DNP Ep. 98: Turn Your Nursing Degree Into a Digital and Creative Tool with Samantha Cepeda, LPN/CEO

Sandra Pagenta: Welcome, Samantha, to the podcast, guys. I’m so excited to introduce today’s guest, Samantha Cepeda became an LPN in 2014. She launched TheNurseSam. com and it is her full time job. She left bedside, retired from the old bedside in 2019, which we are All about part time bedside, retiring from bedside.

Sandra Pagenta: We’re all about that here at the, at the Dr. Nurse podcast. We’d like to talk about this stuff. And she is a full time education media creator, and she’s going to drop all the hints, all the gems. She’s just going to tell us about her story and kind of how she got to where she is in her career. And if you’re looking for stuff to download, if you’re looking for, Hey, listen, what she offering, she’s going to be sharing where you can find her.

Sandra Pagenta: Samantha, welcome.

Sam: Thank you so much for having me. I’m so honored.

Sandra Pagenta: Oh, I’m so excited to talk to you. We were totally vibing before the podcast and I’m just super excited to hear again about all the stuff that you’re doing. So tell me a little bit about how you see your role day in day out as this entrepreneur.

Sam: So this is definitely A role that I didn’t see for myself initially, I never thought I was like salesy. I never thought I’d be like, on the entrepreneur track was definitely like, instilled by my husband.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah so Puerto Rican girl,

Sam: Puerto Rican list in a Capricorn productive. But so I create study guides and educational material for nurses, both RNs and LPNs, and that originally started because I’ve always been creatively inclined and like, artistically inclined and in school, ever since, like, literally, like, elementary school, I’ve always Try to incorporate some kind of like fun element into my studying, just so I can retain it more fast forward.

Sam: It’s due to me being ADHD, which I didn’t know back then.

Sam: But you know, I know now. Yeah. So I’ve always especially in nursing school. I would always incorporate some kind of fun element. Pop culture element and everyone in class would just be like, Oh my God, I love your notes. Or can you teach it? Can you explain it to me in the way that you just explain it to yourself or, you know, something like that?

Sam: And, and I just thought like, okay, it was just a way for me to make it through nursing school. Fast forward, I graduated, got my got my LPN, started working. And then in 2018, I had to have a hysterectomy. And 5 days after I got married, by the way, and with getting the hysterectomy, I had to be on bed rest for like 2 months, 2, 3 months.

Sam: And during that time, I was just like, oh, my gosh, I just, I miss nursing and I don’t want to lose my skills. I don’t want to lose that knowledge with me. Just kind of sitting here and just crying and watching. American Idol or something and my husband was actually the one that was like, well, why don’t you, cause he knows I like to draw.

Sam: Why don’t you draw something nurse like, like draw something related to nursing. And it made me think about how I used to just create my notes and I would draw my notes. And just, I’m a very visual learner. And so I started doing that just to kind of like distract myself. And I showed my husband and he was like, you just did that.

Sam: I was like, yeah, he was like, you should, you should think about like selling these and offering these. And I was like. Really? And I went to sleep and I woke up and he had created like a website for me already. He created a website

Sandra Pagenta: Who is this man, who is this man?

Sam: What prayer did I pray? Yes. And so he was like, all you have to do is just upload it and just see, you know, see how it is.

Sam: And I started sharing them on social media. And everyone just kind of like took to it and especially during the pandemic, when everything was had to be digital, because you can’t really be around anybody. It really popped off then. And you know, even to this day, I just, I have, I have a whole bunch.

Sam: It’s like, I’m in nursing school now all over again, but I have a whole bunch of books and I just go through stuff and I create it in whatever in my brain. You know, make sense and whatever creativity culture thing I can relate it to I do and then I just draw it out or create it and then I, like, upload it and everyone just, like, goes crazy over it.

Sam: And that’s basically what I do so awesome. Yeah, I’d like to just make. Learning and educate education as fun as possible. Just because, you know, even science says if you’re having fun when you’re learning it, you’re going to retain it more. And that was always the model for me. So that’s that’s the model for my business.

Sam: And I just kind of just try to keep it light and not as heavy, you know, and it works. It works like Fox student loves it.

Sandra Pagenta: I love it. I love that story. So I’m going to break it down because there’s a lot of little different nuggets in there that I think are really, really cool. The first being that I know that you struggled with infertility and having a hysterectomy super young, like you are.

Sandra Pagenta: I know you’re a mom. And so I know it’s hard. And I just think that it’s really beautiful that you took something from the ashes and it ended up like just being this, this Phoenix rising type thing, which is so neat and so special. And one of the things that I noticed when I have these conversations a lot with nurse entrepreneurs is there’s some event, there’s something that changes.

Sandra Pagenta: There is a moment of silence, a moment of what I would like to call pause. Right. Then gives way to something that’s really, really neat and it’s just so cool that again, your story kind of reflects that theme that I’ve been noticing in the different conversations that I’ve been having with entrepreneurs that I had to pause COVID happened.

