I would like to interview a nurse for my Intro to Nursing Class

SCSTxRN · Apr 8, 2012

1. I have only been a nurse a few years; there hasn't been a lot of change in role and responsibility since I started. Nurses in my family go back four generations, though. From listening to them and comparing to my role today, I would say that nursing has become significantly more technical and more science based, as opposed to hands-on and tradition based. When my aunt was in school, things were done a certain way, "because that is how it is done." Now, it's all about "evidence based practice" and health care teams. Nurses can actively change the way things are done because we have put ourselves in a position to become administrators, auditors, etc. We are still responsible for teaching our patients, however, and controlling infection - and for implementing doctor's orders. We have more rights and professional organization. We're more likely to be sued.

2. Oh my goodness. The most recent ethical dilemma that I have seen is that of a pregnant psychiatric patient wanting to go to the hospital to have the lizard cut out of her body. She was not receptive to education regarding pregnancy, she wasn't fully capable of understanding what she was asking. That was a really hard place to be as a practitioner.

3. Ongoing education, via university, via independent study and ceu's, and via educational opportunities that come up through my practice (I look stuff up when I don't know the answer) and through my employer.

4. Very carefully. LOL I'm a supervisor, I maintain an open door policy, and I address conflict when it becomes apparent that it might be a patient care issue.

5. I can't believe I get paid to do this job! TO see patients go from completely unable to live their life with any meaning to -most patients - sane and able to live, enjoy, and contribute to life. That is SO SATISFYING to me.

Karla_isela · Apr 8, 2012

Thank you so much for your reply. May I ask your first name and title as a nurse. Thanks again for your time.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2012

I'm curious, did the whole class interview their nurses online?

When instructor's assign papers like this, they have a multi-fold purpose. 1. They help your writing skills. 2. They teach you communication skills by requiring you to talk another person. Learning communication skills as a nurse is really important. You can't communicate with someone if you are posting a questionnaire on the internet to someone that you will never meet. You need to be able to interview patients that you have just met and ask personal questions. You need to be able to address other nurses and doctors who might intimidate you. These interview assignments are meant to help you become more comfortable speaking to someone that you don't know. It's also meant to help you network, and practice initiating communication and setting up a meeting.

So for that reason, I'm wondering if your class failed because they chose to post their questions on the internet, rather than actually interviewing someone in person. It's very obvious when you have actually interviewed someone vs "surveyed" them, or just gotten the answers to a list of questions. In an interview, you can ask follow up questions, get further information, clarify statements, etc. Not possible with an internet questionnaire.

OP, if you want to do better on this assignment, I would really suggest finding a nurse in your community to interview. School nurse, doctor's office, family planning clinic, even a friend of yours that is a nurse. All are better options than a stranger who, for all you know, might not actually be a nurse.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2012

Ashley's right. Interviewing in nursing is our way of obtaining tins if information for a patient. We need to be able to get someone to tell a complete stranger tell us the most intimate details of their lives on the first meeting. There is a lesson about how uncomfortable it makes you, just think how uncomfortable the patient is and they usually have had their clothing removed. Homework in nursing isn't just a way to make your life miserable.....there's a reason behind the madness to make you a better nurse, if they are done properly.

Karla_isela · Apr 8, 2012

I couldn't agree more with what all of you have to say. For the most part my classmates interviewed nurses in person. My instructor seems kind but for what I can tell she is spread very thin. I think she helps manage the nursing department of the college where I'm attending plus teaches the Intro and First Year Experience (which is a waste because we don't do much of anything nurse related in that class. It's like a study hall) I feel like there should be someone more focused; she told my friend that she grades late at night and sometimes is too tired to really put an effort into reading the paper and understanding it-- instead she just goes through it and marks things wrong. My friend had an introduction and yet she marked off points for no intro. Sadly, I don't know any nurses and the one nurse that I had thought to interview cancelled on me Friday and I'm left to resort to the internet for answers because the assignment is due tomorrow -- Monday.

Karla_isela · Apr 8, 2012

Does anyone want to Skype me, maybe? We can set up a time today -- maybe later. I think it's Easter -- I don't really celebrate the eggs and bunny part so I'm not too busy today.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Apr 8, 2012

These are really difficult questions!! Wouldn't it be better to stick to one topic? Like give an example of an ethical dilemma, how did you handle it, what would you have done differently now that you have a chance to look back, that kind of thing,to really get in depth which is what an interview should do (think NPR). These topic questions are all over the map. To me, this would make it difficult for the interviewee, who would just be helping you to help support the future of nursing. Just a thought. I do help students sometimes but not when it looks like as much work as my own homework :)

Karla_isela · Apr 9, 2012

hey_suz, would you please answer the ethical dilemma question just as you asked it? I need a good example for an ethical dilemma thank-you.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Apr 9, 2012

hey_suz, would you please answer the ethical dilemma question just as you asked it? I need a good example for an ethical dilemma thank-you.

I PM'd you. Just wrote my random thoughts. I hope you can edit it so it conveys an ethical dilemma, it doesn't involve ventilators or stealing expensive drugs LOL but there are a few aspects to this particular scenario.

Just to clarify, I really would not have done anything differently, but the "running out of product" gave me the chance to end the supply, and gave me a natural way to end that, though better behaviors continue.

I hope that helps you.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Apr 9, 2012

Also I wanted to clarify my earlier response, I am suspecting that the instructor downgraded the students for "the way the nurses answered the questions" is because the nurses just ...answered the questions, rather than being led by the give-and-take of an interview format. KWIM? So Karla Isela, please ask me more questions. I think that is what your instructor is getting at.

And also, please help me with my homework, as I am struggling to understand the human kidney and this whole RAA system thing. Thanks. (joke)