Q: What is the title of your profession?
A: I am a Registered Nurse.
Q: What do you do?
A: It varies. I do outpatient diabetes education, teach nursing students in the clinical settings through the local university and I am a floor nurse on an oncology unit. I make my own schedule with all my interests included.
Q: Have you always worked in this field?
A: Yes for 17 years now.
Q: Why did you choose this profession?
A: Ever since I was 5 years old I knew I would be in a healthcare profession because I wanted to help people.
Q: How would you define your profession?
A: It is rewarding, exciting and an ongoing learning experience
Q: Did you go to college for this profession?
A: Yes, I started with a diploma degree from St. Vincent School of Nursing. After having 3 children, I returned to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and continued on to earn a Masters of Science in nursing with education focus (MSN).
Q: Do you use your degree in your job?
A: Yes- the MSN is required to teach nursing in the classroom setting. The BSN allows you to teach clinical in nursing schools.
Q: Can your degree be used as a basis for any other professions?
A: Yes! Nursing has many choices in many settings.
Q: Does your job require continued education? What type? How much?
A: Yes 24-30 hours of CEU’s (Continued Education Unit) yearly that are related to all topics in nursing. Focus on your position is usually the requirement
Q: Does your job require a certification or board testing?
A: Yes, you need to be board certified.
Q: What is a day in the life of your job? Does it change day to day? Do you work with the public?
A: The day can change, floor nursing consists of meeting the needs of the patient and organizing their care.The day shift starts with receiving report from the night nurse on all the patients, rounding on patients to check on his or her condition, performing physical assessments on all patients, do any tasks needed to make the patient safe or comfortable, give patients morning medication, get them ready for any tests, check lab and test results- calling any abnormal to doctor, take orders and complete any orders from doctors, answer any calls from other departments and families and bathe and feed patients. We also chart all duties and happenings. Overall, our duty is to provide the best possible care to all patients.
Diabetes education is one-to-one with a patient diagnosed with diabetes or in need of education related to poor control of the disease. I spend one to two hours of time with patient to teach disease process and management. Education includes starting the patient on insulin shots and using a blood sugar meter to check blood sugars at home. Group education is completed for 4 hours at a time on scheduled days.
Teaching nursing students in the clinical setting includes leading students in the hospital. Teaching them step-by-step how to work on the hospital floor and how to provide safe, effective care to patients. This includes the above floor duties with the instructor supervising and leading the students through the day to be sure all duties are performed as they should be.
Q: Does your profession require travel?
A: NO
Q: What is the typical schedule/hours?
A: Floor nursing is 12 hour shifts. The hospital is open 24 hours, 365 days a year. It includes weekends and holidays.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: A smile and thank you from a patient or family.
Q: What do you dislike about your job?
A: This is difficult because the dislike of the busy day is also what I love, when I am away from the busy, unpredictable day I miss it and crave it.
Q: What advice would you give to a child/student that is considering this profession?
A: I would recommend you start as a nurses aide to see how the job works. It is more than many people realize.
Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you chose the same profession?
A Definitely, no question!
Q: Is your job regional (ie: found in only certain parts of the country?
A: No, you can work anywhere, that is the great part.
Q: Is your profession fun (Ryan wants to know!)
A: Fun can happen, but it is what you make of it.
Q: Do you receive a pension?
A: This varies from organization to organization