Questions about being a Nurse

RN007 · Nov 7, 2006

I'm not a nurse yet (soon, though!) and can't answer. I might suggest you search the forums with the terms "questions nurses" and you may find answers in previous posts. Good luck!

Al Stephens · Nov 7, 2006

Lets see if I can answer some of your questions....

1. I am an on call nurse, for a Hospice.

2. I have worked as this for over 6 years now.

3. There is no formal training for such a position. I basically am a triage nurse, handling any and all emergencies at night and on weekends.

4. Although I had no degrees to specifically do this job, I have taken, and passed the national certification as a Hospice and palliative care nures, CHPN.

5. The most rewarding aspect, is that I get to deal closer with families during a very traumatic time in their lives, the dying of a loved one. I get to see what I feel is the best, and worst of them.

6. The hardest part, the one thing that there is no training in any nursing program, is how to let a patient die, and not try to save them all.

7. High school? that was over 36 years ago..I dont remember much about that.

8. be prepared to cry a lot, and smile a lot, and you will have the most rewarding time you could ever think of.

9. refering back to number 6 above, to be involved in Hospice, you have to be able to accept that all people, all of them, will die eventually, and do you want them to go in comfort and peace or in some other way. We try to let a patient go in a dignified, comfortable manner.

Roseyposey · Nov 7, 2006

I am a fairly new LPN, and an RN student, but it didn't seem that you were getting too many responses, so i hope this helps

I'm writing a research paper on nursing, i was wondering if you all would be kind enough to answer a few questions.
1. What is your job title?
LPN, I work in an urgent care clinic
2. How long have you held this position?
Five months
3. What formal training is required for this job?
I completed one year of nursing school at a community college after completing several pre-requisite classes. Nursing school consists of both theory class(es) and hands-on clinical time in the hospital and/or long-term care facilities.
4. What degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job?
Certificate of completion in nursing, NCLEX-PN exam (Currently earning my ADN to take the NCLEX-RN exam in the spring)
5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The interaction with my patients; also, the doctors I work for are wonderful to work for and very receptive to my input and appreciative of my assistance.
6. What is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job?
The interaction with my patients - it can be great or it can be difficult. It is very hard for me when a child has a serious chronic illness or is in pain.
7. What skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job?
Uhm, high school was a long time ago for me, but I'm assuming this is part of your research component, so I'd have to say basic writing skills, math skills are also very important. However, my most useful skill is not one that is taught in high school and must be learned through life's lessons, and that is compassion and being able to earn people's trust.
8. What advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field?
Be ready for hard work. School is hard, the work is hard. You must be emotionally mature and able to commit yourself. That being said, it is also important to be able to leave work and work; if you don't you'll drive yourself crazy. I would urge anybody interested in nursing to spend time watching a nurse, work as a cna for a while. You have to be able to do a lot of physical labor and mental labor all at the same time. You are dealing with people at a difficult time in their lives, and they aren't always nice.
9. What other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way?
A positive attitude is very important, but attention to detail is crucial.
thanks a bunch,
Rachel

WOLFE, BSN, RN · Nov 7, 2006

Hello Rachel, lets see if this also helps........

I'm writing a research paper on nursing, i was wondering if you all would be kind enough to answer a few questions.
1. What is your job title?
Staff Nurse.
2. How long have you held this position?
4 1/2 yrs.
3. What formal training is required for this job?
I have an Associates Degree in Nursing.
4. What degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job?
I work on a floor that is called a step down unit...One must go for classes in the hospital to become certified in the following..ventilators, open heart surgery, trauma, titratable medications, pacemakers (external and internal), chest tubes, central iv lines, ekgs, iv insertion, basic life support, advanced life support, then there is the clinical ladder of which I am a level two also known as a fellow, going for the third this year and last but not least also going for the certification as a Progressive care certified nurse...
5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Being allowed to care for individuals in the most difficult times and situations of their lives.
6. What is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job?
Seeing a patient die.
7. What skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job?
Need a strong background in science and math.
8. What advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field?
There is alot of hard work both becoming a nurse and then working in the field...but it is worth it.
9. What other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way?
With nursing, not so much my "job", but as a whole there sre so many fileds that one an go into..not just hospital based..also community, long term care, hospice, management, education just to name a few.
thanks a bunch,
Rachel

LoveTheNICU · Nov 7, 2006

Here Rachel... Good luck on your paper!

1. What is your job title?

RN, Staff nurse in neonatal (newborn) intensive care

2. How long have you held this position?

3. What formal training is required for this job?

Well, I have a BSN (a bachelors degree in nursing), meaning I went to college for four years to train for this job. If you mean on-the-job training, I had a 12 week orientation to my unit where I was directly supervised by a more experienced nurse, in order to become familiar with the conditions of the babies and equipment we use, etc.

4. What degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job? I have my BSN, passed the NCLEX-RN (the national license exam), and am certified in basic life support and NRP (neonatal resucitation provider).

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Being able to comfort and support the parents of a critical newborn, whose "wonderful miracle" didn't go quite as planned- and sending that baby home healthy. There's nothing quite like starting with a 1 or 2lb little guy and sending home a chubby 10lb baby!

6. What is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job?

Losing the babies that can't be saved, or some of the difficult social situations you see. Like 16 year old, drug addicted mothers having twins. It is also challenging to learn how to assimilate the different "pieces of the puzzle" you have in front of you... For example, if my baby's heart rate goes up, what does that mean? Is it because of some condition they have? Are they mad, or too warm? You constantly must look at what is happening with your patient, figure out why, and if/how to fix it.

