What are you?

400

I said, oh, I'm black.

401

They're like, oh you're black.

402

I said, yeah, they're well they're like,

we've never seen anything.

403

I said, well I'm Creole, but it's black.

404

They're like,

well what is? So I went through

405

the whole spiel about it,

but I was like, essentially I am black.

406

They're like, oh, well,

we just think you are just beautiful.

407

And I'm like, oh.

408

And then you get the ones that come in.

409

Everybody's biracial these days,

and that's fine.

410

I called the National Biracial Association

in the NBA, so I would have

411

these were at the time

where grandparents or great

412

grandparents are having biracial grandkids

or great grandkids.

413

And so I'd have a patient

come in and I would do an IV on them,

414

and they're like, honey, don't

turn me black, because last time I got

415

I'll be as black as you

if you miss my IV again and I'd be like,

416

oh or oh,

I didn't mean any offense by that.

417

My grandbabies are mixed.

418

I'm like, oh, I want people to say that.

419

Who cares?

420

Guess you know what?

Guess who else had mixed grandbabies?

421

Slave owners. Oh, boy.

422

So do

423

you want to transition into the positive

or are we still on the.

424

We can talk about the let's be positive.

425

Okay.

426

Black and scrubs.

427

Okay.

428

I will say one thing

that was really inspiring

429

for me is I didn't coming from

a family of physicians,

430

nurses

were kind of low on the totem pole.

431

So I was always told, oh,

you need to go to medical school.

432

Like if you don't do that, then

what's the point of going into healthcare?

433

Oh, you don't want to be a nurse

because you get paid

434

nothing and you're wiping

butts like that's so miserable

435

when you can make all this money

and you just see the patient and leave.

436

And I was like, okay,

that was like the mentality I had.

437

And then, you know,

438

like I've said before,

I shadowed a couple of physicians

439

and I would see the nurses

in the background.

440

I'm like, that's what I want to do, right?

441

And so, once I was just like,

okay, I'm in nursing now.

442

And then I would see like techs

or housekeepers or nursing students

443

and they would just stop me and say,

thank you for doing what you're doing.

444

And I'm like, oh, I'm a nurse.

445

You're like,

no, there's nobody that looks like us.

446

And and I thought,

oh, I'm not doing that much.

447

I just have an RN,

448

you know, like, I want to get my master's,

I want to get my doctorate.

449

And they would just be like,

you're an are in.

450

And I just was like, okay.

451

And then,

452

you know, I was talking to family

and they're like, do you understand that?

453

It's very hard to go to school

and be disciplined

454

and structured

and follow through to a lot of people.

455

And I didn't realize that.

456

And so I was just like, wow.

457

And then if I had my white coat on

458

for clinicals,

they would stop me and say, wow.

459

Are you a nurse practitioner?

460

And I'm like, well, I'm a student.

They're like, that is so amazing.

461

I mean, it'd be like 40, 50 year

old women telling me this.

462

That's very inspiring.

463

Yeah.

464

And I was just like, wow,

you know what I mean?

465

Like, I had just never thought of myself

like that.

466

I'm just let my head down

trying to make sure I get my notes done.

467

I don't kill anybody out of that.

468

Then people would just grab me and say,

wow, look at what you're doing.

469

Yeah.

470

You know, and even still, like,

when I first met you,

471

I knew what it was,

but I didn't know any black ones.

472

And so when I saw you going off of that

nurse talking about, I would see her and

473

I said, wow, because I didn't know.

474

And I'm glad I didn't ask. Honey,

I didn't know.

475

Like I never seen you like a unicorn.

476

Can I touch you? Feel you like

I want to know all about you.

477

I was a little scared, but I was like.

478

And then when you tell me your story.

479

Like how amazing, how amazing.

480

This is my story of going back to school

with a newborn baby

481

and a 12 year old and how you, like, went

through the interview girl. Yes.

482

And I was like, wow, you know.

483

So anyways, interviewing

and I was six months pregnant girdle.

484

So they would not hold it against me.

485

The mother a single mother again.

486

Yeah.

487

And I also feel like and maybe

488

it's just me being new into nursing,

or rather new, is that I.

489

I really didn't know how hard it was

to get into Crna school.

