Life & Work with Shona Houston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shona Houston.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I never thought I would have a career as a Nurse. When I decided to take the plunge, I had been working in the dental field for 12 years so it was a bit scary to just quit the secure job I had to start over, but I did it. I started as a Nursing Assistant and after doing this for 18 months, I applied for Nursing School.

I was fortunate to be accepted with my first application. It was then, my life changed. Nursing school was not easy – in fact, I am so glad I never have to do it again! During school, I was working two jobs which didn’t make it any easier but I managed, and finally after two years, I was done! Now it’s been four years and I can’t imagine doing anything else – nursing isn’t easy but it’s worth every challenging day!

With nursing also comes flexibility, a big perk for me since I love to travel! After a year of working full-time, I decided to go PRN (which means as needed) – but I still work full time. PRN just allows me to have the perfect schedule; I work when I want and I don’t have to ask for vacation days, so basically, that means working around travel or travel around working. That’s a big win-win for me!

I started really traveling in 2015 – a few trips here and there and my first solo trip to Colorado to run a half marathon which I had done in previous years with friends but this time, I would go it alone! Of course, I have friends in the Rocky Mountain state so I wasn’t totally solo but this was the first time I walked into a bar in downtown Denver by myself and had a beer. It was enlightening. From that day on, I vowed to start doing things out of my comfort zone.

Since then I have made that trip every single year along with numerous other Colorado road trips, they really are my favorite and I don’t mind the drive at all. But not only am I traveling solo, the boyfriend and I have gone on some amazing adventures throughout the last six years – my favorite being many times camping in Arkansas, South Dakota, Costa Rica, Arizona, Utah, and Florida; it’s really hard to narrow my favorites down!

Most recently I have started taking all-girls trips – most last adventure to Tulum for a content creators trip and my most recent to Idaho for five days of hiking the glorious Sawtooth Mountains with three other gals who love the outdoors as much as I do! All of these gals I have met through Instagram, which I love!

I never knew which path nursing would lead me when I started, but here we are. I am able to have a career that I love without compromising my other love, travel. It’s the perfect combination!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nursing school was definitely not smooth, but I made it! Juggling two jobs, studying, and still trying to have a life was definitely hard. There were many long nights where my nose never left a book, tears, me questioning my choice, and discouraging times, but my support system was amazing! I couldn’t have done without my boyfriend, family, and friends.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a Registered Nurse in the Kansas City area. I specialize in Cardiology, Neurology, and Vascular patients. I am ACLS, BLS, and NIH (stroke) Certified. I currently also work in pre-op and post-op for Cardiology Surgeries, the Heart Care Outpatient Clinic, Non-invasive Cardiology where I perform Stress Tests, and most recently starting giving Regeneron infusions to Covid + patients.

I would say I am most proud of where I have gotten since I started my career in nursing. I have branched out and learned to work in several different areas of the hospital and have been given the “Sharp Shooter” award, which means I am pretty darn good at IV starts! I have served on several different committees; one for Heart Failure and my favorite, Creation Health, which supports wellness and nutrition for employees.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I have recently gotten back into reading books more often and I am really enjoying it! Some of my favorites include The Wild Muir by Lee Stetson, The Spirit of the Moon by Philip H. Mitchell, Freedom by Sonny Barger, and Wilderness by Scott Stillman.

I enjoy listening to podcasts such as NPR – my favorite program being Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Stuff You Should Know, The Rich Roll, and Local Kansas Casts.  I also use phone apps such as Co-Star and Sanctuary to learn about astrology and horoscopes.

Contact Info:

• Email: kcgypsea@gmail.com
• Website: https://kcgypsea.wixsite.com/dirtroadshighheels
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtroadshighheels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtroadshighheels
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KcGypsea