Resiliency in Nursing

Podcast Transcript

Carol Pehotsky:

In healthcare, we've heard a lot over the last several years around resilience and sometimes some of that doesn't quite ring true, it doesn't really sink home for us. Well, today I'm so delighted to be joined by Nestle Wilson who might actually be the living embodiment of resilience. Hi and welcome to Nurse Essentials, a Cleveland Clinic podcast where we discuss all things nursing. From patient care, to advancing your career, to navigating tough on the job issues, we're so glad you're here. I'm your host, Carol Pehotsky, associate chief nursing officer of surgical services nursing. Welcome back. One of the many things I love about having this amazing opportunity as your host of this podcast is learning nurses' stories, how they came to nursing, what keeps them coming back for more, how they keep their passion for their profession and the patients they serve.

We all have a different story, some with more twists and turns than others. For me, I always knew I wanted to help people, but it took me a little longer than maybe most to realize that passion was best served and fulfilled when I became a nurse. For others, it's a fire that has burned inside them from early on. I'm delighted to be joined today by Nestle Wilson. Nestle is a nurse at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital in the surgical intensive care unit. Thank you so much for coming to the show today, Nestle.

Nestle Wilson:

I am very delighted and thank you so much for having me here.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, of course. You know, talk about twists and turns. Your story about nursing and the Cleveland Clinic is such an amazing one, so I hope you're willing to share your journey with our audience.

Nestle Wilson:

Absolutely, and that's why I'm here. I've looked forward to this moment to really share my story, because I know, I always believed that my story is every nurse's story.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right, well, let's hear it.

Nestle Wilson:

Where do you want me to start?

Carol Pehotsky:

Where do you want to start? Well, well, so, so let's talk about that fire.

Nestle Wilson:

Oh.

Carol Pehotsky:

You know, for me I knew I wanted to help people. I didn't know I wanted to be a nurse. For you, when did that fire start for you in terms of, I want to help people, or I want to be a nurse?

Nestle Wilson:

I think it's that desire in you that would always be the definition of what you wanted to be.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

You always want that desire to keep burning and eventually that fire leads to a torch of success, because you wanted it so badly that you don't want to stop despite the struggling along the way.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. So, you grew up in the Philippines.

Nestle Wilson:

I did.

Carol Pehotsky:

And so, when did that spark for you, what was your development like in the Philippines in terms of nursing?

Nestle Wilson:

I started going to nursing school at the age of 16.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, oh, wow. Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Yes, and that was in the year 2002.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right.

Nestle Wilson:

At that time, I was a kid. I was so young, and I was just like, okay, let's get this done. I just want to get through this. I'll finish my bachelor's degree in nursing and that's it.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

But then as soon as I finished nursing school, as soon as I stepped into the real world of becoming a nurse, that's when I got to realize this is it.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

This is me. I am in the right place, and this is all I'm gonna be.

Carol Pehotsky:

It finally, it clicked for you when you have actually put the badge on, you're ready to go.

Nestle Wilson:

Absolutely. The moment you share moments with a patient is when you get to realize that this is the reward for what I'm doing. This is why I'm doing this.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. And so, you practiced as a nurse in the Philippines?

Nestle Wilson:

Yes I did.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. What type of nursing did you do there?

Nestle Wilson:

I was a surgery nurse.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. Okay. In the OR or post-surgery?

Nestle Wilson:

In the OR. In the OR, yes, but then I get to do pre, and post, so I get to see them awake during the surgery.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's my jam, yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly. Exactly because that's also when you get a chance to communicate with them to reach out pre, intra, and post. So that's when I realized I love what I do. This is all I'm gonna be doing for the rest of my life and I will strive harder to get to the top.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, so you're in the Philippines. You're rocking it as a surgical nurse. What brought you to the states? What brought you to the Clinic? How did, how were we so lucky to get you here?

