Parker Hitchcock

English

How do you feel about helping others? Have other peoples well-being been a concern

for you? Do you consider yourself a humanitarian? Then nursing may be a career you want to

consider getting into!

I realized nursing would be a good career for me, because ever since I was young, I was

always putting other people before myself. I took first aid and safety classes in college and I

thought it was so interesting! We learned how to care for people in shock as well as how to dress

wounds and make splints. The medical terminology came easily to me and I loved my class. Af-

ter gaining interest in the medical field, I was still wondering how to get started, and I often had

people ask me if I was sure I could deal with all of the trauma that would be involved in a career

as a nurse. To be honest, I wasnt sure I could deal with it all. Luckily I was talking to someone

at the time that suggested I get my CNA (certified nursing assistant) license. I agreed that this

would be a good start for me.

I signed up for a CNA course through an independent program that spring. I learned so

much in a very short amount of time by going through the program. CNAs are often working in

assisted living homes, and that is where I received my hands-on training. It was an eye opening

experience, and I realized it takes a special type of person to work in assisted living homes. I do

not feel that I can work in an assisted living home, but I know I can handle the type of work that

CNAs do. I did complete my CNA classes.

 I was able to interview Ms. Yedlin, an RN that works at St. Marks pediatric hospital in

the intensive care unit. Ms. Yedlin earned her degree from Westminster College. In order to ob-

tain information about a career in nursing I started off by asking the same question I got when

telling people of my decision to become a nurse. I asked Ms. Yedlin why she decided to become

a nurse. Her cousin was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three, and Ms. Yedlin often found

herself going to the hospital with her cousin. She found watching and talking to the nurses fasci-

nating. They were always learning things! Ms. Yedlin began researching and decided to get her

CNA license to make sure to was something she wanted to do and a good fit for her.

In doing my own research in nursing (www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare), the median pay is

$68, 450 per year with a growing rate of 15%. I did not ask Ms. Yedlin about her salary, as I

thought it was rude, and I figured I could look up the information on my own. The salary is not a

huge motivator for me, as I feel that I need to be happy in whatever career I choose. I would ra-

ther be happy in a job that I enjoy.

Ms. Yedlin knew this was the job for her after getting her CNA license. Once she started

working at St. Marks, she learned a lot from interacting with not only the patients, but with the

families as well. Her day typically starts by assessing patients conditions, recording medical his-

tory, and observing symptoms. She also provides medicine and treatments as necessary.

Ms. Yedlins day to day duties in the ICU consists of seeing patients from newborn to 18 years

of age. These patients have various diagnoses. She gets their reports, and does assessments every

two hours. She is also responsible for checking vital signs every hour and giving medications

whenever necessary. Before even touching the patient, Ms. Yedlin makes a schedule in her head

as far as what needs to be done. There are many things that could possibly go wrong, and she
needs to prepare herself for that by making sure she is aware of what needs to be done. You al-

ways have to think about the worst possible thing going wrong and being prepared. It can be very

overwhelming, but there is always someone to help.

The team aspect of nursing is something that really interests me, as I feel you are never

alone. There are always people willing to help you. I asked Ms. Yedlin what it is like working

with others so closely, such as the other nurses and the doctors. Her response was For me it is

great! The hospital in which I work has a different atmosphere than a lot of other hospitals. My

friends that work at other places, and I know the doctors can be very demanding. I love the doc-

tors where I work and I get along with all of the other nurses. The ICU is very different because

they are always right there, and it is always the same doctor. They have the ability to really get to

know you.

Nursing offers you many advantages in different departments. There are addiction nurses,

cardiovascular, critical care, genetics, neonatology, and many more. Another reason I love the

nursing field is there are so many options and room to grow and learn.

I asked Ms. Yedlin some of the cons of her job and she proceeded to tell me how it can

be really hard dealing with the death of their patients and how frequent it is in the ICU. Ms.

Yedlin also mentioned that the families can be the hardest ones to deal with. A lot of the risks

falls on the doctors and the hospital is there to cover you. You have to be smart and be prepared.

*My Two Questions:

1. How can I improve my over all organization of my paper?

2. What additional information can I add that you think would be useful?