I’m in literal tears writing this… hey, I’m a crier and I’m proud of it… because today I’m sharing one of my favorite humans on the entire planet. Madison setup my husband and I, (so I obviously owe her my firstborn child and she reminds me frequently how lucky I am that she knew we were meant to be) and she’s been one of my besties for years.
The girl just GETS IT, ya know what I mean? She is driven, ambitious, and one of the most passionate people I know when it comes to their work; but at the end of the day she understands what is most important… health, family and friends.
Tell us a little about yourself and your career
Hello! My name is Madison Holden. I have been a pediatric nurse for 5 years now, a job that I love so much. Last year I graduated with my master’s in nursing education. I have been working at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford for 2 ½ years. Just a few months ago, I took the Assistant Manager/Educator position on my unit for Paranesthesia Services. I met my sweet husband out here in the Bay Area and have been married just over a year now!
How does your community of women you surround yourself with support you?
If there is one stereotype that merits truth, it is that “90% of nurses are women.” I work side by side with some incredibly smart, kind, strong, and confident women. It truly has been an amazing experience to work in a field that is primarily women. I gain so much from them and what they have to offer. We have women ranging from new grads to women reaching retirement, single women to women who have been married 50+ years, women with no kids to women with 5 kids. It is such an amazing experience to work with so many women who are going through different stages of life.
The women I work with are always my “go-to” group when I have questions about life, love, or even what to make for dinner! We support each other through the good times and the bad. My “work family” is truly just that…family. We might have an argument here and there, but at the end of the day we support each other and continue to learn from one another.
As a new manager, what advice do you have from going from a peer to the boss?
This was actually really hard for me! For those who don’t know me, I definitely consider myself a people person. Yes, I also will admit it, a people pleaser. I am a Libra; I am all about the balance. I was given the opportunity to leave the bedside and step into a management/education role. I knew that eventually I would use my masters, however, I truly didn’t think that time would come so soon. Transitioning from being at the bedside, where I worked side by side with my peers, to now managing them was hard.
I had a difficult time drawing that line -and to be honest- I didn’t want to discipline anyone because how do you discipline your friends? However, I realized that at the end of the day you have to do what’s best for your team and for the patient. Now I am almost 5 months into this role, and I have more appreciation for my coworkers who are my friends because of the support they have shown.
What do you wish you could go back and tell your younger self re: your career aspirations?
One of the most common questions that I get asked is, “Why did you want to become nurse?” I love kids and I love helping people, but another reason I wanted to pursue nursing was because of the flexible schedule. What I have come to learn now is that not only is the schedule flexible, but there are so many job opportunities within the field of nursing.
I don’t think my younger self would have ever decided to go into management. I love being at the bedside and interacting with patients and their families. However, I would tell my younger self to never turn down opportunities because you are unsure about it. You never know what you are going to like until you try it. I would say to step out of your comfort zone. They call it a comfort zone for a reason. Pushing past your comfort zone allows one to take on new challenges to learn, grow, and try new things. I also think it’s important to remember that you don’t have to climb the “work ladder” to feel accomplished.
There is nothing I want more than to be a mom-spending the majority of my time raising children and teaching them hard work, kindness, virtue and love. I think that no matter what path you take, it is enough.
What is your career-related mantra?
Be kind and slow down. I am a firm believer in being kind. I think what the world needs is more kindness, to ourselves and others. It’s important to believe in yourself and the only way to do that is to be kind to our body, mind, and spirit. We live in such a fast pace world, it’s easy to get caught up in our schedules, to-do lists, and the rush of everyday life.
Taking time to enjoy where we are in life is so important. I think everyone can agree that time moves too quickly. Stop and actually smell the roses. Put your phone away and go for a walk, without music or distraction. Take time to appreciate where you are in your life at this very moment.
