Question #1: Why did you want to enter the healthcare field?

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1 Question #1: Why did you want to enter the healthcare field? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, In April 2012 I gave birth to twin boys, Sam and Charlie. During my pregnancy I was diagnosed with what doctors thought was gestational diabetes it turned out to be type 1. Maintaining a healthy twin pregnancy took a lot of work on my part. Without the wonderful care I received from my doctor and nurses, I doubt that I would have been able to deliver healthy twins at 38 weeks. This compelled me to start taking courses that would prepare me for a career in nursing. I guess you could say that I had a calling. I can never imagine a time in my life where I didn t want to do something in the medical field. I was the 3 rd grader who would walk a sick friend to the nurse s office. I was always that person, it s my personality. I went to college to become a graphic designer. You were always trying to compete with the next person and it just didn t match my personality so I started seeking other opportunities. During that time, my grandfather was going through some bouts of cancer. We had good experiences and bad experiences with clinicians. That s when I knew I wanted to be a nurse and provide patient care. It s an opportunity to connect with others in a very meaningful way. The relationship between physicians and patients can include some of life s most impressive moments. Being there for patients during these times is what doctors provide. William Osler, the celebrated physician, once said, It is the job of the physician to entertain the patient as nature takes its course. Pursuing a career in healthcare felt less like a conscious decision and more like a calling. Nursing is holistic it s not just treating a disease, it s treating the person. Knowing that they have someone who will be their advocate and fight for them is just as important to a patient s recovery as medical interventions. I want to be the person beside them helping patients, and their families, through some of their hardest times, as well as some of their best.

2 There are many reasons that I wanted to enter the healthcare field, and nursing specifically. The most significant reasons are that I love to interact and help people. After exclusively taking care of my large family for 12 years, of which I take great pride, nursing felt like a natural fit for me. Question #2: What s been the toughest part of your schooling so far and the most rewarding? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, The toughest part has definitely been the fast pace. I attend an accelerated program, and keeping up with my studies while raising three boys has definitely had its challenges. I have a wonderful husband who helps so much. The most rewarding part has been knowing that all of this hard work will pay off when I become a nurse. You know, I can t really pinpoint one thing other than saying taking tests are hard! Taking everything we learn and putting it into practice I think that s been the biggest challenge for me. The most rewarding thing for me is to see and be a part of the change for patients. It s not just them, it s their families it s getting involved with everything and being able to watch them throughout the continuum. I ve been very fortunate to see some of my patients a second and third time, and to see that and have been a part of that change that s what most rewarding for me. Medical education is daunting in regards to the sheer volume of information needed to be learned and put into practice. This is coupled with long hours of clinical duty and a very hierarchical system of patient care. The most rewarding aspect of the job is the chance to work with patients and healthcare providers in other fields that are dedicated to improving patients lives. Working with passionate nurses, therapists and technologists keeps the job fun. Without a doubt the toughest part of nursing school is the relentless stress. I can name countless sleepless nights spent studying, pulling out my hair, and tearful calls to my parents. It s a demanding curriculum that breaks you down to the point where sometimes you are questioning if you can do this. On the other hand, the most rewarding times are definitely when I get to interact with patients. This has been my first semester with clinical patient experience, and I have learned so much each day I go on my floor. I love that I m developing trusting relationships with my patients and they start to confide in me, feeling comfortable enough to let me into their lives. The toughest part of nursing school is by far the learning process. I have learned to think critically and process information efficiently in a way I didn t know was possible. The most rewarding part is making a difference for the patients that I care for, regardless of how simple or small of a task. It s remarkable to me how just spending time to listen to the patient is enough to help them have a better experience.

