Dance Like No One Is Watching

Brooke Smith
Hi, everyone, welcome to MDF Instruments Crafting Wellness Podcast. I'm really excited today to introduce you. Not only is he amazing dancer on Tik Tok, you might recognize him from that, but he is also an ICU nurse. And he's got a really interesting, fun story to talk about how he got into ICU nursing. His name is Daniel.

Daniel
I'm currently an ICU nurse in well, actually, I'm a travel ICU nurse now. So there's two occasions I worked at Morristown Medical Center, which is North Jersey, and per diem in virtue of Ortiz in New Jersey as well.

Brooke Smith
Yes, travel nursing. I know that's become a big thing after the pandemic, or during the pandemic. I think a lot of people went into travel nursing. I'm excited to touch base on that, but kind of just starting out, how did you get into nursing? Why did you choose nursing? I feel like everybody has a story that kind of like lights them up, or why they got into it. And you always know that you wanted to get into health care,

Daniel
I will to be completely honest, my nationality is Filipino. So I am embedded to be in healthcare regardless. But luckily, I was not forced into it. I was just, you know, a typical college boy didn't know what to do with my life. And my parents asked me if I want to try nursing. I eventually got into like I did the program, I somehow got accepted, which I was truly thankful because now I'm actually in, actually in at the bedside and actually working in like, it's really, it's really inspiring. It's a it's a great feeling into what I do to others. And I'm just so happy that I actually got into this to this profession.

Brooke Smith
So how long have you been in nursing? ICU nursing as well as travel nursing? How long have you been doing it?

Daniel
So ICU nursing three years prior hand, I did med surg for another three years and subacute rehab long term care for another four years. So yeah, we're going up close to almost 11 years and nursing and travel nursing in between my ICU IC career is one year.

Brooke Smith
I love it. Okay, so do you have a specialty within the ICU?

Daniel
Yes, so um, I currently but my current specialist medical ICU by float in between the surgical ICU and sometimes I'll get floated to the CCU was at the cardiac ICU. But medical is like my forte, respiratory pulmonary sepsis is like my GI bleeds. That's my number one

Brooke Smith
Can you describe kind of what you do in your job and your specialty? I know that for nurses, I talked about this a lot. It seems like there's so many things you can do with your career, there's so many directions you can go. It's not like one linear path, you can always further education and go over here and try this specialty. So can you just talk a little bit about your current specialty and what your day in life kind of looks like and what you do in that specialty.

Daniel
So in the medical ICU, so it's it's really I would say, ICU is is a different different kind of type of nursing. So when I get into the get into work, I get report I basically get report from from fellow nurses since I have two patients, Max three, sometimes paying on staffing, of course, I actually dedicating my time door after report to actually endeavor and how I researched the patient like in and out. So within the 1520 minutes, I have Hisle that patients whole entire story, I know the patient in and out and within within that timeframe, this is when the doctors make rounds in the morning. So I expect that they expected me to have a lot of information within an hour of even being in the building so that we do arounds. Then during the course of the day we treat the patient, assess them, give them medications, we titrate like very important medications like medication and bring up blood pressures, antibiotics, medication to to manage their their heart rhythms. What else sometimes, if they need additional antibiotics, blood products, different type of medications to to make sure the patient stays hemodynamically stable and safe.

Brooke Smith
Oh, yeah, I know, the ICU is gotta be intense. So I know that nurses talk a lot about, you know, safe staffing patient ratios. And I know in the state of California, they actually do have laws in place where nurses have passed a certain number of patients where you are, do you have any laws in place like that, or in the ICU is a different like you only are when you're in the ICU of nursing, it's like you can only have three patients Max,

Daniel
I want to say we're lucky or I'm currently working at because in New Jersey, it's like it's a very suited to where you're at. So like standard is to patients if you're short staffed three is max, but they try to make that like so the acuity of the patient load is Yeah, because you, of course, you won't have like three extremely sick patients. So they try to make it like tolerable throughout your shift. But I was told in in California or that they have a really good day, they have a mandated ratios, which is really nice and mandated breaks, which we don't have. Because sometimes, you know, depending on how busy we are, sometimes we really don't have breaks, which is very unfortunate. And that's how burnout ends up happening to the staffing is just

Brooke Smith
when you talk about not having breaks, you mean like on your 12 hour shifts? Sometimes you don't have time. Yeah. So because I know I've seen it a lot where nurses talk about like, I didn't, I don't even have time to pee, it's, it's not good. You're human too. And you need, you need to take a breather, I mean, 12 hour shifts are not No joke, especially in the ICU.