490

I don't know if it were changed,

but there was only.

491

It's hard.

492

Yeah, there was only so many schools

and there already weren't

493

hardly any black nurses.

494

And then just,

495

I mean, really just the fact

that you've done

496

that, you've accomplished

that, you went through it

497

and you did it

when nobody was thinking about it.

498

Yeah.

Like when did you go to school for this?

499

I'm 2008. Yeah.

500

Like who was talking about being a crap?

501

Not as much as they're talking about

now. Exactly.

502

Why do you think that is?

503

You know,

504

people that have their master's degree,

and I know you're going

505

to think it's a higher number.

506

Do you know what the percentage

in the United States is?

507

That people

that have their master's degree.

508

You mean African-American women

or just in general people, general,

509

who take a guess what? Like less than 5%?

510

Oh five.

511

Oh, I would think it was more,

512

they said 13 to 15% of people

that have their masters.

513

I thought that's low.

514

I thought way

more people had their masters.

515

We both have our master's degree.

516

So that is a self is accomplishment

at like what they're saying statistically

517

in the United States, in the world

it's only like 13% in the world.

518

Okay. So we both have our master's degree.

519

And then you think about the masters

520

held degrees

by African American women, right.

521

So that, you know, percentage goes down.

522

So I feel like being black and in scrubs,

it is inspiring.

523

And it is positive.

524

Yeah.

525

And people can look at you

and they can think there's people

526

you know behind us that they can do it.

527

I've had some Ms..

528

Shadow me

and I know this may sound bad, but

529

when people ask if they can shadow me,

I was like, oh, well, what color are they?

530

Oh my goodness.

531

And I you do not. I do. Oh my God.

532

Because if they're white,

I don't want them to shadow me.

533

Because for one, I feel like white women.

534

White people because they feel like

they sometimes know better than you.

535

They.

536

And I'm the expert.

537

They question me and I'm not going to have

someone challenge me.

538

Not you don't think

it's from a learning perspective?

539

No. The challenge me like I don't know it.

540

Oh, and that way.

541

Okay.

542

And I just don't want to deal with that.

543

And there's 500 craze in Oklahoma.

544

15 are black.

545

So why people have way more pool

than black people.

546

And I feel like it makes a difference

when you have someone that looks like you.

547

Yeah, that's doing what they want to do,

that that's really important

548

because like you said, my mentor,

the people I look up to

549

and inspire me were black women

because it's a white

550

woman is not going to do it for me

as being my inspiration, because we don't

551

connect in that way.

552

Yeah.

And we don't have the same background.

553

So just the color of our skin.

554

To me, it comes with a lot of trials

and tribulations about,

555

you know, what's expected

and what you have to go through in school

556

and in life to be successful.

557

So I feel like that's

really a positive thing.

558

I'm not being any type of way,

but I want to be there and get my energy

559

to women of color

560

that are nurses that have the shadow,

because that's a requirement

561

that they that

they make them do to shadow a Crna. Yes.

562

And so that's to me something positive.

563

And they go in there and they're like,

I owe Tara, I love you.

564

I feel so energetic.

565

And they feel like they do.

566

Yeah, I'm just pouring into them.

567

And that's really important to me.

568

Well, when I was getting my masters

and we had to have the preceptors,

569

I mean, first off, there were a few far

in, in between people that are willing

570

to precept. You sure?

571

And so, I mean, I was just thankful

if I got somebody to preset me. And

572

all my mentors are really great.

573

I think also at that time

I was looking at them like, wow,

574

these are women doing this.

575

And they're like my age

576

because I went to nursing school later

because I got my I wanted to do pre-med.

577

So I went to, you know, got two bachelor's

degrees and this and that for goodness.

578

So if, if I like, see a nurse practitioner

who's like 25, I'm like, hey girl.

579

Like, wow, girl. Yeah.

580

What you're doing.

581

Yeah.

582

So to me that's just inspiring as well.

583

So let me ask you a question.

584

If you were to look into the eyes

of a little brown girl

585

wanting to do nursing of some form,

what advice would you give her?

586

The vice I would give.

587

Is this study really hard

588

and focus on yourself,

589

because sometimes

I feel like we can get to.