Career Profiles
"I often get asked why I chose nursing. Truthfully, I can’t pinpoint a single moment that drew me to health care. But from a young age, I was nurturing by nature — always surrounded by pets, talking about becoming a veterinarian or a nurse. As I got older, my love for science and biology blossomed, and nursing began to feel like a natural fit."
Darla Lackman, R.N. | Capital Region Medical Center
Today, I’m the lead registered nurse (R.N.) in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), commonly known as the recovery room. No two days are alike here. The pace is quick, and the work is intricate — patients are constantly flowing out of surgery, and it’s our job to keep things moving efficiently.
Each morning starts with reviewing the day’s schedule: how many patients will be admitted, how many discharged, and which departments — endoscopy, OB, MRI — might send us recoveries. I coordinate with house supervisors, charge nurses and leads from other units. Staffing is a crucial part of my role — especially when planning for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, pediatric or special needs cases, and anticipating tough recoveries.
Beyond patient care, I manage payroll, handle supply orders, create the staff schedule and jump in to take patients when needed. It’s a balancing act of clinical expertise, leadership and logistics.
I’ve been in this position for 26 years. I originally took the role because the hours worked for my family: five days a week, eight-hour shifts. Of course, in hospital life, “eight hours” is a loose term. There’s also the on-call responsibility that comes with the job.
Despite the long hours, the pace and complexity of PACU nursing felt like home. I was hired as a staff nurse, and after 10 years, I stepped into the charge position. I’ve stayed all these years because I’ve continued to learn and grow — and no two days are ever the same.
One of the toughest parts of nursing is the toll it can take on family life. Sometimes, your eight-hour shift turns into 12. That’s why having a support system is so important. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a husband who always stepped up when I was stuck at work. He handled the doctor’s visits and sick days with our kids, and that support made all the difference.
Health care constantly demands more with less, and being resourceful is part of the job. But we nurses are good at speaking up and finding better ways to get things done — and often, those ideas are taken seriously.
One of the biggest misconceptions about nursing is how much responsibility we carry. People often assume we just provide comfort and hand out medications — but critical thinking and quick decision-making are daily requirements. The mental and physical stress is real and constant.
This shared stress also is why nurses often form deep bonds. Few people outside the field truly understand what we go through.
If you’re pursuing nursing, my biggest advice is this: keep an open mind. Focus on getting through school without stressing too much about what specialty you’ll end up in. Nursing offers so many paths, and you’ll find yours.
I thought I’d be an obstetrics nurse. However, my first job was on a cardiac floor, and it turned out to be the best thing that could’ve happened. Now, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.