Nestle Wilson:

It's the passion that brought me here. One moment I remember, one time in my early years of become of being a nurse in the Philippines, I get to read an article about the Cleveland Clinic. At that time the internet was not like a general thing.

Carol Pehotsky:

No, it was not.

Nestle Wilson:

The Internet wasn't a big thing for every household.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

But then I had a chance to see and read an article about the Cleveland Clinic's first transplant, first heart.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

And I said to myself since I was in surgery, I want to work for the best. I want to work for an institution that provides the first in the world, the best of the best.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

So, I was blessed with my husband.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

My husband got me here, well, actually in San Francisco. We lived in San Francisco, and he asked me "do you want to stay in San Francisco, or do you want to go to my hometown in Cleveland?" But he lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

But then I said to myself, "We are going to Cleveland." We are settling, we are settling there because that's where I see myself. That's where I feel like heaven planned for me to be. And so, we moved here in 2016.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

And then I submitted applications to Cleveland Clinic.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Main campus, Avon, Fairview Hospital PCNAs in different departments.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, you're a nurse internationally.

Nestle Wilson:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

So as, as somebody who's only ever practiced in the states, tell us about that please.

Nestle Wilson:

As a nurse from outside the United States it's different. Theoretically it's the same because we base our nursing curriculum in the United States.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

We study from Florence Nightingale to Dorothea Orem and everybody else.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yes.

Nestle Wilson:

And theoretically everything but then the practice is different.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

Perhaps one major reason would be resources.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure, yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

Back in a Third World country, if I may say, with all due respect, we didn't have the resources that we have here in the US.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

I wasn't that acclimated to how we do things here.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, the role looks different because of resources?

Nestle Wilson:

Oh, definitely.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

While back home we had to be resourceful in everything.

Carol Pehotsky:

I can't even imagine.

Nestle Wilson:

In everything, back to where I practiced, we didn't have pumps. We had calculators in our badges.

Carol Pehotsky:

I mean, in your badges? All right.

Nestle Wilson:

Little calculators because when you see doctor's order for, for an IV and the L and 1000 LR to run for eight hours, you need to compute 31 drops and you need to count 31 drops.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right, nursing students in United States programs, nobody likes nursing math, but this is why we do nursing math, yes.

Nestle Wilson:

I experienced that and I believe I'm lucky that I was able to experience that.

Carol Pehotsky:

That foundation, yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

Oh, absolutely.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

So, when I got here, pumps, I was, they're out like, oh this is a machine that I can just put my IV line in, and it'll take care of me.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

But yes, it's the machinery. It's technology. It's the practices that make the difference.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

But one thing is common. One thing is the same, it's the care. It's the heart.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

It's your personality as a nurse that will remain constant.

Carol Pehotsky:

Absolutely. So, here you are. You're, you're in Cleveland. You're not back to being a registered nurse, so you're applying for nursing aide type positions in our organization?

Nestle Wilson:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. Walk me through that.

Nestle Wilson:

So, here we go.

Carol Pehotsky:

Here we go.

Nestle Wilson:

I applied for multiple departments, PCNA's, in my workday even so, technician because every day I would receive from the recruitment department, I would receive, "We pursued somebody else." And this and that. But then in my mind this is just part of the twists and turns of this story.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's right.

Nestle Wilson:

But I'm not gonna stop. I'm not gonna be offended. I will keep going. So, one time me and my husband went to visit a family member admitted at Fairview Hospital.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

During that time, I already received multiple denial emails from the recruitment department. And then I saw people pushing wheelchairs. I said, "I wonder what they are called."

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

And they were volunteers.

Carol Pehotsky:

They are. That's what they are, yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

And I said, "Awesome." My husband said, "Why don't you go ask?"

Carol Pehotsky:

All right.

Nestle Wilson:

So, I asked where the office is. I was led by Tina, Tina Jacobs and Pam, and right there and then they accepted me as a volunteer.

