Registered Nurse learning web development
About 2yrs ago, I became interested in web development. A little back story: I am a 33y/o husband and father of 3. I have been in the medical field specifically Emergency for 14yrs. I have always been interested in technology and usually am up to date with latest tech.
For the past few years I have become increasingly disappointed in the software/apps available for medical professionals. Throughout my career I have watched the medical/ hospital systems slowly…. adopt new technology. But there is always a disconnect in which for every convenience provided, an unexpected inconvenience came with it. This became frustrating and it made my constantly think about what Nurses could really use. I set out to teach my self to program.
My journey started like most with Codecademy. That led to some early victories and quickly led to a huuuuuge brick wall in JavaScript programming. Despite my many years in a field that requires significant critical thinking and logical reasoning, I had a hard time with the abstraction and conceptualization needed to move forward. This led me to backing off and then spending ~6months bouncing around tutorials. I had to get focused.
I began working with a friend, who is a full-time developer, on a app idea I talked to him about. We began a prototype for a workflow/todo app for Nurses in the hospital setting. We created and MVP, I trolled social media and signed up 100+ nurses for a beta that we launched through the Apple app store. We received feedback from the beta which showed there was a need but would require a large feature set that my friend was not up for developing and we did not have the cash to hire out for.
After a slightly shorter break, I got serious. I bought a cheap 2008 macbook and dove back in. This time I dove into freeCodeCamp and was re-inspired to conquer Javascript. I made it through the majority of the front end sections and again was stalled at the “Basic Algoithm Scripting”. As I culminated the web in search of how to break through the brick wall, I stumbled upon “A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript.” This book along with its exhaustive exercises, somehow began to help me get over the brick wall.
I then went back and with my new comprehension and completed the algorithm sections in freeCodeCamp. After this I stumbled upon a project idea while working a night . This came about as I cared for a patient that was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis and required and Insulin IV drip that was titrated every hour based on the blood glucose level and the results of using the supplied DKA protocol algorithm.

I searched the web for an app or website to make this easier but was surprised to find nothing at all. This is when I decided that I and my amateur JS skills would build what I needed. This would be the small first project that would guide and encourage my learning.
I set out on Codepen to hack out the basics. This process began to show me how many holes and blanks I still had in my basic knowledge. It was at this point that I (and I can’t remember where) stumbled upon “The Web Developer Bootcamp” by Colt Steele on Udemy. I cannot begin to explain how integral this course has been to bridging the gaps in my knowledge and growing my confidence. Prior to this course, my knowledge was compartmentalized and segmented and I was missing the simple ideas and concepts that tied everything together. I am 3/4 of the way through and enjoying every lesson. Colt is by far the best instructor I have ever encountered on the web. I have been working through the course and updating/ improving my side project as I grow. I plan on tackling React after and I aspire to building a website that becomes a whole suite of small web apps and tools for Nurses in the hospital/acute care setting.
I look forward to posting updates on my progress as I’ve been encouraged by the many stories I’ve read of people learning to code.
