Interview with United States Navy Nurse Lieutenant Ashley Flynn, RN

Born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States Navy nurse Lieutenant Ashley Flynn, RN, selected a nursing profession that was anything but atypical. The first in her family to graduate from college and the primary to affix the Navy, Flynn has carved out a powerful profession, taking her places all around the world and climbing the ladder to leadership positions. Learn about Flynn’s path to nursing leadership, the challenges she faced, and the rewarding experiences that impacted her life and ultimately allowed her to tap into her curiosity and be an element of something larger than herself.

I all the time knew I liked all things science, and biology was interesting to me, so I actually went on to develop into a physician. I had what gave the impression to be a typical experience amongst college freshmen, and I started to doubt whether this was the correct path for me. I actually saw myself in medicine, but I wanted a profession that I could start earlier and with more flexibility. Several people suggested breastfeeding, so I believed I’d give it a try. I liked the undeniable fact that I could potentially move inside specializations and in addition mix nursing with one other industry, akin to politics, law or education. I used to be the primary person in my family to go to school, so I didn’t really know what I used to be moving into. It was very difficult! I experienced “senioritis” long before my senior yr of nursing school – not because I didn’t like the fabric, nevertheless it was brand recent information and I used to be probably bored with attempting to drink from the hearth hose of nursing school. Looking back, I’m impressed that I used to be in a position to proceed to manage and I’m grateful to my nursing school for the challenge it presented me with. It definitely set me up for achievement after I operated independently and utilized my license.

After completing initial Navy pre-commission training, I used to be stationed at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center (now renamed Walter Reed). I accomplished a nurse internship program, consisting of 16 weeks of observing nurses in all hospital departments and cross-training with phlebotomists, pharmacists and other multidisciplinary specialists. My first project was to work within the hospital cardiology department, where I used to be trained early on as a ward nurse. After a few yr, I moved to an inpatient surgical ward, whose task was primarily to look after wounded soldiers getting back from Iraq and Afghanistan. After one other yr, I used to be transferred across DC to Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, where I worked within the hospital medicine department. After a yr, I moved to the intensive care unit and was sent to a base in Djibouti, Africa, for 8 months. Upon my return, I started 4 months of coaching to develop into a flight nurse and served for a yr in Diego Garcia (a small island in the midst of the Indian Ocean). After my visit there, I used to be stationed on the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where I’m currently one in all the charge nurses within the ICU. I actually have just returned home from a 6-month deployment on USNS MERCY (T-AH 19), a hospital ship operating a partner mission within the Indo-Pacific region.

I earned my master’s degree because I knew I’d eventually be called right into a management position and I wanted the credentials I needed to be related to that. I desired to understand how health care worked on a broader scale, know the language, and be prepared. I discovered early on that effective (and ineffective) nurse leaders truly make an impact on those working on the bedside, so I started to reflect my profession path around those that inspired me. I mistakenly thought I’d have free time while at Diego Garcia, so juggling school and practice was difficult. We also had satellite web, which is analogous to dial-up web back within the day. It took 20-Half-hour to download one PDF article, so it was interesting to research and write the articles. Will Ferrell has a quote that claims, “Before you marry a person, you should first force them to use a computer with slow internet so they can see who they really are,” and I actually have to agree with that. Extra credit for completing your master’s degree on this computer.

At this point in my profession, I find the best satisfaction in mentoring nurses younger than me and inspiring them to experience essentially the most exciting adventures. I used to be fortunate to have chosen a novel path, and significant care within the Navy opens almost every door to such opportunities. I currently spend quite a lot of time training recent nurses who join the ICU team, and it’s exciting to look at them move into independent practice after which feel comfortable on the lookout for tasks where they will shine.

While being away from home is not all the time ideal, I’d say one in all the largest challenges was achieving effective communication on the nursing unit. It is unattainable to contact everyone individually on the ship – there aren’t any cell phones in the midst of the ocean, even once we enter port. There are also quite a lot of people in a small, confined space, so imagine playing telephone on overdrive. My most significant tool for solving this problem was actually a dry erase board. I updated it 24 hours a day, so my employees knew to ascertain the board for any vital information. I spent many hours trying to search out the source of the data in order that I could pass on what was accurate.

There isn’t enough space to completely explain how the Navy has impacted my life and paid dividends tenfold in my profession. I’m truly grateful for this experience and I actually made essentially the most of it. I took part in all types of coaching and conferences, obtained certificates, developed under pressure, traveled literally all around the world and made lifelong friends that became a lifelong family. Service is something appreciated by many but understood by few, so I’ll all the time treasure my experiences and the people I shared them with. You all the time know that somebody, somewhere, supports you, and that’s priceless.

I actually have been a volunteer with the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) for somewhat over 2 years, but I actually have been following the organization since I used to be stationed at Fort Belvoir in 2011. I used to be a spectator on the Marine Corps Marathon this yr and got here across the “Team Travis and Brendan” booth. The runners were organized in honor of Travis Manion and his Naval Academy roommate Brendan Looney, who were killed in motion. I used to be inspired by their sacrifice and the brotherhood they shared. Through veterans and the families of the fallen, the organization desires to honor those that made the last word sacrifice, strengthening the character of the community. I spend most of my time at TMF constructing leaders amongst highschool students on the USS Midway Museum. We organize team-building events and give attention to positive attributes that they will use to bring goodness back to their communities.

The moment in my profession that was particularly memorable was my project to a hospital surgical ward, where I needed to maintain wounded soldiers. I enjoyed my time within the Navy, but I also had my very own profession goals. I actually desired to move to the intensive care unit, and it was common knowledge that those that worked on 5 East worked harder than anyone else within the hospital. It wasn’t my alternative to be assigned there, so I took the news hard. I used to be so focused on myself, my goals, and attempting to balance my schedule with sleep, exercise, eating right, etc. It didn’t take long for me to understand that my self-centered thoughts were silly within the face of war. I took care of boys my age whose world had turned the other way up and a few needed to relearn things like walking, eating and talking. These injuries affected their entire family. Parents, spouses and kids were also trying to know how all the pieces had modified. It made me step back and realize why I joined the Navy in the primary place: I desired to be a part of something larger. To be a part of something larger, I needed to put my personal agendas aside. I finally achieved my goals, but the assorted lessons I learned from the Navy and my time at 5 East are way more meaningful than what I imagined.

I would really like to eventually obtain a doctorate in nursing practice in anesthesiology, but completing my master’s degree and happening internships have been busy. For now, I’m looking forward to regaining my work-life balance and settling in for my next adventure.