Tallent, Daleigh- RN Interview, Revised
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DaleighTallent NURS 3040 RN Interview 26 June 2011 Mrs. Jones, BSN, RN I was honored to interview Mrs. Jones regarding her nursing background, current position, and overall view of the nursing profession. The interview was conducted via email, as Mrs. Jones stays quite busy taking care of her three young sons and husband. She graduated with her BSN from ETSU in 2006 and is currently employed at a local Kinsport hospital. Spending time with family is very important to Mrs. Jones, and she is thankful her profession offers a flexible, part-time schedule. A normal work week for Mrs. Jones consists of two, 12-hour shifts in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She is an hourly employee, and her shifts typically begin at 6:30 and end at 7:00, either mornings or nights. Since she began working for the hospital in April 2006, Mrs. Jones has remained in the NICU where she provides critical care for infants, ages 23 weeks to 40+ weeks. The infants¶ parents, extended families, and/or foster parents also rely on her for comfort and support. Her other roles include shift charge nurse, preceptor for new RNs, and transport RN. To meet the state¶s requirement for RN license renewal, Mrs. Jones completes 12 hours of continuing education (CE) per year and maintains BLS (Basic Life Support), NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation) and STABLE (Stabilization of Critical Preemies and Newborns) certifications. In addition to the state- required CE hours, she completes 16 extra CE credit hours and volunteers time serving the Kingsport community. This entitles
her to $2 more pay per hour. To manage risks and promote the health of her NICU patients, Mrs. Jones works with new mothers to encourage breastfeeding because of its benefits to both mother and infant. Being a mother herself, Mrs. Jones finds the greatest challenge in her unit is learning how to balance the emotional, social, and legal aspects of caring for an infant born with a drug dependency. In many circumstances, the Department of Children¶s Services intervenes on the behalf of the child, and unfortunately, these cases are occurring more often in the Tri-Cities area. In a recent article, ETSU Pediatrics Department Professor and Neonatologist Dr. Des Bharti states, ³The use of illicit drugs in our region has reached epidemic proportions«We¶ve been noticing alarming trends when it comes to substance abuse in pregnant women´ (Morabito, 2011). In fact, six or seven of the 23 newborns inside Niswonger Children¶s Hospital¶s NICU were exposed to drugs before birth. Prenatal drug use increases an infant¶s risk for complications such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), seizures, respiratory problems, and opportunistic infections. In many cases, the infant shows withdrawal symptoms and must be treated with the potent drugs morphine and methadone. Both Dr. Bharti and Mrs. Jones confirm the best way to reduce instances of drug-dependency in infants is through drug abuse education focused toward children and mothers. Mrs. Jones also mentioned the importance of proper charting and documentation in the nursing field. For example, if a chartis not properly written, an infant could be in danger when discharged to its home or foster care.Mrs. Jones foundtaking a legal class on proper charting techniques to be very beneficial. Lastly, Mrs. Jones advised to ³always protect yourself first, then your patient.´
Mrs. Jones offered great insight into the nursing profession both as a whole and within a specific unit. Nursing is such a broad, dynamic field, and after interviewing Mrs. Jones, I am even more enthused to learn about the many facets of the occupation. With the knowledge, skills, and support from nurses like Mrs. Jones, I believe a career in nursing will lead to the self-actualization of my goals.
References Morabito, N. (2011). Babies born addicted to drugs now an epidemic. Retrieved from http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/may/26/babies-born-addicted-drugs-nowepidemic-ar-1067211/
her to $2 more pay per hour. To manage risks and promote the health of her NICU patients, Mrs. Jones works with new mothers to encourage breastfeeding because of its benefits to both mother and infant. Being a mother herself, Mrs. Jones finds the greatest challenge in her unit is learning how to balance the emotional, social, and legal aspects of caring for an infant born with a drug dependency. In many circumstances, the Department of Children¶s Services intervenes on the behalf of the child, and unfortunately, these cases are occurring more often in the Tri-Cities area. In a recent article, ETSU Pediatrics Department Professor and Neonatologist Dr. Des Bharti states, ³The use of illicit drugs in our region has reached epidemic proportions«We¶ve been noticing alarming trends when it comes to substance abuse in pregnant women´ (Morabito, 2011). In fact, six or seven of the 23 newborns inside Niswonger Children¶s Hospital¶s NICU were exposed to drugs before birth. Prenatal drug use increases an infant¶s risk for complications such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), seizures, respiratory problems, and opportunistic infections. In many cases, the infant shows withdrawal symptoms and must be treated with the potent drugs morphine and methadone. Both Dr. Bharti and Mrs. Jones confirm the best way to reduce instances of drug-dependency in infants is through drug abuse education focused toward children and mothers. Mrs. Jones also mentioned the importance of proper charting and documentation in the nursing field. For example, if a chartis not properly written, an infant could be in danger when discharged to its home or foster care.Mrs. Jones foundtaking a legal class on proper charting techniques to be very beneficial. Lastly, Mrs. Jones advised to ³always protect yourself first, then your patient.´
Mrs. Jones offered great insight into the nursing profession both as a whole and within a specific unit. Nursing is such a broad, dynamic field, and after interviewing Mrs. Jones, I am even more enthused to learn about the many facets of the occupation. With the knowledge, skills, and support from nurses like Mrs. Jones, I believe a career in nursing will lead to the self-actualization of my goals.
References Morabito, N. (2011). Babies born addicted to drugs now an epidemic. Retrieved from http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/may/26/babies-born-addicted-drugs-nowepidemic-ar-1067211/
