Hi, I’m the nurse behind NursePathways
BSN, RN — 10 years across med-surg, ICU, and emergency nursing. I built this site because I wish something like it had existed when I was starting out.
Why You Can Trust What I Write
I graduated nursing school thinking I was prepared. I was not. My first year on the floor was humbling in every way — the gap between textbook knowledge and real patients is enormous, and nobody talks about it honestly enough.
Over the next decade I worked med-surg, moved to the ICU, spent two years in the ER, and eventually became a charge nurse. Along the way I mentored dozens of new nurses, helped nursing students prep for the NCLEX, and watched far too many talented people leave the profession because they burned out or felt lost.
NursePathways exists to fix the information gap I experienced. Every article here is written with the same directness I’d use talking to a colleague in the break room — not the sanitized, liability-safe advice you get from official sources.
What This Site Is (and Isn’t)
This site is: career guidance, salary information, gear recommendations, and honest specialty comparisons — all from first-hand experience.
This site is not: medical advice, legal advice, or a substitute for your state nursing board’s official requirements. Always verify licensing and program requirements with official sources.
Where I recommend products, some links are Amazon affiliate links. I only recommend things I’d actually use or have used myself. The affiliate commission helps keep this site running.
The Principles Behind Every Article
Honesty Over Hype
I’ll tell you when a specialty is exhausting, when a product isn’t worth it, and when the “standard advice” is wrong.
Experience First
Every recommendation is grounded in years of clinical work — not research abstracts or press releases.
Career Longevity
I care about helping nurses build sustainable careers, not just land their first job.
Respect for the Work
Nursing is hard. I don’t minimize that. But with the right information, it’s also deeply rewarding.
Have a Question?
If you have a question about a nursing specialty, salary negotiation, or anything else career-related, I’d love to hear from you. I can’t promise a fast reply, but I do read everything.
You can also browse the full article archive — there’s a good chance your question is already answered there.
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