6 minute read
NICU NURSE WITH A CREATIVE OUTLET
OFF THE CLOCK: NURSE BRITTANY
By April Rowe, BSN, RN
PUT YOUR HEART IN IT
If there's no heart or passion in it, your business is not going to survive. If you're not excited about it, other people aren't going to be excited about it either.
NURSING IS STRESSFUL , and having a creative outlet is a healthy way to decompress from the taxing demands of our profession. Nurses work tirelessly to care for others, often putting their own needs aside, so it's essential to prioritize self-care and find ways to unwind between shifts. Better yet, using your creative outlet as a side gig not only provides beneficial stress relief but also adds extra funds to your bank account.
LUCRATIVE CREATIVITY
Brittany Wilson, BSN, RN, RNC-LRN, from South Carolina, has done just that. When she’s not working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – Intermediate, she spends a lot of her free time creating designs and merchandise for her two shops, Cuddles and Courage and Larkspur Lane Co. All of the products she creates arise from her passions and interests. Her yearning for a creative outlet led her to create her own brand and merchandise to share with the world.
“I have always had a creative side, and during COVID, I was craving something to do, so I started creating things that I wished existed and hoped that other people would like it too and possibly make some money on the side. Mainly, it was a creative outlet, and then turning it into a business was even better,” ex plained Brittany.
In 2021, Brittany created her first Etsy shop, Larkspur Lane Co, and designed products for book lovers, nurses, pride-themed merch, and more. She created her first items and then continued building up her shop with more products and different designs. Recently, she decided to start her other brand, Cuddles and Courage, which are NICU-specific products.
CUDDLES AND COURAGE AND A PASSION FOR NICU NURSING
Since she was little, Brittany knew she wanted to work in the medical field, either as a doctor or a nurse. Nursing became her passion because she wanted to spend a lot of face-to-face time with her patients. Ini tially, she considered working in labor and delivery but ended up falling in love with the NICU, and she can’t see herself working anywhere else.
“What I love most about being a neonatal intermediate care nurse is getting to provide a lot of education to the parents so they feel comfortable and confident about taking their baby home. Discharging babies is a very fun and touching moment. Not only do I get to care for the babies, but I also have the element of family education and focusing on patient and family-centered care,” said Brittany.
Her Cuddles and Courage brand offers adorable items for nurses and families in the NICU. Clothing, stickers, journals, bags, and more can be purchased at her Etsy shops and online websites. She also offers personalization to add extra value to the items so her customers can create their own personal touches.
What I love the most about being a neonatal intermediate care nurse is getting to provide a lot of education to the parents so they feel comfortable and confident about taking their baby home.
“For the NICU items, I really wanted to put designs out there that are very celebratory, and one of the things in the NICU that’s super exciting is finally getting to go home and people wanting to make a special moment out of it. So one of my best sellers is group shirts/onesies for NICU grads, so [matching] shirts for the parents and baby, maybe even personalized with the baby’s name, or shirts for the brother or sister," she said.
BOOK-LOVING PROUD ALLY WITH A SIDE OF HIPPIE AND WHIMSICAL FUN
Whether you’re looking for a cute coffee-lover sweatshirt or a magical, bookworm-inspired tee, Brittany has plenty of adorable designs for all types of occasions — pride, holidays, celestial flair, and more.
For this issue’s pride theme, Brittany was asked why creating pride merch is a passion for her, and she explained, “Diversity is so important in all facets of our lives, like in our workplace and friendships; it’s important to have people from all different walks of life. Queer books help save lives, and they help people in the LGBTQ+ community feel seen and represented, and they teach them that they are worthy of love and to have self-worth and self-confidence.”
Brittany disagrees with book bans and added, “Books are so important for me, they are a form of escapism and entertainment and they create connections between people, like in book clubs. They teach us about ourselves, and when you don't have representation in books with [characters] who are like you, it only alienates you further, so books need diversity.”
ADVICE FOR STARTING A SIDE GIG
For anyone considering a new business on the side, money shouldn't be the only driving force, but your own personal gratification should be. “[A side gig] gives you another form of fulfillment, so even if you didn’t have the best day at work, you have something to look forward to when you get home. For me, it's a way to be creative and explore that part of myself. This is an avenue to do something that I'm interested in, and it gives me fulfillment outside of my full-time job,” said Brittany.
[A side gig] gives you another form of fulfillment, so even if you didn’t have the best day at work, you have something to look forward to when you get home.”
“If anyone is looking to start [a side gig], it’s important to do it not just to make money but also to enjoy it. If there's no heart or passion in it, your business is not going to survive. If you're not excited about it, other people aren't going to be excited about it, either. So the core ingredient of what you're doing should be something that excites you, and if you make money too, well, that’s the whipped cream and cherry on top of your banana split,” Brittany laughed.
[Books] teach us about ourselves.
So, if you’re tired of your usual day-to-day grind and want to add a touch of creativity and extra income when you’re off the clock, consider starting a new side business. It’s a great way to branch out and create new experiences, and you never know — you may just end up turning your side gig into your full-time job!
SHOP CUDDLES & COURAGE MERCH
WEBSITE: cuddlesandcourage.com
SHOP: etsy.com/shop/CuddlesandCourage
SHOP LARKSPUR LANE MERCH
WEBSITE: shoplarkspurlaneco.com