Sandra Pagenta: You’re good. I had to pause COVID happened or, you know, I lost my job or something, some pivotal moment that then just kind of. takes you into this next space, especially when, you know, you take the ashes and you make it something beautiful. Like, Hey, listen, maybe I just want to draw and write, or I want to, you know, whatever it might be.

Sandra Pagenta: I just think that’s really cool. And then I think also. One of the things you talk about is natural ability and figuring out what those things are that you’re naturally inclined to that don’t feel like work, right? And so that’s the stuff that really I’ve been wanting to have more and more conversations around for nurses is, Hey, how do you find your natural strengths, your natural ability, and then use that channel that into something that.

Sandra Pagenta: It doesn’t feel like work for you, even if, and again, I know you’re retired from the bedside in 2019 cause your business has just been booming. But one of the things that I think, you know, maybe we could expand on a little bit today was, you know, it sounds like your husband spoke into you like, Hey, like you’re good at this, and you knew this about yourself as well. But for the nurse, that’s like, I don’t know what I’m good at. What would you recommend that she would start to do to kind of explore that?

Sam: That I would definitely recommend just, like, you said, like, a moment of moment of pause to find that clarity.

Sam: Sometimes you have to have somebody else pour into you. Just like you said, my husband is the 1 that poured into me and kind of made me realize. What was already there within myself and a lot of times as nurses, we’re still busy taking care of other people and we don’t really know how to take care of ourselves or just like pour into ourselves and that can get lost, especially when you’ve been.

Sam: Nursing for a long time, and so my advice would definitely just be to, you know, maybe write down what it’s something that you’re good at the several things that you’re good at, just kind of like, just write it down so you can see it on paper, black and white, or just have a conversation with someone that loves you, someone that has been by your side, someone that also knows you as much as you know yourself and just have.

Sam: You know, just honest conversations, you know, with, with them or with yourself and you’ll be surprised as to what is born no pun intended. When you dive into that, when you dive into you, a lot, it can be easier said than done, but just. Sitting down and just like making a list, or if you’re a visual person, just kind of making a video and just talking about what you like to do what you’re good at.

Sam: And just acknowledging that sometimes is the groundwork and what you need to do in order to get it started.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, I think again, like, a lot of this book that I’ve been reading, it’s very interesting. It’s called the road less stupid. And he talks a lot about entrepreneurship and about thinking.

Sandra Pagenta: And I think in the world of pop scrolling, busy. Busy schedules, full schedules, you know, like you said, caregiving as we do as nurses, it’s always something, especially as moms, you’re running around after kids, you’re running after husbands, you’re doing yard work, housework, you’re just constantly busy.

Sandra Pagenta: You have very little time to think. And so that again, laying on your back. You have to sit still. You have to just be there again. I think that is something that I’ve been noticing. And it’s been something that I’ve been attempting to do more and more in just my own personal life of just, you just need to get quiet.

Sandra Pagenta: You just need to get quiet. You need to think and see what comes to that surface. That’s one of the things that I’ve been noticing is that a lot of this stuff is born out of the quiet spaces, the times that you think there’s no way this could be good. There’s the socks, this, you know, I’m having to do this.

Sandra Pagenta: I’d rather much be busy. And then you’re like, actually, this is kind of whispering to me. And I didn’t even, if I would have just kept busy, I would have never heard it. And I think that’s just something that, I don’t know. I thought, I think in your story kind of came to me. And so another thing that I you know, want to talk about is getting away from the bedside, right?

Sandra Pagenta: So a lot of the things that I advocate on the podcast is getting into that part time space at your job to create that space that you can, you know think and dream and see what’s what’s on your heart and your soul. And I think that’s a little more pertinent for nurse practitioners because we tend to work Monday through Friday, whereas nurses work three days, they have off for four.

Sandra Pagenta: So you have more space. So you don’t necessarily have to go part time if you’re a nurse, because you’re kind of. In a really, really condensed schedule, which allows for those four days of rest and thinking, but I do recommend creating space to think. And so if there’s a nurse that’s like, all right, okay, cool.

Sandra Pagenta: So I’ll create some space. I’ll think I’ll sit in the room in a dark room and try to come up with something. What would, what would you say and recommend for a nurse? That’s like. Okay, I want to create something passive. How do I create passive income with just my nursing knowledge?

Sam: I would say pairing it with the answers that you find when you sit in that quiet place and like, this is what I like to do, you know?

Sam: So it’s whether it’s like, okay, I like to Yeah, I like fashion. How can I create? How can I mix fashion with, you know, nursing and just kind of like that mental exercise of trying to figure that out? Because it’s 2 things that you love and bringing them together. It would be just be amazing. But, like, maybe scrubs can be something, you know, that you go into or,

Sandra Pagenta: scrub caps or like, it doesn’t even like again. Yeah, go ahead. Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up

Sam: and honestly, it’s, it’s, it’s so individual. Yeah, like, it’s so individualized

Sam: as far as the different things that can come to your mind and what you can do to it. It’s almost like, hard to say, like, oh, this is. The framework for what you need to do.

