Life Changes After Donation

[sherri]

There was a thread posted a little while back asking about how your recipient's life has changed post transplant. I also wanted to include something for donors. I donated a little over 3 1/2 years ago to my brother. The donation experience had a lot of ups and downs and I felt could be somewhat improved. This forum helped me deal with a lot of the emotional issues that face some family donors. About a year after donation surgery I decided to explore the possibilities of expanding on my health career as a sonographer and decided to return to school and pursue a career in nursing. I did all my pre requisites over the past 2 1/2 years and was accepted to the University of Maryland School of Nursing, CNL or Clinical Nurse Leadership Masters in Science. I will begin the full time program on Aug 22, 2011 and hope to graduate in 2013.

 The School of Nursing describes the goals of the CNL program as follows.The CNL is a new program to help improve the quality of patient care and prepare nurses to thrive in the current and future health care system. The CNL puts evidence-based practice into action to ensure that patients benefit from the latest care innovations. The CNL collects and evaluates patient outcomes, assesses cohort risk, and has the decision-making authority to change care plans when necessary. The CNL functions as part of an interdisciplinary team by communicating, planning, and implementing care directly with other health care professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners.

I look forward to using both my personal experience as a living kidney donor together with the new skills I will be learning to help make a difference in transplant medicine. I hope to advocate for all patients whether they be recipients, donors, donor families or any patient and their family facing a medical crisis.

A big thank you to all of you who have helped me take this step and most of all, thank you to my husband and children who are all sacrificing a little bit  (ok a lot)to help me fulfill my new dreams.

Sherri

[Donna Luebke]

Sherri,

Congratulations.  I am proud of you and happy for you.  You are pursuing your goal.  Keep us posted.  Sometime I cannot believe I have been a nurse for 31 years; almost 20 as Advanced Practice Nurse.  Just renewed my license once again.  Has been a most rewarding career.  I wish you the best. 

Donna

[shelley]

Sherri, this program sounds wonderful.  A Clinic Nurse Leader, now that sounds like something the world needs more of.  Except I have no idea what it means to "assess cohort risk". 

You WILL make a difference in transplant medicine!  In fact, you already do, but after you finish this program you'll just be certified to do so.  Your posts here at LDO are a mainstay.  You're always one of the first to respond to someone new, giving them direction and encouragement.

This is a GREAT thread and I'm looking forward to others' responses!

[CARas]

That is very exciting news for you. I hope to return to school and finish my degree.

I want to do surgical technology but it is very hard to get into, unless I go to a private school which cost about 3 times as much but who knows. I am still young enough to do it!

[Orchidlady]

You will do great! Your insight and common sense will be an asset to any place you choose to practice. Congratulations!

[Aries7]

Congratulations Sherri! I think that is beyond fantastic! Who better to help give insight to the donation process than someone who has actually been through it? I give you a lot of credit (no pun intended) for going back to school and doing this. That is a challenging thing to do as an adult along with all the other day to day respnsibilities with family, work, etc. Good for you! Keep us updated how things are going and just think, you will be walking across that Graduation stage before you know it!

All the best,

Linda