Carol Pehotsky:

Ladies and gentlemen, yes.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly. I said I wanted to be part of it. I needed to get my foot in the door.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

I wanted it so badly that's because I did not let any struggle get in the way.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

And I said I will do everything.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

And Tina and Pam got me in and I started right away.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right. So, you volunteered. Then what happened next?

Nestle Wilson:

After four months of her learning that I was a nurse back home in the Philippines she helped me.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, that's amazing.

Nestle Wilson:

She helped me get a PCNA job. She spoke with Theresa Latner who's a medical surgical manager. And she accepted me to be part of her department, and from there I got the job.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right.

Nestle Wilson:

And I started working as a PCNA.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. 

Nestle Wilson:

After two years in medical surgical I went to the emergency room.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

After two years in the emergency room, I went to the OR. And while in the OR I studied for NCLEX.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

My reasoning for moving from one department to another, if you notice it's different major areas.

Carol Pehotsky:

Definitely.

Nestle Wilson:

Because for myself I needed to learn how things go around here in the US. I needed to see how they do things in these major departments, because these are the tools that I will need in pursuing my nursing career.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, it was almost a way to study for the NCLEX event was to expose you. It was your own version of clinicals almost.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's amazing.

Nestle Wilson:

I did not have my clinicals here.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right.

Nestle Wilson:

I needed to expose myself in these different departments. Also, that helped me get to know everybody at Fairview Hospital.

Carol Pehotsky:

Goodness sakes, yes.

Nestle Wilson:

And I loved it.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah, yeah. For our listeners who aren't from the clinic, Fairview has about 500 beds, so a, a larger community hospital, but still very much like a lot of our hospitals across the US outside of our organization, they each have their own personality their own home. And so, you found a way to, even in, in a relatively large sized organization make it your home and get to know people throughout the hospital.

Nestle Wilson:

Absolutely, and that's why I feel loved. I feel accepted because all these years that I've been with the Clinic, for six years now almost I've been loved and just accepted by everyone from housekeeping to the transporters to the kitchen department because they just love me from the beginning, and I want to give that back by thank you. Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

You're clearly putting it out there and it's coming back to you.

Nestle Wilson:

Thank you. Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's amazing.

Nestle Wilson:

And this is the place that I call home too.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yes, yeah. So, you passed your NCLEX?

Nestle Wilson:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

And now where are you?

Nestle Wilson:

I passed my NCLEX while working in the OR.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

So, I said to myself, "Should I stay in surgery since I was a surgical since I was a surgical nurse back in the Philippines and I said, "Well, you already have the knowledge of the surgical department. Why don't you face your fear?" My biggest fear when I was in nursing school was critical care.

Carol Pehotsky:

Really? Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Yes. So, as soon as I achieved my RN license I said, "Yes. Nestle face your fear."

Carol Pehotsky:

Wow.

Nestle Wilson:

"Deal and learn critical care. You are not going to stop doing this until you get to your goal. What is the goal? To become a nurse practitioner."

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay. I was gonna say, so where are you going next with this?

Nestle Wilson:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right. All right.

Nestle Wilson:

I'm actually in the process of applying to be a nurse practitioner at Kent State University.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Because also when I was talking to myself in a soliloquy, I said, "Hey. You're almost 40 years old. That's a lot of years that got in the way, so don't waste time."

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

I want to step up.

Carol Pehotsky:

You might be the, one of the most goals directed persons I've ever met.

Nestle Wilson:

Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

And I know a lot of goal directed people.

Nestle Wilson:

Thank you. Thank you. I have computer time.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

I am 38 this year and I want to become a nurse practitioner at the age of 41.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

I want to do more for patients and for my colleagues.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

I want to invest the leadership because I always believe that if you have something natural in you, you can always share it naturally.

Carol Pehotsky:

Absolutely. Wow. I'm not speechless very often and here I am. So, well done. There are so many fantastic things you've shared with us and for me, there's clearly this theme around never giving up and resilience. And when, when you think about, you know, what our world and, and our country's going through there's a lot of obstacles in people's way, right?

