What does racing have to do with nursing?

Two weekends ago was my first race for the 2014 New England Hillclimb Association (NEHA) series. On Friday afternoon, my husband and I drove two hours to Mt. Ascutney in Vermont. As usual, my husband trailered his race car, and I drove mine down. We trailer at least one car, in case something happens and we need to trailer a broken car home. After arriving at the campground, we unloaded our camping gear, set up our equipment in a lean-to for the night, and made dinner. We then settled in at a friend’s bonfire to talk about racing or whatever viral video is going around on the Internet. This time, it was the cat that saved a boy from a dog.

The next morning, we woke up at 6 a.m. to pouring rain. Usually, people are up and anxious to start racing, but this was a very slow morning, as the event organizers were getting the road ready by making dams. They also had to fix the wire that runs alongside the four-mile course. The wire is used for our communication headsets when checkpoints, also known as “corner workers,” call the car. Saturday is usually practice day, and Sunday is official race day.

Racing is a lot like the nursing process. We start with a familiarization run (fam run), which is similar to the nursing assessment. During this run, we assess the road and how our car might handle at higher speeds. After completing the fam run, we diagnose how we did—which corners we needed to take a little differently, where to brake when entering a corner, and how fast one could have gone on any given section.

For me, I realized I needed to take Corners 13 and 15 a little bit wider before turning in. (This is called a late apex corner.) Looking ahead, I plan that, the next time I race up the road, I will take those corners differently, to make my run faster. In my first timed run, I implemented my strategies, after which I reevaluated and realized I could have gone a little faster.

On Sunday, we made a total of three runs. My second run was faster than my first, but my run after lunch was slower. However, I ended up first in my class and 32nd overall. We don’t get monetary rewards or trophies, probably why these events are so great.

When we get to the top of the mountain, we all hang around talking about the day’s runs, what worked or did not work. If I have a problem with my car, all I have to do is ask for help, and any of the drivers will come to my assistance. I guess I like my hillclimb family, just as I do my family known as the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). Both welcomed me and made me feel a part of their organization. So, whenever I meet a new hillclimb driver or STTI member, I do my best to make them feel welcome.

Here is a video of my latest race! 

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services will not be posted.

I love driving fast!

When people ask me to tell them one unique thing about me, I say I race cars. I race on paved Vermont mountain roads, closed to the public, that have many types of turns and offer a variety of challenges to a driver. They don’t expect that from a 5-foot-3-inch woman, who is an informatics nurse. I don’t look like the typical car racer; I wear dresses, and, like my friends, like makeup and fashion.

I didn’t grow up in a car-racing family, nor do I build or work on my own cars. I became interested in racing cars when I was newly married, about 15 years ago. I was at an autocross, which is a timed event to test one’s driving abilities against others by navigating a course set up with traffic cones in a parking lot. My husband and I noticed a lot of drivers were missing turns in the course. When I commented about it, some of the drivers encouraged me to try the course in my car. I was hesitant at first, but, when I tried it, discovered that I really enjoy racing.

Since then, I have done some track events and ice racing, but, when I did my first hillclimb on the Bolton Valley access road, I fell in love. I loved how fast I felt I was going and the thrill of the race. Since then, I have mainly been doing hillclimbs. There are very few women who race with us. I think they just need to come out and try it, because, in our club, everyone is treated the same.

The clubs I race with are friendly and supportive, just like the nursing community. It’s a nice way to get stress out, after a busy workweek, or just to hang out with a group of friends who treat me like family. The No. 1 question I get after they find out I race is, “How fast are you going?” I laugh and say I’m too busy focusing on the course and watching out for squirrels; I don’t have time to look at the speedometer.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services are not posted.