Alumni Career Q + A with Colton Lord, Nurse
Name: Colton Lord
Age: 28
Occupation: Emergency Department Travel Nurse
Graduation year: 2018
Why did you choose to go down the career path that you did?
There was never an “a-ha moment” for me when deciding to choose my career path. To be quite honest, I completed a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) program in high school and decided to stick with the nursing route as my career path. Once I entered the field of nursing, I realized how flexible the career could be, and I admired the idea of having options to pursue several routes within the field of nursing. If you do not like what is behind door number one, then close it and look behind door number two. Also—I do love being knowledgeable and resourceful in helping people with their health.
How did NAU prepare you for your career?
The highlight for me personally with NAU is the instructors that I had once I entered the nursing program. There are always the professors who shine more for certain students, but as a collective, I feel very grateful for the people that I was able to learn from who guided me and my classmates through an entirely new and sometimes daunting world of healthcare and nursing. The professors were honest and real about what we were entering into, as well as personally getting to know us as people aside from the nursing student titles we all carried.
Why should others consider pursuing a career in your field?
Everyone has different wants, needs, ambitions, visions, dreams, goals—which is fabulous and amazing. I have grappled with this question many times in my career because nursing is not a glamorous job, and you will witness things that you never knew existed, but if you are willing to put yourself out there to lend your heart and knowledge to help people in need, then nursing is a wonderful path for you to take. You can work at the bedside, switch to leadership roles, go back to school for advanced degrees, become an educator, work in the
cosmetic industry, become a health coach—literally, the options are endless. You choose your path!
What do you hope to see in the future for your profession?
I think a huge point of tension in nursing is the wage discrepancies that nurses face across the country—bluntly put, nurses deserve a fairer wage for the services being provided. I have witnessed far too many nurses throwing their health on the back burner and showing up to the hospitals to work unruly hours to make extra money in order to make ends meet. There is MAJOR potential to make extra money as a nurse, but it can certainly come at the cost of your own health.
What’s the best part of your job?
Cliché answer—helping people! Helping people who truly want to be helped. You will encounter many people who do not want to be helped; realize that it is not your job to change this. The best part of the job is helping people who need the help and see you as another human being and that they are connecting with someone in their most vulnerable hour.
What would you say to a student interested in pursuing your profession as a career?
Keep your heart and mind open to possibilities. Allow yourself to change directions, and be open to opportunities as they present themselves. Do not pigeonhole yourself into one specialty—if it isn’t serving you, close door number one and move on to door number two. The main thing to remember is that you are human and your health matters—never, and I mean NEVER, stay in a job that is damaging your health in any way possible. As the old term goes, ” You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
What are some ways you practice self-care to avoid burnout / what do you do for fun?
This has been a major focus in my life! I have burned out more times than I would like to admit in my career so far. Here is what I do: daily gratitude journal, prioritize physical activity, get outside often, spend time with my dogs and husband, travel, CrossFit, read books, listen to podcasts (I even started my own podcast called Mile 17—you can find the show on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube).