A True Life Hero
Ambulance sirens sound throughout the halls, people are rushing around from room to room, and the waiting room is piled up with people. This is how Lori Breaux describes a typical night in the emergency room. “I’ve been doing this for so long now you would think it would feel natural to me, but sometimes I just have to stop and take a deep breath and make sure this is all real”, she explains. Going through nursing school she wondered if it was worth all the stress, but the thought that one day she could be saving peoples’ lives kept her going.
Lori started nursing school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette when she was 18 years old and graduated when she was 22. “It was very difficult at times but well worth it in the end”, she says. She started off working as a home health nurse but she didn’t like all the traveling she had to do. Her aunt was a nurse working in the emergency room so she got together with her and found out what it was like to work in the ER. Three weeks later she got a job working in the emergency room at Abbeville General Hospital.
Lori’s first day working in the hospital was very different than working as a home health nurse. She says, “It was much more fast pace and chaotic than I was used to. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but my aunt made me promise her that I would try it for at least a month before I decided if I wanted to quit or not.” After her first month there she had a completely different attitude toward her job. She eventually learned to like how there was no down time when she was working, but by the end of every day she wanted nothing more than to just sit down and relax.
Lori says that one of her favorite parts about working in the emergency room is all the people that she gets to meet, and the indescribable joy that you get knowing that you are helping make a difference in the world. “Sometimes when I’m not at work I’ll run into someone who I helped in the emergency room and they will thank me for helping them that one time”, she says.
“Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.” (1) Nursing is one of the oldest known professions, especially among women who are recognized as the caretakers. The first school of nursing in the United States was located in New York City. The Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing was founded in 1873. According to an article by Nursing Link, “It’s a very rewarding career, both monetarily and emotionally. Making a difference in people’s lives and bringing them hope and cheer is not something
The nursing discipline embodies a whole range of skills and abilities that are aimed at maximizing one’s wellness by minimizing harm. As one of the most trusted professions, we literally are some’s last hope and last chance to thrive in life; however, in some cases we may be the last person they see on earth. Many individuals dream of slipping away in a peaceful death, but many others leave this world abruptly at unexpected times. I feel that is a crucial part to pay attention to individuals during their most critical and even for some their last moments and that is why I have peaked an interest in the critical care field. It is hard to care for someone who many others have given up on and how critical care nurses go above and beyond the call
Heroism demands self-sacrifice, self-discipline, self-confidence and self-respect. Ulysses S. Grant had these qualities in their most complete form. He set out from humble beginnings, and failed. At the age of 38 was a conspicuous failure. Then, like few of us, he succeeded beyond belief. Had he not had tremendous greatness within him, he could never have accomplished what he did. How did such a simple, honest and humble man raise himself in the eyes of his people and the world to the highest position a man or woman can reach - that of a national hero?
It has been over one year since I have started the accelerated nursing program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. When I first started the program in fall 2014, I have no idea what nursing was like. Although I had my bachelor from another institution, everything I learned was very different compared to the information I have learned in School of Nursing. Nursing school has slowly transformed me into a graduate professional nurse based on the professional development that I have completed along the way.
Nursing is a complex degree, so many different subsets and divisions that it is hard for the common person to fathom. Returning to my education and rediscovering all these theories and ideas is very overwhelming. In my work I am already beginning to see myself change for the better. Work is always very stressful even more so now, and I see myself becoming a leader when in the past I would not have been. While reading the assignment this week and focusing on the Essentials document and the other readings I find myself inspired and saddened. Inspired to becoming a better nurse, co-worker, advocate, and friend in the working environment. Saddened because the last nine years I believed that I was providing excellent patient
In today’s world, one of the most competitive and most rewarding jobs is in the Health Care Field. This field is composed of different areas of specialization that focus on treating, preventing, and diagnosing anything that is threatening patient health. Different professional individuals devote their knowledge to taking care of the health of their patients. However, from all the professions, the professionals that spend the most time with the patients are the nurses. Nurses spend a lot of time with the patients, implementing the orders given by the physicians and monitoring the patients status.
