Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I have always been hardworking with a lot of attention to detail. I enjoyed helping people and was always fascinated with the human body, how it works, and the way it heals. These qualities are useful in my job, as I can use my attention to detail and hard work to help heal people in their most vulnerable times of their lives.

Nursing is all about working with other members of the healthcare team and paying attention to detail to make sure that patients are healing and nothing goes wrong. If anything is wrong, we're there to try to fix it and notify any other member of the health care team in order to proceed with fixing it.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

I've always been fascinated by the human body, how it works, and how we can help it heal. I was always interested in the healthcare field, but I didn't know what I wanted to be. After volunteering at a hospital in high school, talking to the nurses, and seeing what they do, I found that nursing is what I wanted to do. I find nursing a hard profession, but it's rewarding and challenges my skills and critical thinking.

Every day is different, and you'll never know what to expect or how the day will go. It's rewarding to see patients recover and know you were a direct part of that healing. And to be completely frank, I also liked the fact that in the hospital, registered nurses work 3-4 days a week, and that they get paid a lot, depending on where you work.

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

I work 12-hour night shifts at the hospital, so at the beginning of my shift, I would typically go to work 30 minutes early to look up my assigned patients and see what my day is going to be like, roughly planning what I need to do for the shift at roughly around a certain time. Not all nurses come in early to look up their patients beforehand, but I like to see what I have to do before the shift starts.

When my shift starts, there is a huddle, where the charge nurse from the day shift summarizes any information we need to know for our shift. Then, I get a report from the day nurse assigned to my patients, where they would discuss with me about the patients, why they're here, what we're doing for them, and what to expect for my shift. Then, I spend the rest of the time assessing my patients, address any issues they have, pass their night medications, and chart on the patients.

Depending on why they're there, I might need to prepare patients for any procedures or plans. However, no day will look the same or go exactly how you planned it, as all patients are different and don't have the same diagnosis or treatment. Patients will call to ask for help or to address different issues, so you just have to be flexible with your time but also be aware of your time in order to manage all the tasks you do need to do. Luckily, there are always other nurses that you can ask for help from. Nursing is and should be a team effort.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

Again, I work the night shift, but the middle of my shift is basically the same. I make sure patients are doing okay. I check on them and give them their medications. I address the various issues they might have and prepare them for any procedures they are pending.

I make sure to chart everything I do for them and any changes in their status. You have to work with the various members of the healthcare team and notify them of any important changes in the patient status. I also look more deeply into their charts to learn more about the patients. Then, I give the charge nurse any updates. Towards the end of the shifts, there are more medications, lab draws, and bed baths for patients that need them. At the end, I would hand off the patients to the assigned day nurse, reporting to them anything important that happened overnight and discuss their plan of care.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

My work is hard, very stressful, and unpredictable, but I'm glad that I always have help if I need it. Nursing may seem individual, but it really should be a team effort. We always have 5-minute huddles at the beginning of the shifts to be notified of anything new going on in our unit. Otherwise, other meetings are for if you're involved in various committees that improve patient care or staff care. During day shifts, there are meetings every shift to discuss the plan of care of all your assigned patients and how to safely and quickly get them back out of the hospital.

Who do you collaborate with within meetings and projects?

In meetings and projects, we usually mainly collaborate with other nurses and with the leadership team. During the day shift, where there are meetings every shift to discuss the plan of care of all the assigned patients, we work with the charge nurse, doctor, pharmacist, social worker, and case manager. We would talk about why the patients are here, why they are still here, and how to safely and quickly get them healed enough to leave the hospital.

Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

The most challenging part of the job is the unpredictability of how the shift is going to go. Different patients may have new issues to address, and it could get really busy. Also being responsible for your patient's care, you have to know everything that's going on with them. You're like the eyes and ears for the other members of the healthcare team. You just have to try your best to provide the best care for the patients and ask for help from another nurse if you need it.

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

You need to be flexible with your time and expect that your shift won't go how you expect it to. You need to pay attention to details so that you catch anything new going on with your patients. And you need to be a team player; just as you need to remember that you should ask for help when you need it, you should also ask other nurses if they need any help and help them out. Any small task they do for you or you do for them actually makes a huge difference.

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

I recommend really practicing your interviewing skills and look up interview questions to practice. I think you should try to get some experience by volunteering at a hospital or being a part-time caregiver or even working as a nurse aid. You can also try to be involved in nursing or healthcare clubs if you're still in school. Mainly though, you just need to really show your interest and passion for nursing in interviews.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

What surprised me about nursing is that it's so much harder than I imagined, and that's what I hear from every single nurse. It's almost indescribable; you just can't explain how hard it is to other people. You have to have thick skin and resilience because some days will be really tough physically, mentally, and even emotionally.

You just need to remember that you have help and you'll get through it. Remember why you did nursing in the first place. In nursing school, I was already warned of burnout, so just make sure you have a way to relieve stress or else you'll get burned out easily.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

To be frank, everyone says that nursing is not what they imagined to be when they go into it. It's not a chill job; it's not easy. But if you really care about people and have a passion for taking care of people and like being around people, you should go for it. It's hard, but it can be rewarding.

Make sure the place you work has a good team with people that will jump to help you when you need it and make you feel welcome. If not, you're going to have a hard time and you'll hate it. Not to scare anyone, but just trying to keep it real. Good luck!