What do you know about home-care nursing and the good work that gets done there? Apparently, this field is a whole lot larger than I originally thought and does some real good in society. Wonderful surprises for me. I’m interviewing people in healthcare for a few posts to make sure I have a better understanding of some aspects of their daily life. Enjoy!
Healthcare Interviewee Profile
1) What is your official job / position title?
Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN)
2) What is your direct supervisor’s official job / position title?
Supervisor
3) How many years have you been practicing as an RN or worked in Healthcare?
5
4) What are your specialties / areas of practice?
I do at home care. I shower my clients and change them, make them eat, and take their medicine.
5) What is your highest level of formal education?
I have a CNA license, I took a 3 month course.
Interviewee Responses
01) Describe what an RN does on a daily basis and for what ultimate purpose.
An RN helps patients when they arrive at a Dr, office. They are the ones who get their stats and get them prepped for just about everything. The purpose is to help the doctor not waste time. Doctors have many patients and need as much time as possible to focus on the major issues.
02) Think back to a memorable time you interacted with another RN and share the story, please.
Last month I was having lunch with an RN from the hospital. We do this often as being a nurse can be so stressful and rewarding at the same time, that we like to share stories and vent to one another. She was telling me about a lady in the ER that was screaming about coffee for 2 hours. She finally just gave her some to calm her down and the lady started screaming about the sugar in it. LOL
03) Describe what you feel is the most fun part of being an RN?
The most fun part I would have to say is when you get children patients. I do not work with children much anymore as I now do home care, but I worked in a pediatrician’s office for a few months awhile back. The kids are always so excited to get a lollipop or a new toothbrush. I always made sure, after I got their stats, I would give them a coloring book and crayons while they waited for the doctor.
04) Describe what you feel is the most stressful part of being an RN?
Some of my patients can be very stressful at times. I try to understand, I would be irritated if I couldn’t take care of myself anymore, either. A few of my patients have actually thrown their hot soup at me and hit me. You just have to keep calm and clean it up or brush it off. It can be a hard job, but very rewarding.
05) Describe what you feel is the most rewarding part of being an RN?
The most rewarding part for me is seeing them be clean, fed, and medicated. A lot of my patients do not like to have someone caring for them. But they need it. I make sure all is taken care of before I leave and some thank me and that appreciation keeps me going. Even the ones that do not thank me have family members that appreciate what I do. Most of them love me due to the fact that they know exactly how difficult they are!
06) Teamwork is very important for all hospital staff. What can RNs do to improve teamwork in smaller teams and overall?
I think the RNs at the hospital do a great job. It can be crazy and stressful at the hospital and I have seen a few flip out. I think the most important thing is to keep calm and stay organized. You don’t want an RN going in to give someone a shot or an IV if they just had one 10 minutes ago. It is important to make it clear which rooms are whose, and keep track of exactly what you have done for which patients if you were out of your room zone.
07) Without integrity, patients and overall hospital quality declines. What can RNs do to maintain or increase integrity?
RNs need to stick to their rules and regulations, but also their gut. Sometimes, dealing with people’s health, can be a gray area. It is not always black and white. Some people say they have pain and really just want drugs. I think that has made it so no one wants to give out pain meds. But if someone is really in pain the nurse is the one who can figure that out. Take good care of your patients.
08) Staying on top of healthcare industry growth is very important. How can RNs achieve this through continued education and other means?
I always try to take a new course. I like being a CNA but I want to stay on top of the game. Even if you think you have gone as far as you can go, there’s something new for you to learn. Take a workshop or just do some research. I even write my own reports at home. Some weeks I will give myself a topic that I don’t know much about and in my spare time I will do research and write a report about it, just for my personal reference.
09) What do you think it would take to make an RN want to quit, whether or not they actually do?
I think if the management or the patient base is and remains too hostile or difficult, an RN will quit. We like helping others, but sometimes it is just too much. The management should see all of the things we deal with daily and try to make it more comfortable and less stressful. Sometimes they do just the opposite and make it much harder on nurses. There is no need for that.
10) What about the healthcare industry, as it relates to nursing, do you think needs the most improvement?
The hours! They need to hire some more people. Some of the nurses work 18 hour shifts two days in a row. That is how you burn out and stop caring about your profession. They should take it easier on us. But, in order to do so, more people need to become nurses and have the drive to handle it.
11) If you owned a hospital, then what would you do to help RNs be more effective overall?
I would treat my RNs like family. A happy person is a driven person. I would make it easy for them stay organized and I would find out what calms each of them down. I would let them have breaks and shorter shifts. I would also make sure they took new courses and things every year to stay on top of their game.
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I’ve been told one of the most useful tools for building strong teams, improving communication, and strengthening coworker bonds is the Bird Personality Test. I’ve noticed this is especially true for the healthcare industry. It warms my heart to think a tool I offer is helping wonderful healers do their good work. Please consider using the tool with your team, too.