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Overnight Observations with Jen the R.N.
My #1 Mother-In-Law
Ep. 9
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Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming my first ever guest to the show, Pat Bocchino. I've known her since I was 15; she is my mother-in-law, mother of my ex-husband (so outlaw, I guess...), and one of the main reasons I became a nurse. Pat had a deal with her husband; after he finished his engineering degree, it would be her turn to do what she wanted to. So they did; when he graduated, he enrolled her in school himself. Pat graduated from nursing school at age 34 and retired over 40 years later.
In this episode, we take a long walk through Pat's experiences as a nurse. She shared a bit of her story growing up in an Italian household and becoming a nurse to fulfill her mother's dream. We go through some of the funniest moments of Pat's career, like some situations at Danvers State Hospital or Frank's interactions with patients in the recovery room. We also reflect on the ability to use humor as an escape valve to the sad situations nurses must deal with daily and much more.
Some Questions I Ask:
- Tell me a bit about yourself. Tell me about how you became a nurse. Why did you become a nurse? (2:58)
- When did you graduate from North Shore? And how was it different from today? (6:24)
- Would you say that humor and taking that step back and getting a laugh out of something is helpful? (16:34)
- From a humor standpoint, what advice would you give people in nursing in public service? (21:09)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- About Pat's childhood and how she became a nurse (3:07)
- Some of the adventures at Danvers State Hospital (9:52)
- Full moon night shifts are something else (14:33)
- Families need as much healing as the patients do (19:20)
- Some stories from the recovery room. Frank was a bad boy (27:21)
Let's Connect!
- Overnight Observations website
- Email: OvernightObservations@gmail.com
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