student need a nurse to interview

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2008

1. 30 year critical care

2. honesty is my personal philosophy. it builds a sense of trust between pt. and nurse and family and nurse. i also hold on the the things i learned in fundamentals. there is a person under all those tubes and wires and must be treated as i would like my own mom and dad treated. if i do it for myself in the morning (brush teeth,brush hair etc) i will do it for my patients despite being on the vent. turning q 2 hours is also what my patients can expect, whether they want to or not, it's in their best interest. do no harm is a good motto to keep.

3. nursing school was a loooong time ago for me. it was skill oriented as well as basic knowledge based. as graduation approached, i was alreay doing full shift clinicals 3 days a week with several patients as my primary ones. i had experienced being med nurse for an entire floor, charge nurse for a unit. that is NOT what i'm seeing in today's graduates. many of the students today have NEVER been on the floor for an entire shift, have no concept of what it's like to be on from start to finish of a day. that is MOST UNFORTUNATE. being on the floor as a student all day provided opportunity to actually evaluate how the new orders influenced the patient's condition. it gave the student opportunity to be a nurse under the guidance of the instructor and the staff nurse, having all the responsibilities they would encounter as a staff person. upon graduation, i only had to learn the routines of the particular unit. the rest of the nursing process was quite routine for me by then.

4. not sure what you mean by that one. we talk about the patient, the goals of the day and how they can be accomplished, whether it's with PT, OT, Lab, radiology etc. the nurse is the co-ordinator of everything and ultimately responsible for seeing that things get done. i talk with rounding docs about concerns or problems and together we trouble shoot how to fix things. chatting among ourselves is still the best way to gain knowledge and experience from other staff members. i am on hospital committees to keep informed of the whole picture.

5. sarcasm usually. humor mostly. i work with a good bunch of people and sharing and laughing is a good way of coping and surviving even the most horrendous days. ultimately, it's your party, your responsibility to get the job done. if other departments bail, it's still you that needs to make it happen. it can be daunting at times, but you get use to it.

6. yes i do. i have done high school student observations where they have followed me around for several shifts so they can see what a nurse really does before committing to nursing school. i have done nursing school student internship kids where they shadowed me for a summer, assising in care and begin to apply what they are learning in school to the real world. i am a preceptor to new people in the unit, responsible for their clinical orientation, confiring with the unit manager and educator as their readiness to act on their own as a full staff member.

7. work ethic is a biggie here. there are some "needy" nurses that feel they can't do anything by themselves. i'm not one of them. i assume i can manage the patient or the task alone FIRST. try it and only after i have failed will i ask for help. i have been schooled in being independant and providing the opportunity for the patient to maintain as much independance as possible. i also take advantage of the tools at my disposal.

8. i stay positive......no matter what. i try to find the humor in all situations. when there is a crisis and the patient is crashing through the gates of hell, i step back and don't get caught up in the panic of it all. this allows me to stay with the tasks required to keep the patient alive, evaluate current conditions and decide what the next step might be. i always have plan A, B and C in my head. having a plan is better than no plan at all, might not work, but it's a plan. my external behavior exhibits confidence and i ALWAYS keep a game face on even when i'm shaking or scared inside. that comes from experience. never let them see you sweat! getting caught up in the panic of the situation robs the nurse of her ability to think, act and sucks the energy from you which can better serve your patient. that's not to say i don't complain sometimes, i'm human, i do, but i keep my hands busy doing, which eventually helps any situation.

9. being in critical care i am exposed to most of the current clinical advances in my daily practice. i'm on the education committee of the icu so i'm responsible for putting out monthly ed. articles for the staff. the hospital provides several articles with continuing ed credits monthly which i do. as a ccrn, i am required to get 100 ceu's in 3 years for recertification, mostly through articles. going to conferences is almost unheard of. staffing does not allow for that.

10. in the short term, staffing is the biggest challenge we face. i have to believe that if staffing, nurse:patient ratios, was done by accuity vs number, we'd be able to deliver the care most of us wish we could and limit 'burn-out'. in the long term, the quality of today's graduates. they are ill prepared for nursing in today's world. while i find they may be able to parrot the nursing process, they are unable to demonstrate that right out of nursing school due to the limited experience they actually obtain. the push is for degree nurses. in my opinion, this should be reevaluated. degree nurses do not possess the skills required to be effective at the bedside. it is those bedside skills that will save a life, not their ability to regurgitate the words learned during course work. schools today bet on the seasoned nurses to teach grads the skills they need to function. the emphasis should be on clinical practice. this is where the student can couple the concepts they learn during the course to the real world. this will save a life.

:smokin:

PedsAtHeart, LPN · Oct 8, 2008

1. What is your clinical area of practice?

Public Health/Pediatrics

2. What is your personal philosophy of nursing?

Treat the patient/family as I would want to be treated, and how I would want my family treated. We are here to help. Not judge, discriminate, or hurt. Have pride in what you do and it will show in your work.

3. How do you use information learned in nursing school to take care of patients such as assessment, planning, interventions and evaluation of care delivered ( nursing process), time management and learning skills, etc?

Its like a lifestyle now. I don't think in regards to it being part of something learned in school, but a process that I am always doing. Everyone gets assessed, you plan accordingly, and you have to learn to manage time. It becomes a part of every day life too, not just as work.

4. How do you collaborate and communicate with other health professionals?

Respectfully. A lot of one on one work with Dr's. Even when they make a mistake, you can't just tell them they messed up, you have to think of a better way to say it :) And if you don't like someone, get over it, its work and you are here for your patients.