3 Question #3: What does patient experience mean to you? Can it be taught? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, To me, patient experience is the overall perception a person has about the care they received from a healthcare provider. No matter the diagnosis, if a person feels that they were well-taken care of, they will be satisfied. It starts the minute you are introduced to the nurse or provider. How we approach the patient, how we speak to and educate them and their families this is the experience. It can be taught and it s a modeled behavior that starts with the foundational experiences. It s all about establishing what makes a positive experience. I tell my students, put yourself in their place. Walk a mile in their shoes each and every day. Explain to patients what you re doing, step by step, so that they re no longer afraid. It s being able to see the whole picture and not just the illness. What s going on outside of that, with the patient, their family how everything is affecting them. Patient experience has changed in the past decade as greater emphasis is placed on individual patient autonomy. Gone are the days when a physician could be paternalistic and dictate patient care directly. Today s patients are much more informed thanks to the wealth of information on the internet. This has its benefits and drawbacks. The new generation of physicians will have to become more adept at balancing the goals of the physician while respecting the individual desires of the patient. I think the patient experience will continue to improve as greater emphasis is placed on health care value instead of volume. Patient experience to me is ensuring that a person s opinions, well-being and dignity are always listened to and provided for with the best quality of care. It s patient-centered care, which means that the patient and their families are at the center of everything, including them in all details and plans of action. The hospital can be a cold and intimidating place to most people, so it s important to meet all the needs of the patient. Patient experience to me means how the patient feels about the care they received and their perception of the relationships and interactions with the caregivers that provided it.

4 Question #4: Tell us about your first face-to-face interaction with a patient. What feelings or concerns did you have? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, When I m with a patient, I try to only focus on them and make them feel like they are in a safe environment where they can get better. At Resurrection University, we are very committed to the simulation experience, and have found that they are very valuable to student learning. When performing an examination, I always encourage my students to have conversations and really listen to the patient. If you talk less and listen more, patients will diagnose themselves. I can remember being very afraid going in and seeing my first patient. Am I going to do this right? Am I going to hurt this person? Once I overcame it the first time, it s been very easy every time after that. I m not nervous to go in the room anymore, I m anxious I m ready. I felt unprepared to handle that level of responsibility, making decisions that directly influence the wellbeing of another person who has put their faith in the health care system. Often times, patients value the things that you take for granted. My patient may not remember that I ensured her fluid status was adequate every day, but she was sure to thank me upon discharge for making sure she was warm each morning and had enough blankets and pillows. These experiences highlight the balance between the art and science of medicine. I remember being nervous with a huge pit in my stomach while I was pumping the hand sanitizer outside the door before entering the patient s room. Is she going to be angry that I m disturbing her? Am I going to be able to handle this? Will I faint? Will she take me seriously as a student? As soon as I said good morning, and explained that I was a student that was going to be helping out my nurse today, I let out a huge breath and the patient smiled. She was warm and understanding as I fumbled getting her vitals. I desperately wanted her to trust me, and at the same time, trust myself. Don t get me wrong, I am confident that my schooling is preparing me to the highest standard. Still, when it comes to real patient experiences, it s easy to be intimidated that first day, week and even month. As time went on, I developed a special bond with that patient. It became so easy and natural as if she was someone I knew for years. That made me more confident in my ability. I remember being worried that the patient wouldn t want to talk to me or want me to help him because I was a student. I felt inadequate about caring for the patient and worried that I would make a

5 mistake. All of these things turned out to be untrue. He was a very nice man who was grateful for my presence and the care and interaction that I provided. Question #5: Clinicians deal with life and loss on a daily basis. Tell us about a time you were faced with crisis or loss and how you bounced back. in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, I have dealt with loss in many ways throughout my life. Sometimes I ve had to really focus on getting past it. But other times, I ve just had to rely on the idea that time heals everything. I had a patient who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She wasn t willing to seek treatment because she was fearful. It had metastasized and I knew it wouldn t be long before she was no longer with us. Despite my personal advice, she decided to have the surgery and died three weeks later. This was a choice that this person made for herself. Albeit, it wasn t a choice that I would have advised, but I supported her decision. I can t save everybody, but I can show them love, compassion and support. It s that fine line between choosing to withdraw or continue care. It s a difficult thing, but understanding that it s life as we know it we all have a birth and we all have a death, that s the way that life is. And for me, it s being able to understand and have a belief in a higher power that we re all called to do something. And for me, it s to care and help families through the process. The first time a patient you re caring for passes away is a difficult hurdle, one almost every health care provider will deal with in his or her training. For me, the loss occurred overnight and I was not able to be there as the patient passed away. It s difficult to deal with someone disappearing overnight. The most important thing is to learn from the event. We ll forget a vast majority of our patients, but some of them will stay with us for life. It s your job as a clinician to learn from these patients and use the experience to motivate you during times of burnout. For those that have ever met me, it s no secret that I m a very emotional person. In nursing, this is almost a paradox you need an innate compassion and emotion to feel for each of your patients and their individual journeys in order to help them, but on the other hand, nurses deal with loss on a daily basis. And they must learn to move on, and not carry each lost patient with them or that can take a huge toll on them emotionally, mentally and physically. Even if it wasn t a personal loss, I put myself in the affected family s shoes and, with a heavy heart, think about that person that was taken too young, too soon or too unexpectedly. It does weigh heavily on my mind, and more so my heart. Yet, I always bounce back, and I now know how to move on to let it go without forgetting the memories of these individuals.

