school assignment- RN interview

jlamb · Aug 23, 2005

hi. i just started an ADN program on monday of last week and i have to do an interview with a RN. if someone could please answer a few questions for me i would greatly appreciate it.
- Functions of the members of the nursing teams at the your work place
- your definition of nursing
- your roles and responsibilities at work
- Five tasks you routinely perform
- Any nursing organization to which you belong and perceived benefits of the participation
- Recent continuing education/classes attended (if any)
- Ways Nurse Practice Act impacts your delivery of nursing care
- How caring is reflected in your area of practice
thanks,
Amanda

Nursing is both an art and a science. The art is the human compassion. Science is the evidence based good quality care that you give. To be a nurse is to experience a CALLING, meaning that if you can envision yourself doing anything else, you probably aren't supposed to be a nurse. You will give up nights, weekends, and holidays.

Functions of the members of the team: the doctor sees the patient, evaluates the data, and forms a medical diagnosis. The nurse collects another set of data, often overlapping the physician's with lab work, xrays, etc, but then forms a nursing diagnosis, goal oriented time based outcomes, nursing interventions, and evaluations, followed by revision of any of the preceding. All must be done WITH the patient. If your goal isn't their goal, you probably won't get yours accomplished. Nurses teach as well as monitor the patient condition. Teaching is a big part of nursing. You are also the eyes and ears of the doctor. Nurses aides give baths and tend to the more unskilled type tasks. However, as a nurse of 27 years, I like to help my aide, because we can make assessments together, turn the patient together, etc. The aide can then find out my expectations of them for the day. That is delegation.

The ancillary departments also see the patient--lab, xray, speech therapy, occupational therapy, social worker, chaplain, minister. You should read all of their notes and coordinate care. YOU are the advocate for your patient.

Five tasks I perform:

In my clinical area I:

make nursing assignments (I am charge)

Review my own patients charts quickly to look for labs, etc.

Make patient rounds and examine each patient, comparing my findings with those of the others.

Perform tasks throughout the day that are ordered for that day.

Teach the patient. I use lots of teachable moments--just the little few minutes when I am giving new meds, rubbing a back, fluffing a pillow, etc.

In my teaching job I:

review my students papers for safety first, care plans, meds

evaluate my student for their preparedness for clinical, and if they are not ready, they go home.

Make rounds with each student and check off their meds, watching them give and teach about the meds, and observe for side effects of the meds.

Hold a post conference each day to discuss new procedures seen, what we did that was good, and what we could improve on.

I check all of their charting. I want it done right, and I want them to learn it right.

ANA, Oklahoma Nurses Association, American Pain Society, American ssociation of Legal Nurse consultants. Benefits: learning sources and political action. I am very involved in politics.

I have always done one CEU every month. It is just something I have done. I was a diabetes educator, I am certified in end of life train the trainer care, I teach ACLS

The Nurse Practice Act defines the scope of the nursing I can render. It is different for each level of nursing and for many states. The ethical code of standards I live by daily. I am an advocate to my patient, I protect their privacy, I long ago decided I would not judge a lifestyle different than my own because this person trusts me for their care. That is difficult when I have taken care of child abusers, murderers, rapists, etc. I have been raped, and I am a victim of child abuse. I had to make a conscious decision that these people still had dignity and worth and needed the care I could give.

I am not afraid to sit at the bedside of a dying patient, in fact, I love to do that. I stay in a patient's room in order not to restrain them. I would rather be in the patient's room that the nurses station. Our charts are kept outside the patient rooms, so I take them in, and stay with the patient.

I also consider it very important to make rounds with the doctors. Some nurses don't. That is their choice. I find that doctors teach if they know you are interested, they learn to trust you and you them, and over the years, I don't mean to brag, but I have been told by many doctors they want me taking care of their patients. I think that is a direct result of me wanting to be present with the doctor and present with my patients. You will do well if you make a decision to do that.

Good luck.

Write back. I expect to hear how this assignment went. (That is the teacher in me and you can consider this a brief assignment since it is 3:04 a.m. and I am doing this for you just before I go to bed.

You can look at my profile: Please use the private message feature (send me a PM) if you would like to talk more. I have 1 husband, 3 kids, 2 granddaughters, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 sugar gliders. I also run a free clinic for the working poor on Thursday nights. It is staffed by volunteers--doctors, physicians, dentists, lawyers, nurses, and lay people. I believe in giving back that which I have been given.