Sam: Because you’ll be surprised as to what you think about and what you allow yourself to kind of like dream when you kind of sit still. And with with me, I wasn’t given the choice. To sit still. I didn’t go and be like, okay, I’m going to sit in my quiet place. Like my hysterectomy sat me down, you know, and so sometimes whether, whether it’s intentional or whether life is just lifing and it happens you know, asking yourself those questions because everyone’s so different.

Sam: Some people may not want to be in front of the camera. Some people prefer the back. Some people. May not want to be creative and, you know, do anything in sales, but they may still want to be a part of something. That’s not a bedside. Maybe they want to be a part of the team. And so it’s, it really has to do with being has a lot to do with being honest with yourself.

Sam: You don’t want to go from 1 job. To another, come on. Like, oh, this person’s doing this. So let me let this must be the way. So let me go ahead and just just try that. If it’s not really what you want to do and that falling into that trap of what everyone else is doing is not the way to go. And so I try to.

Sam: You know, tell everyone to remove the pressures of, you know, feeling like you have to get away from bedside. And in order for you to get away from bedside, you have to do this. It’s there’s so much out there for you to do. And you know, if it’s not, if it’s not something that’s already exists, maybe you can create it.

Sam: Maybe you can, you know, invent it. And as long as you’re passionate about it, other people will see that passion and they will flock to it. So. You know, just be very, just transparent with yourself, honest with yourself and what you want to do, what you’d like to do, what you don’t like to do. That’s very important as well.

Sam: And just kind of see what kind of forms from that.

Sandra Pagenta: Those are so many nuggets. Individual is the one that I’m pulling. Each individual person has their own journey experience. That’s why I always say, enjoy the journey, right? What is it that lights you up? You’re an individual. There’s only one you. So taking Samantha’s.

Sandra Pagenta: Playbook recipe book is not going to be the same because you’re not the same. And so again, everyone has got their own journey to go through and to make sure that in that space you’re present and you’re aware of what lights up my soul. You may not want to be the head entrepreneur, but you might love helping an entrepreneur.

Sandra Pagenta: So if Samantha’s hiring, you might be like, I would love to work with you and do this as, as I work part time at the bedside, because I don’t completely. Hey, being at the bedside. I want to do some of that some of the days, but if I do it four days a week, I’m burned out. So I’d rather do two days and then do this two days.

Sandra Pagenta: And so you can again, mix and match kind of like dials on, your oven, you’ve got dials on the oven. You got all of them. You turn on this dial, you turn on that pot, you turn on this, you’ve got all of them cooking and you’re not burning yourself out, which is what A lot of nurses, a lot of nurse practitioners were all in this space.

Sandra Pagenta: We chose nursing for our particular reasons and we don’t necessarily want to leave all the time, but sometimes it’s too much. And that caregiving that we do is exhausting. Is draining a hundred percent. And so again, you need those moments. I’ve had somebody on the I had a podcast episode on like taking sabbaticals.

Sandra Pagenta: Maybe you just walk away for a little bit and you go back. I mean, cause trust me, we always need nurses. So there’s just so many ways to kind of build it out and to kind of. You know, make your own recipe for your life that works. And then another thing that you talked about that I really want to mention and highlight is the creative aspect of who we are as people, because I’m a Christian.

Sandra Pagenta: One of the things that I find. Very interesting as you study the Bible is that the God of the universe is a creator, right? And so if we’re made in his likeness and we’re made in his image, and he’s a creator, then more than likely, there’s something in us that wants to create. And again, giving space for that expression of whatever it is.

Sandra Pagenta: Again, it can be crochet. I want to create, I want to crochet. Nursing bibs. I want to crochet. I don’t know. I want to make lanyards. I want to make whatever it is that you find. I want to cricket nurse stuff. Okay. Cricket. If you want to, you know, whatever it is that you’re into and you like to build and create, find that thing that again, I believe that we’re all, I believe it’s, it’s in our DNA to create.

Sandra Pagenta: And so I think to a certain extent, as we move into employment positions, we. Stifle our creativity and we turn it down. And then when you watch a child that has never, I have a toddler. So I watch him just mom and he’s always creating something and he walks around. He’s like, look what I created. I didn’t teach him that.

Sandra Pagenta: I didn’t tell him you need to be a creator.

Sam: It’s just in

Sandra Pagenta: him. It’s just in him. And it’s just something that comes out. And I think it’s in children and it’s so obvious because they don’t have any inhibitions behind creating something. And so go back to that childlike mentality, I think. And again, I don’t know how this is pertinent, but I’m just saying it, but go back to that childlike mentality of creation and see what it is that you gravitate towards as the adult.

Sandra Pagenta: Letting that little child kind of come out and play, and you might find that you’re able to create something for your own journey that you might be able to monetize. So I think that’s really, really cool. So how did you learn how to do all this digital stuff that you’ve been creating, creating these digital workbooks and the entrepreneurial aspect of all these different things?

Sandra Pagenta: How have you grown these, these different pots that you’ve got going on?