Daniel
It's crazy, because like sometimes, like you'll have like, you'll have two patients. And you'll have an extremely smooth shift with that. And nothing you know, nothing happening. It's just you just going by just just just just going by the day, but there are some days you'll be in one patient's room for maybe two or three hours straight, not even getting out of the room, which is insane, because the patient's so unstable. But the great thing about the ICU is that well, at least for our workout is like the teamwork is so it's amazing. Like, you don't even have to ask for help people are there. Bear with you, even though even when the patient is unstable, it's I'm very thankful for work at

Brooke Smith
health care workers have to support each other because it does take it's such a collaborative team effort to get a patient, well get them out the door healthy and in one piece. So I know that it's not always the easiest thing. I have my mom, she was in ICU for like nine days, a couple years ago. And just as a family member of her, you know, I'm really concerned and worried and stressed out. And just knowing that she had an amazing health care team behind her making caring for her, and you could tell that they genuinely wanted to make her better. It brought so much peace to me that it just made the whole thing a lot better than I kept my mental health which, you know, if it was not for them, I don't know if I would have survived it. Do you primarily work day shifts or night shifts? Are you kind of changing around between day and night? Right? Right now,

Daniel
I am such a day shift nurse like I try. I primarily a day shift like I tried on my shift life, which is I do like it better by them. A bomb, not probably not difficulty, but that the flow and nice ship is way better. And my staff is actually very fun too, as well, because they stick together because they don't have as much resources as they ship. But the ship is is busy, but we have more resources around us to get so but I will take the ship all day for my mental health. Yeah.

Brooke Smith
Yeah, it's no joke. I mean, there's no like blackout curtains and like probably feeling like a zombie for most of the day, like when you wake up and not being out not being able to actually sleep after a shift. Because it's your brain is like, what's the daytime now I'm awake. And then you know, you did that three days in a row and you're fried. Yeah, I don't know how people do that any long term wise, but thinking this they do because we need them.

Daniel
Some people love it. Some people say I will never go two days. It's like, you know, it's

Brooke Smith
yeah, it just seems like people are one way or the other that either love nightshift or they're like, no, no, no, I'm a day shift or so if not you into what brought you into travel nursing, specifically, after your career. And just since you're more recently into travel nursing in the last year, were you inspired by something? Or do you have the travel bug? I want to talk a little bit about why you got into travel nursing, how difficult it was to get into it, because I know that you have to be licensed in the state that you're traveling to. And just kind of a lot of logistics. I know you're married and have two beautiful girls, right? Yes, yes, yes. Yeah. Gorgeous, two gorgeous angels. So I want to talk about what life is like as a travel nurse and why and how you got into that

Daniel
life with a travel nurse. You know, in the beginning, it was rough because I was not used to being comfortable where I was originally because you know, you're when you when I first got into it last year, it was I took my first assignment for some medical center. Just basically the first thing is I believe my kids for three or four days, that's that was the first hardest thing leaving them with was rough. But when when we when I got there, I had to adjust to how, how this hospital does things compared to what I'm used to the logistic did different type of documentation and you do Thankfully, this charting system was a scene that I was used to so that was a huge plus. That's a huge weight off my shoulders. And like just knowing how like, who to reach where things are and the cost of floating and learning new people. I would say maybe a month in getting to learn everything he thinks got better. And like I said I luckily I lucked out with this one because they're the way how they run things is the I'm self scheduled Leave, which is a huge, huge plus, because most, most places just tell you what their needs are. And that's what it is what it is. What else be tried to they treat me like staff, first of all, and that's another thing. So if I was in one place or not at one place the day before, because I usually do my stretches three or four in a row, he tried to keep me in the same area the whole time to see patients, which is amazing for continuity. But you know, intermittently, I have to switch somewhere else if I'm truly needed. Like, if I'm truly needed there,

Brooke Smith
Where have you been for travel nursing so far?