5. How do you deal with the frustrations and stressors on the job?

I tend to not let myself get frustrated and stressed, but of course it happens. I like to have a person I can vent to, then I am usually OK. Or at the end of that crazy day to just have someone say thank you, that makes my day. Stress is going to happen, even if you are a calm laid back person like I am. It is very important to find a way that works to relieve it or you can burn out fast!

6. Do you mentor other aspiring professionals? If so how? If not why? I have in the past. Working in Pediactrics I had students every year. It took me a while to be able to step back and let them do what they needed to do. I know they need to learn, but at the same time I know as a parent what I would be thinking if a student came at my kid with a shot! I would let them start out slow and show me what they can do. I had some very good staudents that I am sure went on to make great nurses. I would love to have students now, but for some reason they don't come here. I think I should mention that and see if it is possible. The more mature I have become in nursing the more patient i am.

How do you recognize your limits and ask for help as needed?

I don't. I am aweful about asking for help and I know that is bad.

For some reason the last 2 questions didnt come off right when i pasted....

I learn as much as possible, whenever possible. I love learning new things and staying UTD on current topics. One of the reasons I love this site!

Meraki · Oct 8, 2008

hello, i am first year student and i need to interview a nurse who have been in the profession for about 3 years or more. (more years the better) i love to get insight from any nurse who love to share. i would like for a mental health nurse to respond but if not any nurse can respond to the interview.
thank-you
rj:nurse:
1. what is your clinical area of practice?
pediatric mental health - 9 years
2. what is your personal philosophy of nursing?
includes - empathy, understanding, good boundaries. also least restraint, trauma informed, strengths-based, client/family centered and as a collaborative partnership with the client being a member of the team. i see the nursing role as holisitc - one of the key things i bring to the interdisciplinary table is that i see the patient morning, noon and night, alone and with friends and family, in crisis, during conflict and relaxed. i see them during group times and individual sessions, during structured and unstructured time and dealing with limits, consequences, praise and positives. all this together gives me a wide angle lens view of the client and family.
3. how do you use information learned in nursing school to take care of patients such as assessment, planning, interventions and evaluation of care delivered ( nursing process), time management and learning skills, etc?
i would say i learned the nursing process in school and that has helped me create care plans, fill in kardexes and develop treatment plans. i would also say my nursing education gave me a greater understanding of the neurobiology and physiology of people and as such a deeper understanding of mental illness. medication administration and monitoring for side effects, vs parameters and such are also skills i learned in school. i think all the nursing theories also gave me the background for the holistic, empathetic philosophy i hold. i would say however that probably 90% of what i actually do on the floor in terms of client interaction and hands on care - i learned on the job by observing some very skilled experienced staff, asking lots of questions, asking for feedback and accepting criticism / review of how else i could have managed a situation, trial and error and just time - the more times you deal with a certain population the more prepared you are and the better you get. time management - never an issue for me. i'm a list person and rational and just 'naturally' time efficient.
4. how do you collaborate and communicate with other health professionals?
in daily team meetings and informally throughout the day as they walk by me or as i track them down by phone, email, pager, blackberry...!!! together we work to form collaborative care plans although in all honesty i wouldn't say these always work so well, alot of communicating about day to day issues and also alot of discharge planning.
5. how do you deal with the frustrations and stressors on the job?
humor...a lot of dark humor, knowing when to walk away, when to take a break, when to change assignments, when to apologize, when to eat chocolate!! good friends to vent to - both those i work with who understand the nusances and situtaions and those i don't work with about more personal stressors or frustrations with colleagues, exercise, my faith, good wine, lots of vacations!! and for me..choosing to only work in mental health part time. that way i can leave it at work at the end of (most) shifts. if i work full time i start to dream and live work and it has a negative impact on the balance of my life
6. do you mentor other aspiring professionals? if so how? if not why?
yes, preceptoring of students and new staff. giving them some of the tips given to me, offering them feedback and sharing my ideas and perceptions. letting them know they can ask me anything anytime and i'll do my best to help them out...
7. how do you recognize your limits and ask for help as needed?
in mental health this is very important. you need to know when you are in over your head or no longer therapeutic. that means saying no to assignments that you probably aren't capable of managing, asking for backup, letting someone the client knows better step in and take over. if it's starting to look like a power struggle, a show of aggression or an escalating situation then its time to access what your llimnits are in this scenario and get help. i would way rather a new staff say...i have no idea how to handle this situation or what do i say when he says ... rather than deal with the consequences of someone who was in over their head / non therapeutic but stuck it out due to pride, fear of looking bad, power, etc...
8. how do you demonstrate healthy coping behaviors? at work do you mean? by the tone and volume of my voice, by the respect i show, by the way i manage my own frustration when a client is testing the waters, by offerring apologies when needed and wiping the slate clean after every shift, by interacting positively with other staff, by planning, by being organized, by taking breaks, by showing initiative and leadership. by acknowledging what i don't know and my treating others as valued.
9. how do you participate in lifelong learning ( ie attend seminars, continuing education programs, membership in professional orgainizations, educational programs, subscribe to journals, use websites for nursing practice) all the above!!
10. what do you see as the biggest challenge in the nursing profession currently faces. what can nurse do to address this issue?

in mental health - two big issues -1 is stigma - not only from the community but also from other nurses / health care providers within the hospital. there is still a huge lack of understanding of mental health issues within nursing. you will see it on these boards, on you wards and throughout healthcare. i find that education sessions i've done for other areas of the hospital are very well received and nurses are open to seeing mental health in a 'new' way they just don't often get the opportunity to hear about it. the second issue would be the need for mental health nurses to truly work to scope of practice - mental health nursing is about a lot more than pills and paper pushing - and we as mhn's need to get involved in hospital and community committees and initiatives that truly showcase the unique yet equitable competencies of mental health nursing.