Sam: I learned as I go, let me tell you something learned as I go during the time where I was on my bed rest. I didn’t have I didn’t have anything else to do, but to just. Absorb information and learn so whether it was from, like, the Internet or a big part of it was my husband is my husband.

Sam: He’s he’s very entrepreneurial. He’s very, like, not salesy, but he, he just has this mindset. That’s just like strategy and and just business. And it’s, it’s crazy. I don’t know. I don’t know how he thinks about all this stuff. And yeah. You know, he poured that into me. And even now, to this day, like, we, he and I work very close to together.

Sam: Regarding this business. You know, I do majority of the, like, the creative stuff. And then as far as like the strategy and the the creation of like the websites and stuff like that, he’ll be the orchestrator as far as like the technical stuff. And then I’ll be the person that will like, make it pretty, if that makes sense.

Sam: Yes. And so like, it’s like a yin and yang . Yeah, totally. Like opposite. But it, it works. Amazing together. Yeah. So like, I, I would not have the business that I have to this day if it was not for him. And I, you know, try to make sure that in my mind, apart from the creative, I try to you know, hold on and to really.

Sam: Understand a lot of the business aspect. I never went to school for that, you know, nursing. Yeah. So a lot of that is just learning as I go and having being married to, like, my mentor slash teacher is like.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, yeah. So, Samantha, it matters who you marry, right? Like let’s have a real conversation with people about choosing a spouse and who you choose in life as your partner can end up playing a really big role in.

Sandra Pagenta: The, the business opportunities that you’re able to develop and the things that you’re able to develop inside of yourself. And so for the, for even the single ladies or the married ladies, yeah, it matters. Like if your spouse has got skills that can help kind of build your portfolio, right. Add his skills to your business.

Sandra Pagenta: And that’s something that I don’t think, I think is actually super wise. And again you know, a lot of entrepreneurs will talk about their spouses in a way that’s like, I couldn’t have gotten here without them because they were either supporting me emotionally or they had the business sense. They knew how to invest the money.

Sandra Pagenta: They knew how they knew these things. And so again, the more you both are working on yourselves strengthens. The core, right? Like the, the both of you grow as the 1 grows and their abilities in their skills as well. So I just think that’s really cool. And yeah, and for the nurse, that’s like, okay, well, I don’t have a spouse build yourself up in the meantime.

Sandra Pagenta: Right? And so if you’re not married 1, it doesn’t matter who you marry. So just be smart and Be paying attention to the little things and as you’re dating, but then as you are in that single space, be developing the things inside of you that you can to grow certain skills. Because again, 1, just take action.

Sandra Pagenta: That’s the 1st thing that we have to say is just take action. Do it today. Just try just start because you’ll just be that far ahead 24 hours later. So just get going. And then, yeah. Again, if you can, you know, as you get, as you get older and you add people to your roster, your mastermind group you know, it matters what they know.

Sandra Pagenta: And so if you’re thinking about, you know, wanting to move down this space, see how you’re, how you’re the people around you, family, friends can help you and to meet your goals. So I think that’s really, really cool. , okay, so that’s how you talk about that. So one of the things that the nurse, a nurse might be wondering is like, okay, so I have this idea.

Sandra Pagenta: I don’t know where to get started. You know, can Samantha tell me her first step that she would give a nurse? That’s like, all right, I want to launch this idea. What do I do? What would be something

Sam: that you would say? I Would say definitely research research depending on what the idea is like, if you want to do, like, digital stuff and you don’t want to maybe dive right into having your own website, check out and see, you know, there’s a lot of platforms like that, where you can kind of get started, especially as a beginner to kind of get warmed up.

Sam: And see and see what all kind of needs to go into as far as like, marketing, creation, all that stuff. So you’re not overwhelmed and have all the back ends also on you and always. Always seek information. Always, you know, try to learn something. It’s, there’s never, there’s never too much information if that makes sense.

Sam: So whether it is, you know, maybe if you want to do something with like merch or something like that, research that. Do you want to create it yourself? Or do you want to kind of do like a print on demand route? You know, there’s so many different options to go as far as like trying to. Do something and create, like, a passive stream of income that’s, like.

Sam: Even people have, like, eBooks and stuff like that on different things that nurses can do specifically that can help with passive income. Get 1 of those, you know, go on Pinterest to get inspired and. Just just soak in all that information, because when you have all those pieces, that’s when you start to get your ideas.

Sam: That’s when you’re just like, oh, this is what I can do. This is what I’m comfortable doing. This is what I’m able to do, whether it’s emotionally, financially, physically, the way life is set up, you know that that’s going to allow you to do those things. I Definitely recommend. Advise that you just seek information, just just seek to learn more about it.

Sam: Yeah. Yeah. And try to find someone maybe that is doing something similar to what you want to do. And that comes from the research and looking, looking for like, minded people. Especially like, like minded nurses, you’ll be surprised as to what other people have accomplished or what other people can do. And when you, when you see things like that, you’ll be like, oh, my gosh, you know, not in a competitive nasty way.