Daniel
Just one area I I've been extending the same, it's two hours. So like, I live in South Jersey, and, you know, near Atlantic City, and where I work at is, is North Jersey, near New York, if that kind of gives you a nice sense

Brooke Smith
of what like a two hour commute for you, you about to our work, are you actually like driving home after your long shift? Or are you just like three days on and like then come home and like stay in a hotel or Airbnb or something?

Daniel
Exactly. So I stayed at hotel so I made a good report with this hotel I've been staying at and they gave me a travel nurse rate. Instead of me doing a whole month there. They just give me the days that I need for that current rate. So it's I haven't, I ended up having a very nice system. I'm very blessed and thankful while of how everything worked out for me.

Brooke Smith
I love that. I love that. And then you're just two hours away in case there is something you know, the family needs emergency or if you're just missing the little one so much, you know, and you have the energy.

Daniel
Plus is that I know like I miss my kids and all but I sleep a lot more when I'm away.

Brooke Smith
So it's Yes. How old? How old are your girls?

Daniel
I have a three and eight year old girl and to create your girls ended up in a baby boy do next month?

Brooke Smith
Oh my gosh, do you have one on the way to? He's gonna have to join the tic tac dances.

Daniel
Oh, you know it.

Brooke Smith
I love it. I love it so much. Well, yeah. And then maybe eventually, you know, you'll be going other places traveling to other places. But I mean, I love that you really took the idea of travel nursing, and made it work for you in a way that you don't have to do the traditional way. If I'm going to California or something you are. I'm two hours away. I'm and I'm still remotely close. And I'm still traveling nursing. So you still get to experience the different, you know, different places of work, meet new people have new patients and the contract rates I'm sure

Daniel
But don't get me wrong. I will be going to California when

Brooke Smith
we need to go there too. We will take all the help we can get.

Daniel
Absolutely. I will take the food down there too, as well.

Brooke Smith
Yeah. Oh my gosh, the food is so good. Yeah, you have to let me know when you come by. And I'll make some suggestions for you. Because we have instruments we are foodies. So the company taught me a lot about some really good like remote spots. Yes, you can get any kind of food you possibly want. You can if you can imagine it in California, you can find it. And like Benteke real real deal was I think I love that's what I love most about California is just like the diversity. And especially in the culture of eating, I get to try the food.

Daniel
Man, like, trust me, I'd move to the West Coast. Any day,

Brooke Smith
all the East Coasters want to go west and all the west coasters want to go east. It's really funny. And you know, it like, never fails. All the college kids when they're about ready to go to college, they all want to go to the East Coast. And then I feel like a lot of the east coasters are like, I want to go to California and just like switching places. So we have a lot of East Coasters on the west side, I would love to talk to you about mental health, how you're coping with not getting burned out. A lot of nurses who go don't get to take their breaks or they're just really overwhelmed. Sometimes they're picking up extra shifts just to make a little bit more money or because the need is there. Especially after the pandemic or during my guess technically still COVID but I just kind of wonder for you how do you separate being in an ICU nurse because I know that things don't always go the way that you hope that they do. And so you're sure you have those days? What do you do for yourself to come back to zero to cope with just the stress of the job and making sure that you're not taking on too much of that when you leave

Daniel
For me personally is I like to exercise so working out in gym is like that's how I get my all my stress out in this sport but from a mental health but as you remember during during the pandemic time in 2020 When all the gyms closed and guess was introduced to me it was tick tock so all the Tick Tock dancing and everything that was actually for for my mental health so I was doing a lot of humor. I was doing like jokes, you know, just like sometimes sometimes like I'll never go dark humor because you know, they always can be controversial, but they I was the way of me expressing myself on my frustrations and just, you know, as you see I'm have very happy go lucky. But you're right, it's it can be very stressful at times, there were some days I came home, you know, very stressed out, like, I try, I try and I don't emotionally distress but then working out dancing and my kids, my kids were actually the ones that always keep me upright and keep on high level being a being their father having me sure I stay strong for them. So I just kept myself up and going in, honestly just just see the best and everything because as long as no matter how hard you try to do some things, you know, it's just some things you can't control. So workout fitness family, making time for yourself really helps you as well, they're going out and going, just even just grabbing a lunch, or a dinner with a family or a loved one or best friend, that helped me mentally. And, um, my advice for everybody is really do do something for yourself, don't always don't overwork yourself, there's some people that work 30 days in a row. And, of course, they're making great money, that's awesome. But in the end mentally, it's it will take a toll on you in the long run, just just make sure to make sure you have self care for yourself. And you'll get through it. Because there's I know a lot of people that are getting very burned out lately. It's very unfortunate, and people are leaving bedside for that reason.

