Being a nurse is difficult, especially for a full-time nurse and mother. Nurses do more than just check patients and examine injuries. They prevent diseases, promote health, assist with illnesses, and more. They must observe, examine, take notes on daily progress, and plan treatments and exams.
Cassie Isaacson is a full-time Registered Nurse (RN) at Sutter Health in Roseville. She works in Neuroscience/Interventional Pain Management, which focuses on the brain and helping alleviate pain through medication. From Monday to Friday, Cassie works from morning until night, checking up on patients, managing medication, and assessing injuries or illnesses. This, in itself, is stressful and has its own challenges.
Even though Cassie faces these challenges at work, she also has other, much more stressful situations to manage. So why does she still want to be a nurse? “To help people and support them through their hardships so they can go home to their families,” she says. “That’s the best feeling a nurse can have. We feel warmth and joy when we know our patients are home, healthier than ever, and reunited with their families.”
Cassie Isaacson shares, “Caring for people brings me so much happiness. I strive to show patient support, empathy, and compassion. It truly makes a difference in someone’s life.” While it may seem that most patients go home feeling better or even cured, that’s not always the case. This is when Cassie feels hopeless. “The least favorite part is when we’ve done all that we can for someone and have to refer them elsewhere, hoping someone else can help. There’s nothing worse than seeing a patient suffer and feeling like we’ve failed them.”
Another stressful aspect of her job is triaging patient symptoms and determining whether they are urgent or if it’s an emergency. If she doesn’t assess the situation properly or misses something urgent, and fails to recommend calling 911 or going to the ER, it could be detrimental to the patient.
Despite the tough moments and stress, Cassie enjoys a great work-life balance. She loves being able to spend quality time with her family, knowing she can be home at night and on weekends.