Sam: But, like, if this person knew, I can do it and. You know, you just that inspiration alone is enough to get you started at least mentally on the track where you’re like, okay, I know this meeting won’t be the easiest, maybe, but this is what I want to do. And I see this person is also in this space, so it’s doable, you know, so just seeing someone doing something, either exactly what you want to do or.

Sam: Similar somewhat close, you know, that’s that’s like a built in motivation in itself. And yeah, I would definitely recommend just kind of like, starting there, just getting as much information as you can. And and that information doesn’t have to be like, oh, download this 500 page business book on, you know, marketing for dummies or how to start your own business.

Sam: You know, it can just be researching, you know, You know, something that is, well, it’s just a business idea or like I said, finding someone that’s doing something that you want to do just kind of just seeing what’s out there, seeing what’s available. I would definitely say that’s the place to start and kind of.

Sam: Sit into that makes sense.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, that does make a lot of sense. I think the 1st thing when you talk about research again, if you have an idea is to figure out what’s missing from the market. Right? And so whenever you’re niching down and you have this idea, who else is doing your idea and how can you make what you’re doing?

Sandra Pagenta: A little bit different when you begin to realize. As you create. And again, I have to bring up, I have to bring up my faith because it’s just, it’s so true that there’s endless possibilities. Like there’s not going to be another you. No one’s going to do it the exact same way. No one’s going to do it the Samantha way.

Sandra Pagenta: And you take Kanye West. Talking to Kim Kardashian. I don’t know if I’m assuming this is what your notes are, but you take something and you make it funny that then you’re like, that’s just like the sodium channels talking to the potassium channels and she’s trifling. I don’t know. And so now you’ve like made

Sam: a

Sandra Pagenta: Kardashian.

Sandra Pagenta: You know, like, no one’s going to do it like that, like you, and so you might be like, okay, that’s not really what I’m into. I’m into like soup. Like, I’m into Star Wars. Like, I want to create like Star Wars themed nursing notes. And so, like, that could be what you do. I don’t know. But like, the point is, is that there’s endless options.

Sandra Pagenta: And again, going back to, like, I was saying, my faith, He created the entire world. He created the entire world. Like, you just need to create one thing. And that could be your thing. And so, when you start to, again, get into that idea of like, wow, there are endless possibilities. I don’t have to copy anyone because I can create my own thing that’s coming from inside of me that is innate to how I am that I like.

Sandra Pagenta: That you don’t have to copy anyone and there is something in you that wants to get out. You’ve just got to figure that out. So I agree. Fine. Research the market, figure out what’s missing and figure out how you can fill in what’s missing with your own special thing. And then. Get passionate about it.

Sandra Pagenta: Love it. Get excited about it. And others will get excited about it and love what you’re doing because yeah, that’s something that again, when, when you birth that, that, that life into a project, it really does become so personal. You really do begin. Again, if you’re keeping the person that you’re making it in mind, you know, you can create anything.

Sandra Pagenta: And once you start realizing that there’s endless options, I just got to. Yeah. See what speaks to me. I just think that’s just a really, really neat place to start. And then, like you said. Take action. Start today. Start doing something. You’re not going to create a big business overnight, but it could happen over 365 nights.

Sandra Pagenta: So you’ve got to take that first night and take that 9

Sam: months, right? How poetic, how it’s to birth the business that I have now, right after my hysterectomy. And I didn’t realize it until I was like, wow, that, that is, yeah. That is poetic. That is very poetic. But, you know, this, it became my baby. And so, you know, the passion behind it, and, you know, the absolute, like, love that I have for it, it really did, you know, it, it, it shone through.

Sam: And Well,

Sandra Pagenta: that’s beautiful. I didn’t even realize that. Dang.

Sam: Yeah.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, yeah. And again, like, it was born from this place of, you know, infertility and like, You’re like, that’s it. I didn’t, this is my dream. I didn’t have this thing. And then it was just like, no, how can I take that pain? What can I put that energy and that hurt into and to have a partner that just kind of got in the trenches with you and is like, we’re going to build something from this.

Sandra Pagenta: Like, Again, I think that’s the biggest form of empathy that he could have done was just be like, all right, we’re down here. I’m here with you. But let’s get out of here. Let’s climb out of this together. What can we build from this? And so I think that’s just really, really special. And You know, again, like you said, also with someone that’s thinking about what skills can I get and attain you just pick them up as you go, right?

Sandra Pagenta: Like, the business ideas, the, the marketing, all these things as you begin to grow these things will grow in you and it might take time. That’s okay. Like, it will take time. You just keep working it. We. We don’t, like you said, we don’t have a baby. The moment that we get pregnant, like the baby now needs nine months, and so there’s laws in the universe that we trust, right?

Sandra Pagenta: You plant a seed. Mm-Hmm. You don’t get a, you don’t get an egg and, sorry, an egg. You don’t get a a what kind of tree? If you plant a seed, you get an egg. If you, if you plant a seed, you don’t expect the tree the next day, right? You don’t expect when you plant the orange seed to have orange oranges the next day.

