Looking to interview a male RN...

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2009

1.What is your name and educational background/degree?

A: You can call me "Roy" :) I am an RN with a BSN. It's the only degree I hold.

2.There is a critical shortage of registered nurses across the United States, so finding a position is not difficult. Why did you choose to work here (please indicate which area of nursing you are working)?

A: I'm not so sure that finding a position is "not difficult". It took me a good six months of looking around to land this position (staff RN in a busy Emergency Department).

4.What are some of the challenging aspects of your job?

A: Dealing with the expectations of the general public, the increasingly "sicker" pt. population with co-morbidities up the wazoo, :banghead: with short sighted policies from management and the chronic lack of appreciation for your efforts.

Oh and JCAHO a.k.a. "The Joint Commission" alias Satan's Minions (may they rot in hell!)

Other than that, it's a piece of cake...

5.What makes your job rewarding?

A: As cliched as it sounds - knowing that what you do on a daily basis directly impacts the well being - indeed life itself - of another human being. Recognizing that others folks seek your help during their most desperate need. Besides, chicks dig men in uniform

6.What drew you to nursing?

A: I honestly don't know. I've always been a health-and-human-body nut. Must be my fascination with the human body and how it works?

7.Did you have any misconceptions about nursing before you became a RN? If so, what were they?

A: Misconceptions? No. Pre-conceptions? Yes. I never once thought this job would be as hard as it is. That it would ever drive me to the verge of tears some days. You know that old quote from Churchill about "so much depended on so few"? It describes nursing to the t.

8.What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in nursing?

A: Buy a good pair of shoes! Leave work @ "work". Don't be a martyr. Don't try to be a hero neither. Think first, act second.

And of course - "WASH YOUR HANDS"

9.Describe a typical work day.

A: I work 7p - 7a. We're the second busiest emergency department in the entire state (our 40 bed ED sees over 75,000 people annually). I can't describe a "typical" workday because no day is "typical".

A shift could go from 4 hour wait time to be seen by a doc, balls-to-the-walls packed to the gills with 14 ICU holds and 6 pts. in locked 4 point restraints and 2 active codes in progress.... to 2 pts. in the entire department and staff squirting saline on each other to pass time - all in the space of one shift. :)

10.Describe your work week. Are you on-call? And if so, is this mandatory?

A: I'm scheduled to do 36 hrs per week (3 x 12s). I can pick up more hours if needed. There is no mandatory on-call (most of the per diem folks sign up for call shifts anyway).

11.Describe your very first nursing shift.

A: It was all a blur. I swear. I think I stayed over 3 hours after my shift just to get caught up on charting...

12.Name some personal attributes that are vital to the job.

A: * Determination

* Perseverence

* Intelligence - particularly the ability to think on your feet

* Adaptation (and its cousin Improvisation)

* Humor

13.Do you feel your compensation adequately reflects the stress and demands of the job?

A: :chuckle

cheers,

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 26, 2009

1.What is your name and educational background/degree?

Medic in the army: 1990, Flight medic in the army, 1991 ASN: 1998, BSN: 2003, MSN/FNP: 2008. Just call me Patrick

2.There is a critical shortage of registered nurses across the United States, so finding a position is not difficult. Why did you choose to work here (please indicate which area of nursing you are working)? Critical Care going to transition to a NP once I take my boards and work in primary care as a FNP

3.How long have you been a RN?

10 yrs now

4.What are some of the challenging aspects of your job?

Family members that are unreasonable

5.What makes your job rewarding

its fun, the pay is good, saving a life is awesome

6.What drew you to nursing?

I was a medic in the army

7.Did you have any misconceptions about nursing before you became a RN? If so, what were they?

no

8.What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in nursing?

Its not easy

9.Describe a typical work day

730 report, 730-9m physical exam, review notes, chart checks,

9-11 pm: evening meds , patient care 11- 1 am midnight physical exam

1-4 restock, help with baths, etc, help with admissions

4-6 AM physical exam, draw labs etc, help with admissions

6-8 am review notes, 7 am last accu check, ready to give report

Respond to codes, start IVs for the med surg nurses, help with pulling patients up etc.. all night

10.Describe your work week. Are you on-call? And if so, is this mandatory?

6 of 12 hr shifts and 1 of 8 hr shift in the two weeks period

11.Describe your very first nursing shift.

med surg floor night shift

12.Name some personal attributes that are vital to the job.

Patience

13.Do you feel your compensation adequately reflects the stress and demands of the job?

yes

patwil73 · Jan 31, 2009

1.What is your name and educational background/degree?

Pat or Patrick - I respond to either.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and an Associates of Nursing.

