Interview with an RN

Trauma Columnist · Oct 5, 2006

Okay - I'll take a stab at it:

1. Identify the credentials of the person you are interviewing. I have an MSN and a post- MSN clinical nurse specialist in adult health.

2. Identify the number of years of practice and all settings in which the nurse has worked. I have been an RN for 12 years and was an LPN for two years before that. As an LPN, I worked in long term care. As an RN, I worked one year in med-surg, one year in a medical intensive care unit and 10 years in a level one trauma center ER. I graduated with my advanced practice nursing certificate in May 2006 and I currently work in a large nephrology practice.

3. Types of education (both formal and informal). Formal education - LPN certificate, ADN, BSN, MSN, post-MSN certificate. Informal education - BLS instructor, ACLS instructor, Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course instructor, Pre-hospital hospital trauma life support, Pediatric Education for Pre-hospital Professionals.

4. Type of agency/setting currently working. Describe the services and the clients/patients served. 11 physician nephrology practice. I do the medical care for two units of chronic hemodialysis patients (about 200 patients). We serve everyone from age 18 on up to patients in their 90's and from all walks of life.

5. Describe the activities, responsibilities and functions of the nurse. (What is a description of a normal work day). Today my schedule was:

0700 - go to north dialysis unit - see 18 patients, assist the charge nurse with INR's (for those patients on coumadin), do a history and physical for a patient to have cataract surgery.

1000 - go to downtown unit. Deal with patient who is verbally and physically abusive to staff. Talk with family of another patient who has metastatic cancer and recommended hospice. Discussed gyn issues with young (23 y/o female) patient. Discussed some staff issues related to how to get patients to be more compliant.

Got home at 1630. Not a bad day at all. Tomorrow (day off) I still have to go in to do care conferences.

6. Discuss how the nurse organizes his/her time to provide care for his/her patients. I have a pager and cell phone and I strongly encourage the charge nurses to call me for any and all concerns. I try to stay very focused but I must also be aware of what is going on throughout the unit. I know what has to be done and I try to consider how I can most effectively accomplish this and then go about doing it.

7. Discuss the legal/accountability aspects of the nurse's job. As an advanced practice nurse, I have a lot of responsibility. I am responsible to know what I am prescribing, how to dose correctly for my patients with end stage renal disease and be aware of their other co-morbidities. I must also make sure that I order the correct work-up for the patient's complaints and that everything gets done in a timely fashion. I also deal with the families and must always be prepared to know what I am trying to accomplish. I must also know my limitations.

8. Discuss how the nurse manages multiple roles of family, professional, and social life. Well, not so sure I'm successful at this all the time. However, my kids are adults living on their own. My social life revolves around my family (hubby and sons and their wives/girlfriends). I also volunteer as a fireman/EMT in my rural fire dept and I run my church's food pantry too. My professional life stays at work for the most part.

9. What does the nurse like best about nursing? What does the nurse like least? I like the direct patient care the best. Nursing was a second career for me and I wouldn't stay in nursing if I disliked it.

10. What are the nurse's opinions about nursing a a future career? I think there are many, many opportunities for new nurses in many different areas. I would encourage anyone to go into nursing.

11. What are the recommendations does the nurse have for students? Get a BSN. It is not necessary in order to take the NCLEX. However, it gives you more options as you get older. I love direct patient care but wanted more options so that I would not HAVE to do floor nursing when I was too old.

Hope this helps.

CMCRN · Oct 6, 2006

OK I'll try too

1) I am a BSN RN

2) 28 years, 1year neurosurgery, 1 year postpartum, then the rest Labor and Delivery/triage/antepartum

3) AA,BSN, informal, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)

4) Large urban hospital, private, mostly professional "yuppie" clients

5) Monday I did labor, delivered a healthy baby girl. Tuesday I worked in triage saw 17 patients r/o labor /preterm labor,srom,miscarriage,decreased fetal movement. Wednesday I did scheduled c-sections, circulating nurse

6) I try to be very organized and focused when I am work

7) As an L&D nurse we have a lot of responsibility, which I like, we have more law suits than any other specialty I think because a damaged baby is, well, a damaged baby. I have never been involved in a law suit that went to trial, knock wood

8) My children are now grown too so that is easier, I try to leave work at work for the most part, sometimes I get really tied up with a case or a friend having a baby. There is a great deal of flexibility in nursing in terms of shifts and hours and days worked so it makes it easy to find the time to do the other thing you love.

9) I like the patients, feeling I have the ability to make a real difference or save a life

10)I think it is excellent career choice because of the many options. I recomend it to friends relatives etc

11)I agree, go for the BSN, the amount of time ends up being less than going the other way and you do have more options later. Or maybe the BSN/MSN programs for people who allready have a BA in something else

dolphincrzyqt · Oct 6, 2006

I want to thank both of you for the wonderful responses. They are better than I anticipated and I am very grateful for your help!