Nursing

What is your role as a health care team member?

I am a Telemetry nurse full time in a 148-bed hospital. My role includes monitoring a patient’s heart by way of Electrocardiogram. I generally provide care for patients with chronic conditions. For example, diabetes, heart failure, kidney failure. I also get many acute patients status post procedures. For example, open lap cholecystectomy, appendectomy or even hysterectomy. I also handle passing medications as well as coordinating their care after discharge. I am also an Emergency department nurse Per diem at a different hospital. My role there includes triage in which I must understand how severe my patient is and figure out their history and events that led to their visit, getting baseline vitals, providing them with needed treatment. Often, we make our own medication in the ED and that was something very new to me coming from a Telemetry background. A lot of monitoring goes on with ED nurses because we are often waiting for them to be admitted to the hospital and we can have an ICU patient on the floor for several days. I also do a lot of charting and discharges.

How do you define professionalism and how does professional responsibility influence your work?

There are many qualities that embody a professional. I think the most important one is their special knowledge in their field of expertise. They are also competent, they make sure the job gets done and gets done right. They are accountable and have what is called self-regulation. Self-regulation is the ability to stay professional under pressure. Lastly a professional has proper image. They lead by example by dressing appropriately and not cursing, being late to work or leaving with-out the job being fully done. Professionalism is my rule to leave by. I do fall short at times when I am on my 5th day straight and I am just losing my energy. My attitude can slip, and I may complain about my patients. I am working on self-regulation and plan to continue to improve as a professional.

Do you consider leaders in your organization stewards of health care? Why or Why not?

The apostle Paul explains it best by saying, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Starting with this concept, we are then able to accurately view and correctly value not only our possessions, but, more importantly, human life itself. I have also considered myself of steward not only in healthcare but in life. I have always valued life in all forms and believe every life not just human life is to be valued. Being a steward in healthcare can be a challenge. For example, I had a patient who treated me so poorly and was racist. I despise racism with all my being. In that moment I had to set aside my personal views and be selfless. It was my duty to provide her the best care possible and ensure the best patient outcomes.

Is it important to you that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity as well as power and influence when working with colleagues? Why or why not?"

It is crucial leaders lead with these qualities. I don’t think its possible to call someone or myself a leader and not demonstrate these qualities. As nurses we must always advocate for not only our patients but fellow staff, if we are not professional how can we lead anyone to greatness? We have a charge nurse at our job I don’t understand how she is still employed. She doesn’t follow dress code, she talks loud about inappropriately and we are a teaching hospital, so we get new nurses every 8 weeks. It kills me to see these new nurses learn behavior like that. Being authentic is with-out a doubt important. I can spot a fake person a mile away. If your staff doesn’t trust you how or why would they follow you?