2.There is a critical shortage of registered nurses across the United States, so finding a position is not difficult. Why did you choose to work here (please indicate which area of nursing you are working)?

I originally chose ICU as I wanted something that I felt was more intellectually stimulating. I currently work as a Clinical Resource which was originally described as a STAT nurse responsible for codes and assisting throughout the hospital. It has morphed into more of a administrative role with clinical teaching - but I still get to run codes. I chose to apply for this as I wanted something new.

3.How long have you been a RN?

I started work in 2001 - been working consistently ever since.

4.What are some of the challenging aspects of your job?

1. Getting accurate information. I am responsible for placing patients from the ED to inpatient floors and I constantly get 80 y.o. gi bleed need medical bed (ok, vitals good? Hmm I think so - call back, actually 75/41. Upper or lower gi bleed? Umm, why - cause knowing if I have to respond to someone aspirating on their own blood versus slowly bleeding out makes a difference to where I place them, etc).

2. Getting timely information. Our hospital is in the midst of an expansion with many new protocols, procedures, tools and equipment. Not a week goes by that I get asked about something new on the floors that no one bothered to pass on to me.

3. Getting too much information. Families will often call to complain about something. Part of my job is to help them. But they will go on and on about every inconsequential thing that happened leading up to the problem. I had one lady who lost her wallet. 15 minutes of her describing what kind of coffee she ordered and why from the vending machine to finally get that she thinks it fell in the garbage.

4. Not having enough information. Sitting with a family whose son I just coded and lost and not being able to explain why he died is heartbreaking.

5.What makes your job rewarding?

At times I feel like I am making a difference in how healthcare is practiced.

At times I can really help people.

My schedule is fantastic - 6 days on then 8 days off.

I get paid really good money.

Most of the people I deal with are nice to be around - they laugh and help others out.

6.What drew you to nursing?

I wasn't getting a full time job teaching and my sister in law was a nurse. She said you make good money and there are a lot of women there.

7.Did you have any misconceptions about nursing before you became a RN? If so, what were they?

I didn't really know a lot about nursing before entering the field. I didn't even know what acetaminophen was.

8.What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in nursing?

It is tougher than you will ever think to do it well. It is also easier than you might hear on websites like this. I honestly can't think of another profession that has so many subspecialties that you can go into to find your "niche".

9.Describe a typical work day.

I work 7:30 pm to 7:30 am. I arrive and get report about the state of the hospital - census numbers, waiting in ED, high risk patients. I do a quick pass through the hospital to see what is happening on each unit (this takes up to 8:45).

I then visit ED to see how many patients are waiting and how they are staffed. Then back to staffing to make sure we can staff for that many patients.

Afterwards I will make rounds of each unit 3 or 4 times depending on how busy they are.

We have a charge meeting at 2:30 am to discuss the floors - problems, discharges, issues requiring help, gossip about upcoming changes, etc.

Around 4-5 am I assist with getting patients to CT from ICU.

Throughout the night I can be called on to medicate sleep study patients, help with clinical skills (foley insertion, iv insertion, lab draws, ng tubes, etc), respond to medical responses (patient's going south), respond to codes (patient's arriving at south), get equipment for the floors, answer policy questions, assist in patient care, call in the OR, Endo or Echo team, assist in cath lab if the nurse doesn't respond, manage exposures, manage problems (such as the OR flooding), respond to crazy patients or visitors, answer calls from irate families, pull medical records for other hospitals, intervene with "difficult" doctors, help triage patients in the ED, and develop education for staff or my position.

Then some nights, I can have nothing to do - and I wander the halls where everyone says they are fine and needs no help.

10.Describe your work week. Are you on-call? And if so, is this mandatory?

I work a 0.9 FTE (Full time Equivalent). A 1.0 FTE is 80 hours in 2 weeks, so a 0.9 is 72 hours. I work 6 12's in a row then have 8 off. We do not have call but are allowed to pick up extra shifts in any department - to help the hospital and keep up our clinical skills.

11.Describe your very first nursing shift.

I walked into the patient's room and saw more pumps than I ever had on a med-surg floor - the patient had 9 pumps going! Then the doctor (resident) pulled a chest tube out and asked me where it should go - I could only mouth (sorry, new here, no idea)

12.Name some personal attributes that are vital to the job.

Time management is key.

Patient is very helpful.

A thick skin to let patients and families roll off your back.

A willingness to ask questions and the confidence to know it is ok not to know something.

13.Do you feel your compensation adequately reflects the stress and demands of the job?

Actually, yes. I know you will hear a lot about how underpaid we are - but I feel that I am paid very well for what I do. My benefits are very good and I have a pension which is wonderful.

Hope this helps

Pat