I’m relishing this moment in time because it will not be here again. I successfully completed my very first interview as a nurse! And what a memorable experience too! I landed an interview the day after applying at the Frederick Adult Detention Center. I went for the experience, and will likely reject the job offer should I get one.
When I described the place to my wife on the phone, I said “it’s just like Orange is the New Black but way smaller.” I’ve always been so curious about detention centers, jails, and prisons.
The nurse who interviewed me was bubbly, sweet, and welcoming. Highly intelligent, with depth in character. A few things I look for in a mentor. She took to me quite well, and we had a productive conversation.
As a new grad, you’re in a weird, in-between space because you lack experience, but you are trained and educated. I didn’t prepare for the interview because I wanted my natural self to come out.
I found myself gravitating toward mental health as a topic. It is important to showcase yourself in an interview, not your credentials. Everyone knows what nursing school teaches you. Not everyone is like you though. That is what a hiring manager wants to see. There are others like you with the same skill set, but there is no one else like you. It is a beautiful human experience!
I am very passionate about mental health. I have a unique work history because I sought out jobs that centered around people. For almost two years, I served a household of people with intellectual disabilities. A month after I left, I found myself employed in a psychiatric hospital. I walked away with a treasure of knowledge about the human condition and what it means to be humble, kind, and compassionate.
A part of me wants this job at the correctional facility. I would be completing med passes, dressing wounds, etc. My interviewer made it clear that anything could happen during a shift, and I, an adrenaline junkie, was titillated. A new grad nurse’s wet dream. But beyond that, I would be serving the underserved. The people deemed a threat to society, forgotten about, swept under a rug. Chained to labels like “addict,” and “criminal.” Some may challenge you, humble you. The ego may want to condemn them. The spirit will see that we are one Soul, walking different paths in different bodies.
I understand the necessity of imprisonment for violent, hateful crimes. But I find prisons distasteful. True repentance involves moving through the dark night of the soul, and working to find the light. Maybe some find enlightenment during their time in a cell. But I’m afraid that most find abuse.
I recently learned about the 13th amendment in the context of the recent activity for civil rights under the “Black Lives Matter” movement. What a disgusting piece of slave history that we have retained. I say we abolish the 13th amendment. We must actively fight against slavery as a concept and philosophy. Nobody walks beneath another. We are all equal as earthlings.
I am very curious as to what my response will be if I receive a job offer.
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