Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle King.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Janelle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I never set out to be a nurse, let alone a nurse blogger. My career started in Public Health where I helped to develop policy and system changes. Even though I liked what I did, I missed interacting with people so I decided to go back to school for nursing. After graduating, I secured a job in a local hospital where I conducted community HIV and STI testing. I learned so much from this position and it really piqued my interest in sexual health. I was then able to transition into another position in the hospital where I provided care to teen patients and educated young women about sex, periods, pregnancy prevention, and birth control options.
What I found from this my work was that there are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation about sexual and reproductive health, so I decided to start a blog so that I could provide accurate content in an easy to understand manner about the subjects that are often still considered taboo.
Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, there have been some challenges along the way but, many of them were self-imposed. Even though I saw a need for accurate women’s health content, I was scared of what my friends and family would think of me writing about sex and vaginas and also convincing myself that I had enough “expertise” to even write about these topics.
The advice I would give to other women is- just do it! Taking the first step is always the hardest but by surrounding yourself with people who will encourage and support your dreams makes it so much easier. Be open to the support and help offered by your family, friends or someone you meet online. Lean into those relationships. They help to make the journey a little less frightening.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a Registered Nurse with experience in young women’s health. I was able to take my love for reproductive and sexual health and create my blog The Nurse Note where I discuss female-focused issues like periods, infertility, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV prevention. I try to bring light to topics that some women may be uncomfortable discussing in public. To me, it’s important for women to have access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information. My aim is to provide content that is relatable and easy to understand.
I’m pretty young in the blogging world since I’ve only been doing this for a year and a half. I’m proud that I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with other individuals, companies, and brands on a local and national level. What I’m most proud of are the questions I get from women about my posts. It brings me joy to know that I’m doing my part to move the conversations about women’s health forward.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
To be honest finding a mentor can be tough but generally, I tend to look to the people in my life who inspire me. I am blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who are bossing it up in their own right. I have also I’ve also been fortunate to have worked with a number of great leaders in my career who have always taken the time to teach, challenge, and support all of my endeavors.
What has worked well for me is simply to ask for help. People have been so giving with their time and talents and usually, don’t mind helping in any way they can.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://thenursenote.com/
- Email: janelle@thenursenote.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenursenote/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenursenote/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenursenote
Image Credit:
Moments with MK Photography
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