San Diego, CA — Ahhh…the thought of taking a cruise through exotic waters while laying out next to a clear blue pool sipping on colorful drinks with little umbrellas in them.
Such was a dream for registered nurse Louise Caudill, who won the Western Caribbean cruise giveaway for two sponsored by NurseZone and the South Florida Nursing Consortium.
Although Caudill, who works in the labor and delivery department at Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk, New York, admitted she was in utter disbelief when she received a call from Wendy Newman, director of NurseZone, telling Caudill she’d won the cruise.
"When Wendy called me, I was sitting there on the phone like, ‘Huh?’ " said Caudill. "She said, ‘Don’t you remember entering the contest?’ And I said, ‘Well, yes, but entering and winning are two different things.’ "
For four days, Caudill, along with her husband, Richard, toured Key West, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. Caudill also gained the opportunity to meet nurses and other cruise passengers from all over the world and earn four continuing education (CE) hours by participating in ship-board courses.
Donna Cardillo, RN, BS, who taught one of the CE courses, provided nurses with the tools and know-how they need to enhance their careers through her seminar, "Pump Up the Volume on Your Career."
Cardillo emphasized networking as a great way to learn about new opportunities, as well as the importance of nurses having their own business cards no matter what rank they might be.
"I thought that was a really good point," said Caudill, who purchased business cards shortly after the cruise.
Course instructor Denise McNulty, RNC, MSN, CRNP, shared with nurses the importance of finding balance in their lives, whether it be improving personal and professional relationships, preventing burnout or eliminating stress through her workshop, "Calgon Take Me Away…Find the Way to Enrich Your Life by Managing Stress."
McNulty discussed the importance of reducing stress while also asking nurses to critically think about what causes their stress and what steps they can take to reduce it.
Since Caudill took the cruise in May, she has become a neonatal resuscitation instructor at her hospital—an idea inspired by a nurse she met on the cruise and fulfilled when Caudill’s nurse manager sent an e-mail to the staff asking if anyone would be interested in being an instructor. She has also begun thinking about returning to school for her BSN and possibly her masters degree.
Caudill, who has been a nurse for 12 years, continues to love nursing and the many opportunities it offers.
"I can’t imagine doing anything else," she said.
About NurseZone.com
Founded in September 2000 and based out of San Diego, CA, NurseZone provides the nation’s 2.5 million nurses with professional resources, clinical news, feature nursing stories, educational and job opportunities, and directs visitors to intriguing discussions among nurse colleagues. For more information about NurseZone, please visit the Web site at www.nursezone.com.