From Reactive to Proactive Care: Why I Switched Careers

Starting as a new graduate nurse in the Adult ICU during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was arduous and distressing. Isolation and fear were pervasive; everyone felt them due to social distancing, mask requirements, and the closure of non-essential businesses. As nurses, we worked tirelessly to keep our patients alive, but due to the rapid disease progression of COVID-19, we were often unsuccessful.

Frustration with the Reactive Healthcare System

Once COVID-19 became less prevalent, I began seeing patient cases that were more common prior to the pandemic. I noticed a clear pattern: the majority of patients had multiple comorbidities, sedentary lifestyles, and diets full of processed foods. There was little to no education on the critical importance of changing daily habits; the focus was instead on adding more medications to manage symptoms.

I grew frustrated with a healthcare system that seemed to neglect getting to the root problem. I felt we were applying a "band-aid," only for it to be ripped off when the same patient was readmitted to the hospital a week later for the same issue. The 12-hour night shifts, the chronically stressful environment, and the lack of feeling I was making a true, lasting difference in people's lives led to incredible burnout. I was at a standstill; I had invested five years in a nursing degree, yet I wasn't satisfied or happy with my career.

Seeking a Different Kind of Impact

After two years in the ICU, I resigned and became a Pediatric Hospice Nurse Case Manager. I wanted to be present for children and their families during the hardest time of their lives, fighting for the patients' comfort, peace, and quality of life. I thoroughly enjoyed this profession for two and a half years, but I eventually realized it wasn't a career I could sustain forever.

The Shift to Proactive Wellness

My passion for a proactive role truly began to take shape a couple of years ago when I started working out as a client at Stay Strong. I had often told my mother that I would love to work there as a personal trainer—the atmosphere was consistently positive, supportive, and encouraging.

Fast forward to the present: Stay Strong had a job opening for a personal trainer. I felt it was a "now or never" moment to move back to my hometown and pursue what I had wanted for a long time. While I've only been working at Stay Strong for a short time, I already feel that this is what I was meant to do. The difference between my past and present roles is drastic.

My motivation is clear: I wanted to shift from providing reactive care—addressing health issues after they have arisen, often in response to symptoms—to providing preventative care, which involves creating proactive measures to maintain health and prevent illness or disease before it occurs.

My "Why" as a Personal Trainer

As a personal trainer, I have the direct ability to keep clients accountable in the gym and educate them on nutrition to meet their goals, whether that's weight loss, strength, or muscle gain. I love how exercise is inclusive, allowing anyone from a young age to an older age to participate. Most importantly, I value that I am now working to prevent chronic diseases from occurring or helping a client manage an existing disease to prevent it from progressing.

I am looking forward to this new journey as a personal trainer for Stay Strong and wanted to share this background for my 'why.'