1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Health/Hospital - What is your job title?
Registered Nurse - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
Sparrow Hospital employs around 7000 people. It is a not for profit hospital.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
8 - How many hours do you work a week on average?
36 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
36 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I work in a cardiac catheterization lab. I prep patients for heart caths, pacemakers, neuro intervention, and electrophysiology studies. I also work in the cath labs themselves, as a circulating RN and working the X-ray equipment, or monitoring the cases. I also take care of the patients post procedure.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
60000 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
65000 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
Health insurance, dental insurance, short and long term disability, vision coverage - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
well compensated
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
I always work with others. Healthcare is not a field where you can work alone. I generally enjoy working with others. The teamwork we have, in this department is unique, and a reward of working here. Our patients enjoy seeing us working together for them. Besides my co-workers, I work with several patients during the course of a day and feel blessed to be able to care for them.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes - Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes - Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
Our opinions are highly valued by our supervisors and co-workers. We are all open to express our opinions and any insight we may have to better care for our patients, or to make things more efficient.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 2 Income
- 1 Work Environment - co-workers
- 3 Work Environment - supervisors
- 6 Benefits
- 7 Hours
- 4 Level of responsibility
- 5 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 8 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend obtaining a nursing license. I also would recommend working on a floor, to get a degree of nursing skills, before attempting to work in a cath lab.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Passion to help people, extremely good clinical skills, quick to adapt, quick to react, accepts criticism--constructive or otherwise, slow to anger, quick to laugh
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
yes, I think it would be impossible without education and a lot of training - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Give it time. You don't get good at it overnight. There is ALWAYS more to learn, and sometimes you learn it from the last person you would expect.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
Worked in a department down the hall, that worked closely with this department. - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Paper application - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
Yes, I had 2 interviews. One with my direct boss, and one with her and her direct boss. I was mostly told what the job responsibilities would be, and what was expected of me. I was actually asked very few questions about myself, as I had worked on the floor for 2 1/2 years and was known by them, to some degree. - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
I was asked how I would deal with stressful situations, the amount of call, how I worked with others. What my strengths and weaknesses are. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
Yes - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I had six months of on the job training. I was trained in our prep/holding room, how to circulate in a cath lab--included the equipment used, and set up of patient. I was also trained on how to operate our labs X-ray equipment and how to monitor/record the patient record. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes, I feel like I was able to be trained moderately well with most situations that could arise. I felt relatively comfortable with the cath lab and the people I was working with. The other reason, you are always on a team, so you never have to go it alone. There are always at least 2 other people to bounce ideas off of. - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes, I feel nursing school and college prepared me for my job. I learned basic nursing skills in nursing school, that I could further enrich once I was in the real world. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
They would say all the teamwork and closeness of our staff was fun. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
Most fulfilling--helping others when they are having a heart attack or stroke Least fulilling--long hours, on call, difficult doctors (some of them can be most unkind) - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I enjoy were I am, and am learning a lot. I don't really have a career plan at this time. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
I don't have too many. I would like to obtain my bachelor's degree in nursing at some point, and possibly receive my masters. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
My job is extremely fulfilling and makes me feel as though I am making a difference in people's lives. It is often difficult, but never boring. It is very rewarding.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
Arrive to work, and check assignment for the day. Prepare the cath lab by doing room check, mixing up needed meds, obtaining stock. - 8 am - 9 am
Receive patient from holding room. Check patient's chart, I.D. band, date of birth, consent form, allergies, procedure, history. Take patient into cath lab, set up patient for procedure. - 9 am - 10 am
When doctor arrives, assist with heart catheterization, including any intervention i.e. angioplasty, stents, rotoblader, intravascular ultrasound. When finished with patient, undrape them, and return them to the holding room. - 10 am - 11 am
Prepare room for next patient. Receive next patient and check all of the before mentioned checks. Assist with heart cath. - 11 am - 12 am
Lunch break - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Continue with heart catheterizations on patients until all are done for the day. Typically we will perform 5-8 heart catheterizations per lab, per day. - 2 pm - 3 pm
Restock room with supplies used up during the course of the day. Continue with heart caths as above. - 3 pm - 4 pm
Prepare room for next patient. Receive next patient and check all of the before mentioned checks. Assist with heart cath. - 4 pm - 5 pm
Wind up lab for the day. Finish any patients that need to be seen, prepare our next day cath board. Everyday, we must list all the cases, make appropriate folders, with appropriate orders for each patient the next day. Check room assignments for the next day. - 5 pm - 6 pm
- 6 pm - 7 pm
- 7 pm - 8 pm
- 8 pm - 9 pm
- 9 pm - 10 pm
- 10 pm - 11 pm
- 11 pm - 12 pm