Brooke Smith
Yeah, I know, it's definitely been an issue. I think even before the pandemic happened, you know, obviously, there was always issues with burnout. Just because you guys, you have coworkers, you're away from your families for holidays, and you're working really long shifts, and you're there for people's most vulnerable times, and stressful times. And then sometimes people are taking that out on you. And there's a lot of mistreatment in nursing, especially just patients with, you know, going a little nutso and hitting hitting you or yelling at you screaming at you. I mean, it's it's not a job for the faint of heart. But I think the thing that I've learned the most is in healthcare, it takes a certain kind of heart to do it. Like there's a there's an empathy there, there's a kindness there, there's a desire to want to help other people and be there for them and make them better. And so naturally, those traits are drawn to into healthcare. And so we have to really, I think, work better and work harder at protecting healthcare workers because they are already naturally gift givers. And and then they're put in positions where they can be taken advantage of, or they're not taking their breaks, even though that they should have them because they don't feel like they have time to even go to the restroom. And so I kind of just I love to talk with you a little bit about advice for people who are not taking that time for themselves or have you yourself found yourself being like, I don't have time to go the bathroom. I don't have time to eat today, because I've got so much going on. How do you? How do you handle it? And then how would you wish you handle it? I guess like because in the moment you're like, oh, I can just you're going to be more prone to maybe put your needs on the backburner. So kind of just would love to hear a little bit about that. And then also just being a male nurse, I would love to touch base on that too.

Daniel
Absolutely. I'm on that and like put putting my needs in the back burner that's, that happens a lot. Because like, especially during like, I've been very very busy shifts that you don't even think about going to bed and like it's just you're doing without even thinking then by the time let's say it's like it's like 10 o'clock when to when things are going down. By the time is three o'clock you don't even realize you're like holy smokes like where did the time go? Then when you finally sit down and get ready to do it. Yeah, the time. Oh crap Ibiza bathroom, when something happens again, it's this. This is the time when you rely on your co workers. This is the support the support is very, very, very important. And how I see things that if you for the most part, if you support somebody else, and they support you, it's a revolving door. So there are times like you, I'll help my coworker when they're in need. And when that times happens to me, then they'll cover me and even even for five or 10 minutes. It's that five to 10 minutes is extremely important because you know, we don't know when that time is gonna happen again. Yeah, me. And for people I was just for, I used to skip breaks too. That's another thing too because my focus before was I want to get out on time I was skipping on breaks and just keep documenting or catch up for what I've done this and what I've learned about that is that mentally you're throughout your shift you're not as sharp as you would be if you took that break because Because Because mentally you're you're again drained and when you're as you work you're not working as effectively As you shouldn't be, so that I will say brakes are extremely important, important, and don't skip them. Extremely, extremely important. If you have the chance, please, please, please take your breaks and just make his time just to use the bathroom or even take a drink of water, you have to make sure you take care of yourself, in order to take care of others effectively, effectively is variable. And for being a male nurse, it's extremely easy to go into the bathroom to as well I just like that, compared to much of my lady human coworkers, you know, that can take a little bit of time because this more work with so it's that's one thing of being a benefit. And another thing too, I have to make sure I keep the seat down. Because if not, I will get big trouble from the whole entire unit.