Sandra Pagenta: It takes time, right? You trust the process. And so that’s what I said. Right, you trust it and you just let it. Yeah. And everybody’s process, a. k. a. journey is different. And so, yeah, just don’t stop. That’s that’s the real difference of, this whole thing, so tell people where they can find you where they can find your material, reach out to you if they have more questions.

Sandra Pagenta: Actually, I have 1 more question. Mentors, anybody mentor you in this whole time that you’ve been doing this? Has it just been your husband that you’ve been you guys have just been dredging this man? I love it. Yes. I love that. You know,

Sam: like, and I, like, invest in, like, courses and classes and stuff like that to learn on my own.

Sam: But as far as, like, the application of that. That knowledge, my husband, built in mentor, wow, he’s done it for like multiple fortune 500 companies. And like, he definitely has the experience. And so just, it was just perfect. It was literally just perfect. And so when he saw how serious I was about the business and how everyone kind of like the impact that it had on the nursing community.

Sam: He was like, you know, this, this really can be something that really is starting to become something. And so, you know, he was also just as excited as I was to be able to be a part of it and to, to contribute what he can into not only just me, but the business as well. And yeah, he’s definitely, definitely the closest thing to a mentor living.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I actually was thinking this as you were talking, do you miss bedside nursing?

Sam: I miss, because it’s like a twofold answer, like physically, no, physically no, but I do miss the. Interactions with like my patients. Yes. And, you know, just, just that patient care, especially, you know, when you have that genuine reason of going into nursing to truly help someone.

Sam: Yeah. You know, you, you miss, in theory you miss it . Yeah. You miss it. But then when I think about the impact that my business has on nursing students and how I help them, you know, that that itch, that I, you know, sometimes. We’ll think about as far as that, I like that being able to provide a service or provide something that someone else needs or make someone stay.

Sam: I do that still with within my business. And so, like, that’ll scratch my itch. So all in one now, I don’t miss it. Get to the truth. Talk

Sandra Pagenta: about it. I love that. Yes, I can totally see what you’re saying. There is elements to nursing that you miss, but you’re still a nurse. You’re still providing a service and you’re still providing care.

Sandra Pagenta: It’s just we’re a different population of people. You know, people are like, Oh, you’re not a nurse because you don’t work anymore. You’re once a nurse, always a nurse. And it doesn’t matter if you’re at the bedside, you can be a nurse and be doing something very different with your career. So people that are like, Oh, this isn’t nursing that well, actually it can look a lot different to be a nurse and be a digital creator and own your own business and your clientele and your patients are different.

Sandra Pagenta: And so that’s the

Sam: same people that are saying. Oh, you’re not a nurse. It’s not a nursing thing. Four years later, they’re going to be the main ones like looking or asking you like, Oh, how do I escape from the bedside? Or how do I do this? But once that burnout settles for them, they’re going to be on the end of like, okay, what, what can I do?

Sam: What else can I do? With my nursing that isn’t necessarily bedside. So it’s always it’s always funny to see kind of like the tables turn people that maybe we’re trying to down you and say, like, oh, this isn’t real nursing. Very shortly after call me later, like, hey, I love what you’re doing. Yeah, I get involved and it’s

Sandra Pagenta: yeah, no, it’s true.

Sandra Pagenta: The burnout sets in pretty quick. And I think, again, I could tell within the 1st year of nursing in my career that I was, I was ready. I was like, I. This ain’t, this can’t be it. Oh my goodness. You know? And so, you know, as different turns, you know, I, I saw a nurse, Blake posted this on Instagram, like nurse practitioners are just nurses that got burned out and now have student loans.

Sandra Pagenta: And like, I

Sam: couldn’t like disagree with them. It’s

Sandra Pagenta: true. Like you do, you get burned out and you think that like the answer is, to go get more schooling and to go take on more risk at your job and to go do more complicated nursing. And maybe what we really need is just more of the stuff that lights our souls up the more creative stuff that we are meant to do as a, as a whole being.

Sandra Pagenta: And so

Sam: creators, like, you know, how creative you have to be as a nurse. God, have

Sandra Pagenta: you seen some of these Ivy lines that you guys create and the little tags and then the Lexus seal bag? I’m like. I don’t know what artist attached this Flexaseal bag onto this bum. I don’t know how that happened, but I don’t know.

Sandra Pagenta: She needs to come back because I can’t get this thing. If this thing blows off, we’re in trouble. I can’t get that thing back.

Sam: A lot of things like being creative has to do with being an artist. And that’s not true. That is not true at all. You know, you can be creative in so many different aspects. You’re, you’re creative as a nurse.

Sam: Trust me. Yes. Trust me. Yes. And so like, I think just kind of starting there and just kind of like realizing your own power and just how special you are individually. It’s going, you’ll be surprised and still be like, you know, I do like doing this. So I do, I, this, this, I do like this aspect of nursing.

Sam: How can I, you know take it in and flop with it. Some people decide to leave bedside and become clinical instructors, you know, for, for nursing students, and that lights their soul on fire. They’re not getting yelled at at bedtime, but they’re helping the next generation Of nurses to, you know, accomplish their dream and that, and that in itself is fulfilling in itself, you know, whenever I get messages of people saying, hey, I passed NCLEX or I passed, you know, whatever exam using your materials that gives me just as much satisfaction as a patient that would be like, Hey, I feel so much better.