6 I was rotating in the Intensive Care Unit when a code blue was initiated. I was sent to find a specific piece of equipment but it wasn t where I was told it would be. I scurried around for what felt like an eternity. This experience enforced in my mind how important it is to be fully prepared for emergency care. It wasn t a life-saving piece of equipment, but one that is used to assist in CPR. From that day forward, whenever I go to a unit, I make it a point to know where emergency equipment is located. Question #6: Patients put all their trust in clinicians, especially when they are in need of care. What is that pressure like knowing that you need to make decisions independently, act on those decisions and live with those choices? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, In these situations, the clinician must trust that they have the knowledge to make the right decisions and practice good judgment. Patients want to know that their provider is confident and has the tools to make good decisions. You need to become intimately associated with your patients they are not just a chart or a click-box on the computer. You need to introduce yourself, get to know them you need to be part of their lives. You need to leave them with more information and in a better state not just physically, but mentally having a better outlook on their health and the healthcare environment. We are the advocates for the patients. Going forward, just keeping the family, the patient and their experience at the center of what you re doing is so important. I think a lot of it is how we re educated. You have to never lose sight that the patient is at the very center of everything. I think patients are increasingly relying on their own knowledge and are challenging physician decisions, for good and bad. Clinicians are human and they can make mistakes. It is encouraging to see patients take greater ownership for their care. It is their well-being at stake and they can play a large part in their outcomes. The weight of responsibility is probably the most important to nursing. Every action you take, every decision, every assessment you take, is affecting a life. This motivates me in my schooling to not cut corners, because in the healthcare field, it s a matter of life or death. I study hard, and take in all the advice of the experienced nurses from my clinicals. No matter how prepared I will be on graduation, or the years of experience when I m older, this pressure will never end. It s daunting, but prompts that

7 every action is taken cautiously. Nurses are constantly learning through their careers, reading up on newest evidence-based-practice, so that their care is the highest quality. The pressure of making the right decision when caring for patients can be scary. My biggest fear is to make a mistake that harms a patient. Remaining confident and knowing that the more experienced nurses will be there helps me make the best decisions possible. Question #7: In today s complex healthcare world, what will drive you to be successful in this field? in St. Louis Graduation date: April 26, I think that it s important to remember that every patient could be someone you love. They are people, not just a chart. I hope I never forget to ask myself, If this was my loved one, how would I want that nurse to treat them? Quality is a word I would like to see used more in healthcare treating patients with respect and as knowledgeable people that know their bodies. Providing quality, personalized care is what I think will bring those in or entering the healthcare field success. For me, successful health care is when I can make a difference in someone s life, and then they can go out and use that to make a difference in their own life. Helping others to help themselves. There s a lot of sacrifice in the field of healthcare. Eventually, every provider will be faced with burnout, whether it is from long hours, difficult cases or the large amount of bureaucracy involved in patient care today. Modern hospitals are large, impersonal, computer centric institutions. These challenges can make medicine seem less than appealing. Picking an area of health care that really interests you and working in a supportive, collegial environment can help bring you back from burnout. Lauren Cummings, third-year nursing student at the University of Iowa College of Nursing I believe my inner personal drive, commitment to providing the best possible care for my patients and persistence in constant improvement will help me to be successful in my career. I met with an amazing chief nursing officer over my spring break, and she soon became my role model. Her career, not only in the clinical practice of nursing, but also in nurse leadership, working on several national industry boards, such as the American Nurses Association, to improve the field of nursing is inspiring. It shows me that there are so many aspects to the field of nursing, and it s important to keep bettering the field.

8 There is always room for improvement in the ever-evolving field of healthcare. I am driven to succeed by the need to make a difference and be a positive element in the care of my patients for the best possible outcomes.