Brooke Smith
You'll have all of them after you hmm, absolutely. I

Daniel
Absolutely and they know exactly who did it to is that's the best part. Unless, I mean, now there's a lot more male nurse before by remember starting nursing. I remember I would when they see that happen. I was at Target and I will hear it for the whole entire day in a funny way. That not really

Brooke Smith
joking around with each other like siblings kind of did you spend so much time together? It's like you're spending more time with them to you or your family for those three days or whatever. Schedule? Absolutely. So interesting, though I love I want to just say that your Tiktok dances are amazing. And I love you know, we all thought of stress and tension in our bodies. And I feel like the older we get like when we're kids, we just move around all these fun ways. We're not We're not shy about it. We're not like self conscious. We're just like doing weird things like moving our bodies. I feel like as we get older, we kind of just restrict ourselves more we hold it in and we don't move our bodies. And I think dance is such a great way to take all that stress and pent up energy that you have. And like get it out of your body, express it have fun with it dance with your kids. I know. I saw this woman she wasn't in health care, but she was on Tik Tok. And she had gone through some loss. And she decided to dance for five minutes every single day. And she recorded herself doing it. And as she did it, she just grew happier and happier and happier and happier and dance became movement became a way for her to cope with her mental stress and her trauma and just like being able to heal her heart and her mind and her soul through moving through music. And so I love the dancing. I hope you keep it up.

Daniel
Thank you. Personally, I love doing it. And it's it's great cardio, like it's a free workout.

Brooke Smith
What advice like if you could go back and tell your younger self something that you wish you knew or advice or just advice for other people? Do you have any little golden nugget for us of just something you wish you knew or something you would tell your younger self

Daniel
for nursing? I would. What I recommend for anybody who's getting into it is to work in the health care field before you before you get licensed and actually started working in the field. Because before nursing, I used to work at a fast food joint. And it's a whole different ballgame. It was a huge culture shock when I was working behind the desk there and fast food. Then when I became a nurse and taking care of people a very sick people it was it was a huge culture shock. But it was a great way to eventually you get resilient into your work into it. But I'm I would say working in the field, you can get into specialties a little easy. If you work in a specialty you like to work out like I know a lot of techs are CNAs work in an ICU or right now. And when they graduate, they already have a job align with them as long as their manager likes them. So that's a huge, huge thing I would recommend for people, especially if you're trying to get to specialties. And going back to just Just what I would tell my younger self is I will say first thing, think financially, think smart financially. That's one huge thing. I was thankful for my parents growing up for helping me through school and pay in and help pay for my school. So I was like debt free getting out. So I was able to do what I need to do afterwards. But I was still being I was still not being financially smart. So there's a lot of things I could have done. I could have like, like my dream nail is I wish I was able to invest in properties and sell them or rent them out. But I don't have that type of money to do that. Or let's say just just take care of yourself financially. And another thing mentally to just make sure you you're around people that are a positive influence in your life because I've I've had both ends I have a small crowd of people that I like to hang out with and they're the and honestly they're my family. They're the best friends I've ever had in my life and I will never turn my back on them. And there are people that I work with in the field that push me to keep going up. Don't stay where I'm at. Don't stay stagnant where you're at. Just keep building We're stuck to where I've been. And that's why we're I worked myself up from working to subacute rehab all the way up to ICU because my goal is to eventually be up a nurse practitioner, which is why I got into the ICU field just so I have such a diversity of the healthcare career, to mend myself to be a more effective practitioner, if that makes sense.

Brooke Smith
That was gonna be my next question was like, Where did you see your career going? Like, where did you where do you want to go with it? Because I know with nursing, like it's never ending, you can maneuver and change. And you can keep going getting become an NP, and go on and do all kinds of public health. And I mean, you could do all kinds of stuff with it. So I love hearing the NP thing. I love that. I think, is that something you would do? Maybe do you have an idea of what that timeline looks like? Are you just kind of feeling it out right now,

Daniel
to start clinicals next month. It's guesstimated, as long as everything goes smoothly about one year, so by next by actually 2023, which at time is when I should be graduating, and walking. And it's nerve racking because it's getting here. Like I had thoughts, just just taking a break and just keep working more. But if I feel like if I stop is in a game back into what will be very, very hard to just just pushing and driving. Don't give up, especially your dreams.