Nestle Wilson:

Correct.

Carol Pehotsky:

We, you know, even those of us who, who are privileged enough to be able to have assistance with tuition or what have you, there's still those it's hard and I want to give up and life happens, and you didn't let any of that get in your way so, we'll talk about our listeners who are in nursing school now perhaps, because hopefully we have a few of those. So, maybe they had a rough time on their med surg two tests.

Nestle Wilson:

Correct.

Carol Pehotsky:

They ran into a particularly challenging patient or a clinical instructor, and we all went through that moment, at least I know I did, where it was like, "Uh, I either walk away or I need to push through." So, what advice do you have for that, that nursing student right now who's hit the wall, who's working four jobs while going to school, or ran into a barrier and is thinking maybe this isn't for me? What do you say to that nurse?

Nestle Wilson:

Well, I would say that the biggest success in life did not happen in one day. The greatest success in life is not a one straight way. There's always twist and turns, it's always that bumps along the way. And it's a matter of patience. It's a matter of always listening to that inner voice in you telling you, "This is what I want to be. This is me. I'm not doing this for anybody else, but because I want this so bad."

Carol Pehotsky:

And it's finding time to listen to the inner voice, right? We have phones, and books, and tablets, and all these things, and shows, and it's so easy to do that thinking, I'm unwinding, but really, I'm drowning my inner voice.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly. And a matter of acceptance. You get into this studying. You get into the feels like nursing. What were the reasons? Ask yourself.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. Why am I here?

Nestle Wilson:

Why am I here? Accept the fact that along the way you will be dealing with books. You will be dealing with a lot of tears.

Carol Pehotsky:

And it doesn't stop when you graduate.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly. It doesn't stop when you graduate. It doesn't stop when you get your RN license. It's a continuous education. Nursing is a continuous flow of life. Not just yours, but others as well.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah, yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

You deal with crying people, you deal with the most painful physical, emotional psychological situations.

Carol Pehotsky:

No matter what specialty you're in. Absolutely.

Nestle Wilson:

Ask yourself, are you ready for this?

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, sure. I love that. Are you ready for this? Because like you said, you can go to school and the clinicals can be really rich, but you put on that badge, and you put on that uniform, and it gets real really fast. So, I'd encourage all of us, no matter where we are in our life's journey to really, to go back to that inner voice because it can get caught up with, even mid, late career, there are tough days. So, what advice do you have for somebody who's sort of in their career that feels their resilience waning that says, "I can't do this anymore." What do you say to that person?

Nestle Wilson:

Look back. Look back to those years when you still enjoyed what you did. Look back to those years when you were excited and see, am I still excited? What made me excited? Maybe you need to go back to that moment.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

What made me happy when I was starting my nursing career? Maybe you need to go back to that moment too and that could relieve the happiness and excitement in you that you used to have.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure, and you know, that's the beauty of nursing, which you already tackled before you even became a nurse in the states, but there's no shortage of specialties, so if maybe this isn't it anymore and trying something new and humbling yourself to go back to learning.

Nestle Wilson:

Right.

Carol Pehotsky:

It can be really rejuvenating.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

And like what I mentioned earlier, nursing is a continuous flow of education. When you get tired of something, invest in something else within the field. Maybe you need to go back to school.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

Maybe you need to go to a different field of nursing. Maybe you are a leader that you just need to discover.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's right. If you're frustrated with your leader, maybe it's time for you to be one too.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yep.

Nestle Wilson:

Maybe you are an educator that you're not aware of.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's right.

Nestle Wilson:

Maybe you are a researcher.

Carol Pehotsky:

Listening to that voice again. What is it telling you?