Recently, students of Olympian High School have stumbled upon the question, "What is a hero?" In the school's 2013 Young Minds Essay Contest, students are expected to consider universal concerns and ideas. Many times when people think of a hero, they think of Superman, Batman, and many other Marvel characters who display unattainable superpowers. However, heroes are prevalent throughout the world. A hero can be anyone who has the desire to help others, brave in dangerous situations, and does not look at exterior gain from helping others.
There are few jobs in today’s world that are essential to our society and being a nurse is one of them. Diane Marks Nurse Clinician of Pediatric Allergy at the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg Manitoba granted me the privilege of sitting down to discuss her career . Through this interview I was able to gain perspective on how being a pediatric nurse encompasses more than what is written in the job description. It is more than just needles and antibiotics, but many times it means being a mother, a sister, a friend, a councillor, and many other roles in the patient’s life.
For this assignment I had the pleasure sitting down with Emily Petermeier and getting an insight on what the real nursing world is like. Emily graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in May 2015, and got a job at Fairview East Bank Hospital. This interview really helped me understand what it is like to be a new nurse and the dedication that I have to have going through nursing school and throughout my career. In the interview you will see the perspective of Emily’s endeavors after college and insight for future nurses or nursing students.
After graduating from nursing school with my associate degree, I began working as an emergency room nurse in a level one trauma center in East Texas. It has been 19 years now and I continue to work in emergency care. I now work in a smaller, yet still very busy emergency room. In the past, I have worked in many capacities, and now I am a staff nurse and work a peak hours shift, therefore I am busy the entire 12 hour shift, which I thoroughly enjoy. I precept new employees and students, and I am an instructor for TNCC. I care for patients that are critically ill or injured and also for those who only have minor complaints, and everything in between. I find satisfaction in caring for all levels of patients. Each patient no matter if their complaint is minor or life threatening they have come to me for help and I try and deliver the care they need. Emergency nursing is challenging in that there is always something new to learn and when you think you have seen it all, you will see something new. My relationships with my patients are brief, but I try and deliver the care that the patient needs as efficiently as possible. I feel it is important to interact with them, identify goals and react with care that will help them work towards the goals. If the patient is unable to identify their health goals due to illness then it is up to me to work with family and the physician to determine their goals.
Ever since I was a little girl, my motivation to pursue a career in the medical field was evident. While other children my age watched Cartoon Network, I found more value in shows like ‘Trauma: Life in the ER’ and ‘A Baby Story.’ It wasn’t until high school that I decided I would become a nurse, specifically. I cannot say that I had a revelation or a particular experience that swayed my decision. However, ever since I began pursuing the career of nursing, I discover each and every subsequent day that it is what I was put on this earth to do.
My interest in nursing began at age 18 at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut where I was trained as a Certified Care Partner, then as a Phlebotomist, followed by a two year surgical floor assignment and a one year burn unit stint.
When nurses chose to transition from their customary role to emerging roles in health care or maybe even away from nursing to another career, they might encounter challenges that may perhaps affect the way they feel about change. Bridges and Spencer and Adams summarize the models of transition and describe the challenges and difficulties that one may encounter when going through transition.
By the time she reached the age of 21, Lillian felt that she needed secure work because she didn’t have any plans for marriage. To try to fill the need she had felt, Lillian chose nursing. She enrolled into the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses, and after finishing the two-year program at the Nursing School in 1891, she took a position at the New York Juvenile Asylum.
The profession of nursing has both positive and negative effects on the well-being of nurses, which can lead to learning opportunities for those that are new to the profession. To receive an accurate depiction of the nursing profession, an interview with a currently practicing nurse is conducted and the challenges that they face will be analyzed with the intent of exploring different strategies that can be used when coping with these issues. The nurse that was interviewed stated that she has been in the nursing field for the past seventeen years; with the past ten being in the role of a nurse practitioner (Personal Communication, October 26, 2016). The nurse has experience in a variety of settings, as well as holding several degrees and certificates