1. Health Care Workers in
the field
Experiences of nurses
by: Diego
Vanessa
Yakie
Enrique
2. Our Nurses
Theresa Brown.
Emily Burnham.
Katen NP.
Rachel RMN.
Michael D. Jackson.
3. Theresa Brown - RN
Clinical nurse in Pennsylvania.
Author of “The shift”. New from
Algonquin Books.
Author of New York Times column
“Perhaps Dead is Proud, More
reason to Savor Life”.
4. Katen NP
Barnard College Alumni.
Current alum at MGHIHP (MGH
Institute of Health Professions –
Boston, MA)
Twitter: @KatenNP
5. Rachel RMN
Mental Health Nurse.
Specialist in Community Public
Health.
Twitter: @rachelRMN
6. Emily Burnham
Community Nurse.
Resides in Toronto, Canada.
Passionate about Gerontology.
Twitter: @EmilyGGB29
7. Michael D Jackson - ER
Resides in Chula Vista, California.
Marine Corps vet.
ER nurse and educator.
Current candidate for Chula Vista
School Board.
8. 1- How do you prioritize what tasks are more
important than others when dealing with
human lives?
“Usually I prioritize by level of distress. That is, respiratory distress trumps pain,
which trumps vomiting, which trumps emotional distress. A severely low or high
blood pressure is very important, too, as is chest pain, depending on the situation.
There are times when emotional distress is the most important thing for me to
address and if other more pressing physiological issues are presenting it can be
very hard to prioritize. The general rule of thumb, though, is to save lives first,
treat lesser problems second.”
Theresa Brown
9. 1- How do you prioritize what tasks are more
important than others when dealing with
human lives?
Michael Jackson
“Prioritizing use ABC airway
breathing circulation, level of
illness and triage. Safety if
paramount”.
Emily Burnham.
“Manage ABCs first. But also
think about how long a task
will take. A leaky dressing
may be more pressing than
the patient wanting PRN
meds but one can be solved
a lot quicker than the
other.”
11. 2- How do you handle the stress of taking
care of patients while being short-staffed?
Theresa Brown
“See my answer above--knowing your priorities is key, but if there are
too many times when you have to be in two places at the same time
the stress can be overwhelming. If you have two patients in distress at
once see if you can pull in another nurse to help. An involved charge
nurse can be a huge help in these situations”
12. 2- How do you handle the stress of taking
care of patients while being short-staffed?
Rachel
“Again difficult & becoming worse,
we work through our breaks &
lunches. We stay late, take our
laptops home to write up
everything you couldn't manage to
fit into your working day. I balance
this out with quality family time
with my family when I can.”
Michael Jackson
“You have to care for the patients
and part of caring means
advocacy...holding management
accountable for staffing the units
according to the law. In California
we have mandated nurse: patient
ratios. If the ratios are not being
met then a nurse should be
documenting and reporting this to
management and regulatory
agencies”
14. 3- What are the most common ways to de-
stress while working in such busy
environment?
Theresa Brown
“Talking to colleagues helps, as
does taking breaks when possible. I
rode my bike to and from work as a
way to beat stress.”
Rachel
“Playing with kids, glass of wine at
the end of the day, off loading into
a partner.”
Michael Jackson
“De stressing could involve exercise, talking with friends and colleagues, taking
trips and eating right.”
16. 4- Have you ever been in emergency? If so,
what was it, and how did you handle it?
Emily Burnham
“One patient murdered another.
Stay strong until help arrives and
then take care of yourself.”
Katen
“Of course I have been in
emergencies. I slow down and
think, you have to in my opinion.
But I have been doing this a long
time and experience helps a lot”.
Michael Jackson
“I’m an ER nurse. Remain calm and
work as a team.”
18. 5- How did you adjust to the long-shifts
and abnormal schedules?
Theresa Brown
“Catch up on sleep when I'm not
working, drink way too much
Starbucks, try to believe that I'm
superhuman, which unfortunately
I'm not.”
Emily Burnham
“Coffee and other forms of
caffeine. However, I find if I'm busy
the shifts go by quickly.”
20. 6- What is your opinion of the common belief
that nurses are doctor’s assistants?
Theresa Brown
“Ugh. This is just dumb. We are
doctors' colleagues, not their
assistants. An assistant helps,
whereas a colleague works with
you. If you look at the work nurses
do we are not helping doctors, we
are doing our own work, which
independently contributes an
extraordinary amount to patient
care.”
Emily Burnham
“Completely incorrect. Nurses and
doctors have different sets of
knowledge that when blended can
maximize patient care.”
22. 7- Is there any liability for you as a nurse if
your opinion or diagnosis is incorrect?
Theresa Brown
“I always say that doctors worry
about getting sued and nurses
worry about getting fired. We don't
feel the liability threat the way
MDs do, but we often feel a fragile
hold on our jobs. The busier one is,
the greater the worry of making a
simple, but devastating, mistake.”
Katen
“Of course when a nurse is
incorrect or wrong there is liability,
that's the beauty and the
responsibility of the license. When
we make decisions we OWN
THEM.”
24. 8- What kind of actions does a nurse usually
takes to relieve the stress of patients?
Theresa Brown
“Listening is really helpful,
explaining the confusing
information they just received
from a doctor, passing on
important news to family
members, making clear exactly
what the next steps in the patient's
treatment are.”
Michael Jackson
“Give reassurance Keep them
informed Remain calm Allow them
to vent frustrations Seek help.”
26. 9- Off the top of your head, what is the most
disgusting thing you’ve had to do at work?
Theresa Brown
“Oh, I guess clean up all manner of
diarrhea. But that's an important
part of caring for people, so I
would clarify and say that while
poop is disgusting, people never
are. It's remembering that contrast
that's important for nurses.”
Emily Burnham
“Inserting a catheter into a GJ
tube stoma (the tube had just been
pulled out) while the patient was
throwing feces at me.”
28. 10- What was the hardest thing you had to
face when you began working as a nurse?
Theresa Brown
“Fear of failing, of screwing up. As
your on-the-job knowledge and
confidence grow, the fear lessens
because you develop clinical
judgment and learn to trust
yourself.”
Emily Burnham
“Confidence. People don't know
how long you've been a nurse but
rely on you at their weakest
moments. You have to be strong for
them.”