Nestle Wilson:

Listen to that inner voice and you will still be in that moment of, oh, there are so many things in my field.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. So clearly, one of your many gifts is building relationships. It's obvious with getting to know people at Fairview Hospital and building authentic relationships with your leaders and with the other caregivers you work with. So, to flip it a little bit as we wrap things up here, you mentioned people taking a chance on you and nursing leaders supporting you. So, for the people who are listening who are in some sort of formal nursing leadership role, what do you say to them in terms of how they can help their teams stay positive, feel supported, help dig into their inner voice and resiliency?

Nestle Wilson:

Being a leader is natural, being a leader is in someone's heart from the beginning. It's not learned. It's innate. And I always believe all our nursing leaders have that. One thing I would always say is just keep listening. Just keep knowing and asking, what do you guys need?

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

What are you lacking at the moment that I could provide? And this is why I'm here as a leader. Keep listening, that's all we need and that's all supportiveness. Then, the nurses, the beginners, the new grads would want to feel that somebody listens.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Nestle Wilson:

Somebody's there, somebody's backing them up.

Carol Pehotsky:

I can't always give you the answer you're looking for, but I can always listen.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly.

Carol Pehotsky:

Excellent.

Nestle Wilson:

And it's, it's always part of our therapeutic communication too.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure. It's being a nurse to the people you're leading.

Nestle Wilson:

Exactly.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Nestle Wilson:

Not just to the patients, but to the people you work for, the people that work for you.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's right. Wonderful. Well, we could go on and on. And maybe we'll have you back and then we can keep going on and on. But in the meantime, as we wrap up, we're gonna flip over to our speed round where you shared so much of yourself with our audience, but one, getting on a little more personal level, just so they can find out a little bit more about the amazing person you are, not just the amazing nurse Nestle.

Nestle Wilson:

Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, what's something about you that surprises people or a hidden talent?

Nestle Wilson:

Oh my God. Well, I sing to patients.

Carol Pehotsky:

You sing?

Nestle Wilson:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Nestle Wilson:

And that's one, my one way of creating and establishing my relationship and rapport with them.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Especially with older generation people. I do makeup.

Carol Pehotsky:

Really?

Nestle Wilson:

Sticking in the field of nursing, I love singing to patients.

Carol Pehotsky:

And just sing whatever they're asking for, is there something?

Nestle Wilson:

Well, it's part of the clinical judgment to determine what generation they're into.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right. Yes.

Nestle Wilson:

If this is, if this is a lady, mature lady at the age of 82, well then why don't you sing?

Carol Pehotsky:

There you go.

Nestle Wilson:

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

Carol Pehotsky:

You're tapping into my music therapist roots here. Yep.

Nestle Wilson:

60-year-old guy, sing a Frank Sinatra.

Carol Pehotsky:

There you go.

Nestle Wilson:

When Somebody Loves You all the way.

Carol Pehotsky:

He's got a catalog.

Nestle Wilson:

It's a connection. It's how you would create that link to establish that being comfortable with each other.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. All right. And what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Nestle Wilso:

Keep dreaming.

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, clearly you took that advice to heart.

Nestle Wilson:

Yes. Do not stop. Be a doer, not just a talker. And I actually just recently received that from a nurse practitioner that I idolize so much.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Nestle Wilson:

Jimsa Carry that works at Fairview Hospital.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right.

Nestle Wilson:

Be a doer.

Carol Pehotsky:

Shout out to Jim.

Nestle Wilson:

Yes. And I love her.

Carol Pehotsky:

Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, inspiring all of us with your story.

Nestle Wilson:

Always my pleasure.

Carol Pehotsky:

Thank you so much.

Nestle Wilson:

Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

As always, thanks so much for joining us for today's discussion. Don't miss out. Subscribe to hear new episodes wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, we want to hear from you. Do you have ideas for future podcasts or want to share your stories? Email us at nurseessentials@ccf.org. To learn more about nursing at Cleveland Clinic, please check us out at clevelandclinic.org/nursing. Until next time, take care of yourselves and take care of each other. The information in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult your local state boards of nursing for any specific practice questions.