7. What skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job?

I use alot of math and science skills (yes, algebra and chemistry suck when you're 15, but they will be important later!), as well as written and verbal communication skills every day. I have to make sure that any information I am charting or telling to a physician or family is clear and understandable.

8. What advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field?

If you are entering nursing for any other reason that truly feeling CALLED in that direction, you may want to reconsider. We work long hours at a 24/7 job, and we don't make much money considering the responsibility of the job. We see people in the worst crises of their lives. We encounter things so gross you can't imagine. However, if you believe that you were made to be a nurse, you can look at the above facts and say, "So what? This is who I am!" That is when you should be a nurse...

9. What other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way?

A little bit about neonatal intensive care nursing- we mostly deal with premature infants (as young as 23-24 weeks gestation, normal is 40 weeks), but also get kids born on time, but with diseases or birth defects. We can get babies with everything from heart defects to lung problems to Down's syndrome to off the wall things like gastroschesis- where your intestines are on the outside of your body- or sometimes babies with injuries from the birth process. It's a really neat field of nursing because you work with many different kinds of diagnoses, compared to something like a cardiac nurse, who only does heart patients. Plus, there are babies! What can be wrong with a job where there are babies!?! :lol2:

TazziRN, RN · Nov 7, 2006

i'll take a crack at this!

1. what is your job title? emergency dept rn

2. how long have you held this position? 18.5 years

3. what formal training is required for this job? formal, none required, but we have to hold certain certifications such as advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support.

4. what degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job? see above

5. what is the most rewarding aspect of your job? making a difference, sometimes between life and death.

6. what is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job? varies...

7. what skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job? to be honest, my best skills came from experience while working.

8. what advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field? to become a cna first and work at that before/while going to nursing school. this will give you the best view of what nursing is all about.

9. what other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way? this is a job that, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, you probably won't do well. if that is the case, one should not go into nursing, because it could mean someone's life.

clemmm78, RN · Nov 7, 2006

1. What is your job title? RN, part-time, palliative care

2. How long have you held this position? I've been at this palliative care residence since it opened 4 years ago this past October. I have been a nurse for almost 25 years though.

3. What formal training is required for this job? There is a palliative care cert. here in Canada, but I do not have it. Only a few nurses at the residence to, and a few are working on it. Our nursing director looked for specific personality traits and life experience when doing the hiring.

4. What degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job? Just the RN, lots of life experience

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? I enjoy the challenge of helping my patients, who have three months or less in prognosis, pass on. The challenge of keeping them comfortable and helping their friends and family cope with their impending loss.

6. What is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job? When I have a patient whose pain is not responding to any of what I have to offer, that bothers me and can drive me to tears. I also have a hard time dealing with patients who are in my age group or those who have young children. The worst deaths, for me, are those who are my age and whose parents are sitting their holding their hand as they die.

7. What skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job? I honestly can't answer that. I had a lousy time in high school.

8. What advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field? I would say to carefully look at the reasons why they want to be a nurse. If they are going in with a fantasy of being able to help people and feel good about it all the time, they will be disappointed. It's a tough job, but it's a rewarding job. If they are hard workers, are empathetic and truly care about the difference they can make in a life, then it is a good profession for them to consider.

9. What other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way? Good nurses, in my opinion, have to also enjoy or at least understand the educational component of our job. We do patient teaching when we don't even realize that we are doing it. We teach our patients always as we do procedures, explain what is happening, and then of course, in the obvious situations of teaching a new diabetic how to care for him or herself. A good nurse/teacher will understand that teaching needs to be adapted to each patient depending on what is being taught, the patient's level of understanding, and a host of other things.

Nursing is a profession that has no boundaries in terms of how we are perceived. Some people adore nurses and treat us very well, others think we are overpaid servants and treat us accordingly. Our place in society is very labile. I think that we have to learn that the only way the public will change its perception (for the better) is to continue doing the best that we can do, to the best of our ability.

I have no regrets in choosing nursing as a profession. It has done me well. And I truly hope that I have made a difference in at least one life.

Al Stephens · Nov 7, 2006

Hey compadres, I think we gave rachael a good assortment of jobs, and ideas for her paper right?

Rachael, if there are any more needs for ideas, I think you will always find an answer or two, and then have to make your own mind up. Being a nurse, to me, is not a job, or a career, but rather it is a calling. Everyone starts with one idea, but those who stay, stay for a reason, and that usually is the care and feeding of our fellow human beings.

Life is good, and in my work, we try to make the rest as good too.

al

oneLoneNurse · Nov 26, 2006

1. What is your job title? RN Psychiatric

2. How long have you held this position? One year, BUT many years past as well

3. What formal training is required for this job? RN

4. What degree, certificate or tests do you have to have in order to perform this job? RN

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? helping people

6. What is the most challenging/difficult aspect of your job? dealing with difficult patients

7. What skills that your learned in high school do you use frequently in your job? Not many had a rough time in high school.

8. What advice would you offer to somone considering a career in this field?

Be open. The best student does not always make the best nurse.

9. What other information can you tell me about your job that might help me in any way? Its demanding, BUT well rewarded. I find the night crew a tighter group than the day shift. I like my night crew. Be open, use your team members to make decisions. Look after them and they will look after you.

I am leaving in two weeks to go back to medical information systems.