1. What kind of training or background is necessary for this type of work?

An associates or a Bachelor’s Degree, most employers want the BSN, but will help you pay for it.

  1. How did you get your job, and what kinds of experience and preparation helped you most?

I got my job by searching the classifieds, I went to the local hospital that was a MAGNET designation (they are the best for nurses), I had them train me as a CNA, I worked on the Transitional Skilled Unit (a rehab unit) for the designated amount of time, became a float pool CNA for the hospital, then as I was going through nursing school, I saw a weekend shift open in the OR. I worked 12 hour weekend days in the OR. The CNA and float pool experience helped me develop my assessment and organizational skills, and helped me get to know my way around the hospital best.

  1. Who would you say has been the most help in your career? How did they help you?

The person who has been most helpful in my career? It would be all the mentors who helped train me on the floors. They helped me hone my nursing skills.

  1. What are your responsibilities in your position?

Patient safety, and patient advocacy are the biggest responsibilities. Being organized, and having good time management skills. Being observant of the patient and their caregivers.

  1. What do you like most, least about this job? What kind of stress do you deal with?

What I like most about my job is knowing I’m making a difference in someone’s life, and helping my patients and their caregivers/family members through some of the hardest moments in their lives. The things I like least about the job are the smells, and some of the sights. They aren’t always the best part of life in general. The stresses involved with the job are being compassionate to those who are belligerent or don’t care for themselves, watching patients die, patients coding, belligerent family members, bulling co-workers, working night shift in general is a stress in and of itself.

  1. Knowing what you know now, what advice do you have for getting into this work?

Take advantage of scholarships, grants, and tuition assistance offered through the place you want to work.

Be prepared. Get a good NCLEX study book, read your text books and do the practice questions at the end of the chapters. Get some good study buddies, after a test, go out to eat and celebrate and discuss.

As a new nurse, don’t be afraid to stop and ask a question if you don’t know the answer, patient safety is always a priority, and remember many residents are lacking sleep and are super stressed as well.

  1. What personal qualities or abilities, are important for doing well in this kind of work?

Organization, effective communication, compassion, time management, teamwork, preparation (it’s not about being the smartest, it’s about being the most prepared -

  1. For you, what part of this job is most satisfying? most challenging?

The most satisfying is when you leave the day knowing you made a difference. The most challenging is watching a patient get sicker, or die.

  1. What kind of changes do you see coming in this line of work?

There is already tele-medicine, aka “Doc in a box” where an experienced doctor and nurse team is “on-call” for the ICUs in-case they see something when you are out of the room caring for another patient, or if you need help, they can notify the charge nurse/code team. Electronic medical records are in place, we scan patient’s wrist bands and the medication before giving it to the patient to ensure the 5 Rs of medication administration are being followed. The next will be nano-medicine, and things that will need a more scrutinous bio-ethical evaluation.

  1. What impresses a boss in a resume from someone who is applying for a career in this field?

I’m not quite sure – I go to resume writing seminars. I am told not to have your resume more than one page, especially when you are just starting out. Have it highlight what you can bring to the table. I know a thank you letter helped me land a job in the Children’s PACU (post-anesthesia care unit).

  1. What advice would you have for a student who is considering this field?

Study hard, talk to nurse recruiters, make a LinkedIn profile, keep your resume up to date, explore all your options, study for the NCLEX, get connected, and don’t pay too much out of pocket, start with a community college, especially for pre-requisites, and get your employer to help with financing. There are clever ways to get your degree without being in debt. Watch what you put on your social media profiles: employers have been known not to choose candidates and fire employees because of what is on their social media account.