Sam: Thank you so much for, you know, taking care of me when I was sick. And that’s why the answer to that question was, was now just because I still get that sense of fulfillment. And you know, it’s just you’ll you’ll be surprised as to how that feeling can carry over into different aspects of life in general, not just nursing.

Sam: And it doesn’t always have to come from inside, you know, not everyone wants to leave bedside, but not everybody wants to leave bedside. And that’s okay. And that’s the number one thing. It is okay. If you don’t want to stay bedside and it’s okay. If you do want to stay bedside, it’s okay. If you want to get away from nursing altogether, it’s also okay.

Sam: If you want to climb that ladder, you know, if you want to go from an LPN to an RN to NP, maybe CRNA, whatever it is, whatever floats your boat, you know, it lights your soul on fire. And I think that is. You know, the main thing that that client is will bring you. Yeah, it’s figuring

Sandra Pagenta: out what what it is that your soul is wanting to do.

Sandra Pagenta: And you were saying something and I had a thought and now it’s gone, but I do agree with you so much about, kind of quieting your soul, seeing what comes to the surface, whatever it is that you want to do within nursing, again, using those dials, figuring out what lights up your individual life and your career goals is something that we need to be encouraging more nurses to do.

Sandra Pagenta: And yeah, if we could start there, I think a lot of nurses would prevent. Burnout and would be more aligned in what they want to do with their careers and we need good nurses. So we don’t need everyone to just all flock out of the hospital. That’s not what we do. We need at all. But we do need to we do need to create space for people to.

Sandra Pagenta: Be creative and if that means that the hospitals need to flex their schedules and they need to have these different options for nurses and nurse practitioners. I think they need to do that. And 1 of the things that, you know, again, as I’ve been in this space and creating the podcast a benefit of it has been that I have exposed myself to realizing, wow, we are in real estate.

Sandra Pagenta: We are in the boardroom. We are. In politics, we’re on all these different spaces. And so I can really create and, and, and shape this career into what I’m wanting. And it’s the most incredible degree to be a nurse. It’s the most incredible degree. And you have chosen so well, if you are a nurse, because you are not limited.

Sandra Pagenta: To the walls of the hospital. And I want to show you that. And I hope that whoever’s listening today, here’s that message. And also I’ve been able to create digital products and I am not anywhere where you are. You are like, girl, you are light years ahead of me, but I’ve been able to create a side income stream with creating digital products for my nursing knowledge.

Sandra Pagenta: And it’s a game changer to sit at work. And watch money roll in and you’re like, or to sit at home and watch money to wake up.

Sam: Oh, nice.

Sandra Pagenta: I made money while I was sleeping last night. It’s a game changer. So I’m not afraid to let people know how it is that, you know, again, that I made the business with a friend of mine.

Sandra Pagenta: We both created these booklets and Yes, it has made, we wake up to money, and it’s, again, it’s not anywhere on the scale that I know you’re making, but it is on a scale that goes. That money changes, changes stuff for my family. That’s a little bit of something towards this or that and to cover this and that.

Sandra Pagenta: And it’s been a really big blessing. And so there’s no way that I can’t share this stuff and to have this conversation with you, I know is going to change more nurse practitioner and nurses minds because we all have something to create. We all something to bring may not be digital products, but that creativity is still inside of you.

Sandra Pagenta: So figure it out. Unlock it and reach out to either one of us if you have questions or whichever. How can they find you, Samantha, and find your material and check you out?

Sam: So you can go to my website, which is www. thenurseam. com. You can find me on social media, on Instagram, Facebook, at Thenurseam. On Twitter, slash X, I am the nurse Sam and on Pinterest.

Sam: It’s the nurse. No, tick tock. It’s the nurse. Sam 1. Okay, and just check out my material, you know, we, I have both creative material as far as educational content, educational study guides for. Pre nursing students, nursing students, and those are taking the as well as just fun. Nursing content, you know, check that out and join the squad.

Sam: You can also find me. I can’t nursing school dot com. If you want to be more I’m a part of our community, you know, nursing students that want to have a better. In a healthier nursing school experience, you know, not 1 that’s just, hey, this is your assigned reading. Here you go. You know, we’re very, like, it’s I almost call it like a sorority, but just without the hazing.

Sam: We’re just like a sister and we, we learn together. We grow together. We thrive together. We focus on mental health. We focus on study groups and we have them as a group virtually is just. You know, a supportive community and it’s totally free, you know, and that’s what nursing should be, in my opinion, that’s what nursing school should be.

Sam: It shouldn’t be a walking PTSD experience. It shouldn’t be as soon as I graduate, I have to go sign up for therapy. It shouldn’t be that.

Sandra Pagenta: Agree. Agree. Or just as you’re working, you need therapy because your job is so toxic and the culture is so toxic. And again, you know, the book that I was talking about earlier, the road less stupid is so good about culture and it’s kind of opening up my eyes to like, wow, like.

