New Nurse Graduate Position. Like Most Nursing

¶ … new nurse graduate position.

Like most nursing students, when I was growing up I began to see myself as a caretaker; I always wanted to help people any way that I could. In middle and high school I volunteered at the local hospital from time to get a feel for what nursing would really be like, and this experience only made me want to pursue the career more. Now my dreams are becoming a reality -- I was accepted into a two-year BSN program at UNC, and I have been working as a nursing assistant on the general surgery floor at UNC Hospital since May, 2010. I love my job and can't wait to continue my education and gain more experience.

Please describe a time when you provided exceptional patient care.

One incident from my clinical experiences stands out in my mind as a quintessential example of what nursing is all about. During this time, I provided care for a 70-year-old Caucasian male, Mr. R in the Cardiac Care Unit at VA Hospital. This patient came to CCU because he had ST elevation after undergoing a colostomy. Since he was only one day post-op he was still in a lot of pain, had a new ileostomy, and a JP drain. All of my other patients at the time had family members and friends visiting them in the hospital and providing strong social and emotional support. But this patient had no one except me, so I was able to feel the full force of what my caretaking can do to improve someone's outlook and mood and speed up their recovery. Every time I smiled at him or did anything to help him, I could see his eyes light up and I felt so needed and valuable. Mr. R never did get any visitors, but over the course of the two days of my care, he progressed from not having any desire to get out of bed and not being able to bathe himself, to assisting me with his own bath and walking a lap around the hallway. To me, this experience exemplified what nursing is all about: to provide care and a warm personality for a patient who is suffering, in order to aid and improve their recovery. This is very simple, yet very meaningful to me.

4. Why do you want to work for Rex Healthcare?

I have maternity and medical surgical clinical experiences in Rex Hospital. I like the charting system, the work dynamics, and the atmosphere. I get a sense there of being supported, and of everyone really working together as a team.

Ideas to add: What is a memorable maternity experience and medical surgical clinical experience from Rex Hospital?