Hi! My name is Joy! I’ve been an RN in the Los Angeles area since 2007. I started my nursing career in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), then moved on to med-surg, oncology, telemetry, step-down, ICU, and even spent two weeks in a primary care clinic. After a brief burnout break, I became a PACU nurse in 2018, and I’m thanking my lucky stars that I found PACU nursing because this is my favorite kind of nursing!
To be honest, when I started HENRY Nurse in 2024, I meant for it to be a personal finance journey blog as a nurse. Hence the name HENRY (High Earner, Not Rich Yet). Lol.
I was also making more money as a nurse back then, working full-time hours as a per diem nurse. But now, with a toddler, my priorities have changed, and I’ve been working less to spend more time with my son.
Fast forward to 2026, I feel like my writing has naturally gravitated more toward PACU nursing, and I really love writing about my experiences as a PACU nurse.
I’m always talking to myself (in my head, so I don’t seem like a crazy person, lol) about why things are done a certain way in Pre-Op and PACU.
I’m naturally curious, constantly asking questions about why we do what we do as Pre-Op and PACU nurses, and I like sharing what I learn and experience here on my blog.
For nursing students exploring career paths after graduation, nurses considering a different specialty, or, I don’t know, maybe even patients about to undergo surgery who want to know what it’s like to be in the recovery room.
It’s also still a personal finance journey blog. Once in a while, I write about my financial journey and share money tips from my experience as a nurse. So, if you’re interested in that, you can still read about it here.
And once in a while, I also share personal stories about life as a nurse in Los Angeles. Lol.
Enjoy it, learn from it, share it, discuss it with others, take it with a grain of salt, and criticize it.
If you find my content helpful and enjoyable, it would mean a lot to me if you choose to use and support the products I personally use and share.
They will not cost you anything extra and may even help you save through discounts. Supporting them helps me continue running and maintaining this site.
You can read more in my affiliate disclosure.
When it comes to my finance-related content:
I am not a financial advisor or a Certified Financial Planner. The content shared here reflects my personal financial decisions and real-life experiences, not professional financial advice.
I am also not starting this journey from zero or a negative net worth. I do not have debt, so I won’t be personally writing about getting out of debt or paying off student loans.
That said, I may share interviews or stories from other nurses who are navigating debt and how they’re tackling it.
And when it comes to my PACU and Pre-Op-related content:
I’m writing from my own experience as a working PACU nurse. I’m not claiming to be a nursing educator or an authority on every aspect of PACU nursing.
Some examples used in my content are for illustrative purposes only.
Always consult your own facility’s policies, protocols, and established standards of care. What we do in my PACU may not necessarily be how things are done in yours.
And most importantly, always use your clinical judgment, follow applicable policies and provider orders, and do what is best and safest for your patient.