Sandra Pagenta: The hospital culture is so toxic and it really is because it doesn’t focus in on the aspects to keeping culture healthy, but how can I do that for myself? And so continual self improvement is something that I, I highly recommend for every single nurse that’s going into those spaces is just, you have to recognize healthy cause you have to be it.

Sandra Pagenta: So if you don’t know. Where the healthy what it looks like to be healthy. Then you don’t recognize. Well, this ain’t because I know what it is and this ain’t, you know, and so you need you need to work on that in yourself so that you can go into those spaces and see and recognize the signs. So, Samantha.

Sandra Pagenta: Thank you for coming on. Thank you for letting them know where they

Sam: can. This is such a great conversation. Oh, I’m so

Sandra Pagenta: glad. And I wanted to do rapid fire with you before you go. Do you have time? Of course. Okay. So rapid fire, you cannot prepare for these questions. They’re just going to be hit to you fast.

Sandra Pagenta: I don’t even know how fast I did that. To be honest with you, we paused so many times to talk about whatever the answer was. It’s not really rapid fire, but let’s do it. What is your favorite holiday? Favorite

Sam: holiday? Christmas.

Sandra Pagenta: Okay. Total. Yes. Total. Total. Yes. And then what are you watching on Netflix and chill?

Sandra Pagenta: You’re an entrepreneur, so I’m sure TV’s out, but do you do any Netflix and chill? And if you do, what is it?

Sam: Of course, I’m definitely a person that has to have Netflix playing on the background as I do anything else. Like, I can’t sit in silence. I just absolutely cannot. I am watching a phrase that Variety of things selling sunset,

Sam: rewatching Grey’s Anatomy for the 100th time, but stopping at a certain season. Because I cannot take it with Dreamy Guys. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Skip. What else? I love, you know, any of the movies that comes on or whatever. We just watched one last night. It was called Pain Hustlers. I don’t think I’ve seen that.

Sam: It was about I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but like are you a Netflix and chill

Sandra Pagenta: person? Like, I can be if it’s like, cause my husband likes Netflix. So I’ll like, you know, connect with him with something like, what are you watching? You know, on that person.

Sam: Yeah. There’s just been so much like movies and shows about like big pharma and like

Sandra Pagenta: documentaries

Sam: and like the movies, like this one was like an actual movie.

Sam: Based off of one of, you know, something from like the opioid crisis and how, you know, one of those. Big pharmaceutical companies like paid off doctors and like was given like everybody was like a pain nail, paint, Nolan, stuff like that. It was just crooked.

Sandra Pagenta: Yes. Crooked

Sam: girl. Yeah. And I like my ratchet TV, like my love and hip hops in

Sandra Pagenta: my real house of whatever.

Sandra Pagenta: Love is blind. That’s another one that I’m blind. How could I forget? You know that trash TV. Oh, my, my, my, my mom. Yeah, no. So with you. So if you could pay someone to do 1 chore, what would it be? Laundry. Oh, you’re don’t like your laundry. Oh, my please.

Sam: Keep it. I’m like, I would you wear dirty clothes off the floor.

Sam: Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I, um, I’ve seen in in grace anatomy, which is just like, it was like, you don’t do your laundry. And she was like. No, whenever I need new underwear, I just buy new ones. I need a new one. I need to buy more clothes. Like, it has to be, and it can’t be both. Like, it can’t wash, dry, and fold, and put away.

Sam: It’s too much. Like, one day

Sandra Pagenta: has to be one. That is so funny. That is so funny. I’m so ghetto. I’m like, I wear the dirty clothes, I guess. If I hate laundry, I just put on a little dirty clothes.

Sam: You have a laundry chair

Sandra Pagenta: like where you just put it. I smell it. It’s not too bad. I’d wear it again. It’s fine. It’s fine.

Sam: We’ve all dealt with scrubs. It’s fine.

Sandra Pagenta: You’re so bushy. I just go by another paragraph. I get tired of watching it. Okay. I think that’s it. I think we’ve done three. Have we done three? Yes. Oh, mine is dishes. Totally dishes.

Sam: Oh that was my second choice. Honestly.

Sandra Pagenta: That was my second choice. Oh my gosh. Can’t stand it.

Sandra Pagenta: Luckily I married somebody who doesn’t constantly cause I hate it. I can cook up. I can just. Cook, make a mess and then I just want to walk away. I don’t know how it happened, but it’s now gone.

Sam: My husband is the cook. And I’ll do the dishes.

Sandra Pagenta: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that Puerto Rican food. You’re having some good food, girl.

Sandra Pagenta: Savannah!

Sam: Savannah! Let me tell you. Right when we leave this, I’m going to be like, what’s for lunch? Please.

Sandra Pagenta: Samantha, way too much fun. Thank you so much for coming on to the podcast and dropping all your wisdom and sharing what it is that you’re doing. And guys, check her out. Give her some love, show her business, some love, and again, have enjoyed the journey of your careers.