At Nursegrid, we believe in the power of community. To us, community means sharing experiences, offering support, and making connections. We created these monthly Spotlights for that reason – to showcase you, share your stories, and ensure your voice is heard.
Meet Cat Golden, RN, BSN
Tell us about you and why you began your side hustle, Nurses Inspire Nurses:
I’ve been a Pediatric Nurse for the past six years and recently began my journey in Community Nursing this year. I founded the Nurses Inspire Nurses movement after seeing the amazing nurses in my unit burnt out and exhausted. They were all these amazing humans that were seeking help from management, the hospital, and anyone that could provide support. I realized that we have the power to inspire and help one another and, at that moment, this movement was born.
Nurses Inspire Nurses is a way of life, it’s something you can implement every time you walk into your workplace. I host local coffee talks, monthly events and have an online shop with gear to keep you shining bright. This year, I look forward to branching out into new communities – stay tuned for events near you!
What inspired you to become a nurse?
I’ve always loved helping people. However, when my best friend’s daughter was born with Spina bifida, it inspired us both to attend nursing school to take care of her.
How do you balance work, life, family, personal time? Self-care?
I make self-care and balance a priority and I actually schedule it. This is something I teach my mentees and preach religiously. You have to schedule it. Nurses rarely have routines because of varying schedules so you truly have to create your own routines.
What piece of advice would you like to pass on to the nurse community?
BE YOU! Do what’s in you heart. You don’t have to love trauma, you don’t have to love starting IV’s, you don’t have to love codes. You can love working at a desk and being a nurse, you can love being in the community, you can love hospice, you can love kids. Whatever is in your heart and is calling you, do that thing. Focus on what lights you up and makes you happy, not what you should do or what everyone else is doing.
What is your favorite thing about being a part of the nurse community?
It’s so easy to think you’re alone or the only person that’s struggling with something but the truth is we all have fears, insecurities, and bad days. When we’re vulnerable and share it encourages others to do the same and we realize we aren’t alone. Helping someone else feel seen or heard is the greatest gift you can give them and why I love connecting nurses and growing the community.
What do you love most about Nursegrid?
It makes everything SIMPLE. Nurses have such crazy schedules we can barely keep it straight so to have a centralized place that nurses can go to and see their co-workers and friends schedule is GENIUS.