Brooke Smith
Yeah, I mean, it kind of goes back to the advice you would give your younger self like, Oh, I wish I had gotten that cover I really liked and not waited or I wish I would have invested in property. It's like you're investing in yourself now. So do it now get it over with get it done. So that future you future Daniel's like, Yes, I'm so glad past me did that. But I, I My brother always makes a joke when I'm like, hey, you know, my little brother, I'll give them a little bit of hard time of like, you know, you shouldn't be doing that right now, like you should be doing on this. And he always says, oh, that's that's future Thomas's problem. Well, you could take the opposite spin of it too. And it's like, well, the decisions you're making now in your life are going to affect the future you so whatever you're cultivating, creating now is is your going to be your future. So that's something I always like to think about. I really like to live in the moment and take it day by day but the decisions and choices that you're you use with your time and how you spend it and what you're doing with your life does affect future version of yourself. So I think that's that's awesome advice too.

Daniel
Absolutely. I love it I love because it's the truth.

Brooke Smith
Okay, so how did you come across? MDF Instruments

Daniel
love love the stethoscope. Everyone compliments it at work and I remember back in the day when I used to do a lot collaborations with other companies on one was all heart or all heart scrubs. Yes. Did a takeover with them. They were MDF dominated there was MDF, and of course Look man, of course. Yeah, I ended up getting my own. Because you know there was something at home just to take a blood pressure. But then I realized like wow, this this cheap stethoscope is better than my expensive stethoscope that I was. Yeah. Oh, like this is nice. just recently this past week I was I can hear murmurs better, it's just amazing. Of the quality and and I was like, You know what, from now on, I'm I'm dedicated now.

Brooke Smith
I love it. So I was gonna ask you being in the ICU. Do you use mostly like the adult attachment? Are you going to pediatric Are you switching back and forth? Is there ever a need for you to do an infant attachment or what are you primarily using

Daniel
I primarily used on the adult side. That's the best I use. You can use the other side for it for another reason like for for dialysis patients but I very rarely get haemodialysis patients so I'm just so amazed by this by the quality of the MDF Instruments ProCardial Titanium stethoscope.

Brooke Smith
That's so nice to hear. I'm so glad you like it. What am

Daniel
I one of my goals and just generally my career is to if there's ever disaster events and kind of medical missions, I would love love, love love to be part of that. Because, you know, because I feel like we're very lucky in our country that we have. I mean don't get me wrong healthcare is extremely expensive, but we have a lot more to give and get compared to like like like for my family in the Philippines that it's pay or nothing you know, it's we don't have that luxury of getting the help that they need unless they have the money which is why they always resort resort to family here that can give them the right to do so because they don't make as much as we do. It's our love, our love, love love to be do something that in the future.

Brooke Smith
I love that I think you should I you know, access to healthcare is it's a human right I think you know Healthcare is a human right. And we all should be able to be a healthy version of ourselves and be able to not have to choose between medication or dying, you know, our left leg or dying like we we need. So much of especially like globally, it's just it's so preventative. It's vaccines. It's, you know, it's diabetes, blood pressure, like these things that you can fix before they turn into to worse problems later down the line.

Daniel
Absolutely. It's like a gamble. If you don't know, it really is.

Brooke Smith
Well, I would love for you to share your social media handles, tick tock Instagram, anywhere else you are that people who want to come along, follow your journey, check out with you as you become a nurse practitioner, and you're, of course your dance moves because I got your social media handled.

Daniel
Absolutely. My my, I have my Instagram and Tiktok. They're both the same. It's at Murse underscore Liga D. So it's M as in Mary u, r, s, e underscore, li ga dot d, @murse_ligad mostly up. And as a matter of fact, I'll know if anybody knows about the nurse con community. So it's nurse Blake, a community, he has an app. So I'm one of their educators, you can actually see me there too, as well. And it's actually free for three CEUs and you'll see me there as well trying to be a little goofy and execute the same time as well.

Brooke Smith
Well, Daniel, thank you so much for joining our Crafting Wellness podcast. It has been such a pleasure having you on and talking with you and I can't wait to see more dance moves and I can't wait to see you as you journey into the nurse practitioner realm. We're excited for you.

Daniel
Absolutely. Thank you so much.