In this episode, we sit down with a remarkable second-generation OR nurse whose career journey spans from the high-stakes world of trauma care to the specialized field of cardiac surgery. She shares powerful stories from her early days as a trauma nurse, navigating life-or-death situations, and the pivotal moments that led her to specialize in cardiac surgery. We explore the challenges of balancing the emotional toll of the OR with life outside the hospital, the evolution of nursing across generations, and the techniques she uses to cope with the stressors of the job. Her insights offer a raw and inspiring look into the resilience required to thrive in some of medicine’s most demanding specialties.