RN please please please help

Holy smokes - that is a long list for someone to type out to you. I bet if you asked an RN if you could have a short interview at the hospital, in a unit that isn't incredibly busy you might have better luck (I'm not an RN yet, just a student, so thinking like a student who might consider the length of time it would take someone to fill that out...).

Good luck!

~J

Heather, if you still haven't found anyone, email me through allnurses and I'll try to answer your questions.

1. What is your definition of nursing? A nurse is someone who helps

people navigate through the healthcare system from birth to death.

2. What changes have you seen throughout nursing? Nurses are less

content with their jobs every year.

3. What do you think the future of nursing will be like? More Nurse

practioners giving family medicine, more unlicensed paraprofessionals

giving meds

4. How many years have you been a nurse? RN for 6 years, in healthcare

for 20+

5. What different fields of nursing have you been in? MR/DD, school

nursing, med/surg

6. How many other jobs besides nursing have you had? LOL, 10 (waitress,

deli clerk, jewelry store, lingere store, animal hospital, exterminator

to name a few)

7. What made you decide to become a nurse? Have always wanted to be a

nurse, just had to figure out how to finance it.

8. Would you do it all over again? In a mintue

9. What is your ball park salary? 70,000+ (last year 92,000)

10. What advice would you give to student going into nursing? Pace

yourself its not a race! Take prerequistes first then do nursing

curriculum by itself. You will be a better nurse for it.

11. Would you advice them to go into join your current field? You can't

beat med/surg for experience and excitement!

12. How does your job affect your family? They are proud and supportive

13. Have you ever had to deal with any legal issues? Hmm, yes, all the

time. Advice.....Know your rights, know how the system works, don't

think it can;t happen to you.

14. What are some positive experiences you have had with nursing? Well,

some days are better than others, but boy it feels good to save a life.

15. Negative experiences? The business of heathcare wears me down.

Insurance red tape, Adminsitration not appreciating what we do on a

daily basis.

16. Where did you earn your nursing degree? A community college

17. Have you had to do any other special training to deal with nursing

since you got your nursing degree? NO

1. To assist in the provision of "care" to a population (patients) that seek/need, services that you can provide. (Wait - that sounds funny - not HA HA either - but, thats the best I can do. )

2. Nursing throughout the last 30 years has changed (but I've not been a nurse that long - just observed). My mother was a nurse and I always thought that she held a compassionate but not "professional" job in many ways - salary, educational preparation, essentially a handmaiden to the doctors - (plus she ALWAYS had nice white uniforms, hat, shoes and was just beautiful when she went to work). I, however, am rarely a "handmaiden" to any doctor, have an amazing amount of education & technical training, I am expected to fully participate in patients care and feel generally respected by other healthcare providers and the public (to some extent), and I (although I do iron scrubs) am certain that I am a bit less presentable than my mother was!

3. I think the future of nursing will have nurses doing more than ever, needing more education and "taking" on more (formal) responsibilities for patient outcomes. And I think the shortage will increase dramatically over the next 10 years.

4. 4

5. ER/Critical Care

6. Beauty Queen (felt like a JOB!), Real Estate Agent, Tourism/Public Relations Coordinator, Firefighter, Paramedic, Registered Nurse (Odd combo!)

7. As a paramedic, I used the Excelsior (Regents) fast track to a nursing degree to augment my ff/medic salary (30K)

8. No

9. 80K+

10. Go on to your BSN with another major (education/business) - it will increase your options in the "nursing field". After a really bad "day" - I might even tell 'em to go into accounting.

11. That in 6 months you'll be amazed at what you DID NOT know at the start! And in 2 years that "amazed" feeling will start to go and you'll be then really be amazed at just how much you know. Oh, and take every educational opportunity that comes your way. For the ED - ACLS, PALS, TNCC, ENPC, NRP, BTLS, ATLS (audit). Also, if you can get any pre-hospital experience (EMT-B or Paramedic) it will be as good as GOLD in the ED/CC/Transport environments (and will change your thinking). Also, keep up formal education - go ahead with BSN/MSN and get active in professional organizations and work toward "board" certifications - CEN/CCRN in your nursing speciality.

ACLS-Advanced Cardiac Life Support

PALS-Pediatric Advanced Life Support

TNCC-Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum

ENPC-Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (Curriculum)

NRP-Neonatal Resuscitation Program

BTLS-Basic Trauma Life Support

ATLS- Advanced Trauma Life Support

EMT-B, Emergency Medical Technician Basic

Paramedic-Advanced provider EMT either National Registry(NREMT) or EMT-P

CEN-Certified Emergency Nurse

CCRN-Critical Care Registered Nurse

12. My husband "hates" it. He used to lovingly tease my "mail order diploma" until he saw my nursing paycheck. Since money was never really an issue - he, now, just wants me away from the healthcare "industry" (due to shift demands, germs, potential for violence-injury) and into an more independent line of work! (heading to law school)

13. Yes. The best defense is a good offense! Practice SAFE, stay SAFE. And document, document, document. Stay current and know the "why" behind every action or inaction! You'll do just fine. :)

14. I do, on occasion, get a "warm fuzzy" from a patient or family (but its not the ones you'd think you'd get it from most of the time). These are nice, but usually make me uncomfortable for some reason - ?

On a basis that is more rare, but has greater value, will leave the shift KNOWING that my action REALLY did save a patient!

15. I think the ED issue with lack of respect from the "population that seeks my services" has been the single most NEGATIVE factor - and the biggest reason I'm seeking an alternate career.

16. Excelsior College

17. Have to take only BLS (CPR) ACLS. PALS. For the real answer - ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, ENPC, ATLS (audit), NREMT-P, CEN, CCRN - and various instructor disciplines. Don't have to, but working on the MSN too!

GOOD LUCK HeatherRR!

Use the answers if you want and (this is GOOD ADVICE) Keep ahead of the "project/essay/paper" game, otherwise it'll drive you mad!

1. what is your definition of nursing?

a nurse is someone who is the advocate for the patient and their family.

2. what changes have you seen throughout nursing?

less time for my patients, more lawsuits and more technical jobs that are "suppose" to help the nurse.

3. what do you think the future of nursing will be like?

i see nurses becoming more specialized and possible more distinct of nurses, like grade 1,2,3 based upon education.

4. how many years have you been a nurse?

too many to count

5. what different fields of nursing have you been in?

picu/icn/mother baby

6. how many other jobs besides nursing have you had?

paralegal / dog trainer/

7. what made you decide to become a nurse?

to become an advocate for those who could not talk (infants and children)

8. would you do it all over again?

no

9. what is your ball park salary?

90,000

10. what advice would you give to student going into nursing?

learn good charting, triple check all orders and keep good notes of daily events.

11. would you advice them to go into join your current field?

no

12. how does your job affect your family?

i have more days available for family time but it has also skewed my preception of what can happen to children so i have to often remember that i see the sickest children and not the norm.

13. have you ever had to deal with any legal issues?

not yet....

14. what are some positive experiences you have had with nursing?

when that 23wk goes home with only grade 1 bleed and is on full nipple feeding, it is great to know that you have helped with the care of that infant.

15. negative experiences?

unskilled personnel, high acuity with no enough staffing, physical violence,

16. where did you earn your nursing degree?

adn

17. have you had to do any other special training to deal with nursing since you got your nursing degree?

bsn now working towards masters.

I also responded to her questionaire via PM