I recently reached out to a high school friend, Emily Weis, who became a Pediatric Cardiac ICU Nurse. We spoke about her job, her feelings towards nursing, and her path to where she is now. I am very fortunate to bring you this interview.
Ezra: Hi Emily! Thank you for joining me today! So, last time I talked to you, we were in high school. What has happened since then?
Emily: Thanks for having me, Ezra! Since high school, I went off to attend college at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. I planned to major in biology and go down the Physician Assistant path. However, after doing my research and talking with some PA’s, I decided that wasn’t the career for me. I thought that I would enjoy being a nurse more, being that I wanted to interact with patients on a more wholesome level, and I really enjoyed the bedside aspect of nursing. So I ended up applying to FSU’s nursing program (kind of last minute) and got in! In May 2018 I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I took that following summer off to spend time with my family in St. Augustine, FL, and study for the NCLEX of course (AKA the test that I had to pass to officially become a Registered Nurse). I eventually took a job at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC, in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Since before nursing school, I had never doubted that I wanted to work with children, so landing a job like this was a total dream come true! So I moved up to Raleigh, NC, and have been living here and loving it since this past October!
Ezra: Wow, that's some great news! Can you go more into the training required to become an RN?
Emily: The training required to become an RN consists of a 4-year baccalaureate program. Two of those years consist of taking pre-requisites, such as the necessary science, math, English, and elective courses that the College of Nursing requires you to take before entering into their program. Once sophomore year rolled around and I had taken half of the pre-reqs and was on course to take the other half, I was then eligible to apply for FSU’s College of Nursing. Once I got accepted, I only took courses specific to nursing for those next two years until graduation. Along with the courses, there were clinical hours I completed in nursing homes, and hospitals, on various different units. The program ensured that we got the chance to experience a variety of different nursing specialties, which included working with geriatrics, pediatrics, acute and chronic illnesses, palliative care, etc. After graduation, there was an exam called the NCLEX, which was required for me to pass in order to become a licensed Registered Nurse. After passing that, the training was complete until unit specific orientation, which lasted about 3.5 months, once I got my job at Duke!
Ezra: What’s the day-to-day life as a Pediatric Cardiac ICU RN? Do you like it?
Emily: I absolutely love working in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU. I love that as I gain more experience over the next few years, I will be able to sort of "master" the cardiovascular system. It’s hard to say what a typical day is like in the PCICU because every day is different depending on the acuity of the patients. However, the one thing that remains constant is the amazing support from my coworkers that I have every shift.
Ezra: How competitive is it to get a job in your particular specialty of nursing? What should aspiring future nurses focus on to get the job they want?
Emily: In nursing school, many of the students wanted to pursue a career in pediatric intensive care nursing as well. I remember a professor telling us that not even half of the people who wanted to work in that field would actually land a job like that fresh out of nursing school. I knew for a fact that I only wanted to work with children, so learning that the specialty I wanted to go into was super competitive made me a bit nervous. With that being said, some people ended up taking jobs in specialties that they weren’t as interested in so that they could begin their nursing career sooner. I had offers I could have taken for adult nursing jobs, but knew I didn’t belong in that field. It took some time and patience for me to land a nursing job that I wholeheartedly knew I wanted, which is why I didn’t actually begin working until October. I'd tell future nurses to never give up on a specialty they want, even if it is super competitive. It may take some time and if you have to start on a different unit with a different patient population, so be it. But if you always wanted to work in lets say an ICU, never stop trying to get there because some day it’ll be your time. I also encourage future nurses not to let other people discourage them. I heard plenty of times that “new graduates shouldn’t start in the ICU”, and I almost let it scare me out of applying for the job that I now have. However, I personally think that the experience that I am gaining from beginning my nursing career in the ICU will only help me grow into a better nurse with stronger critical thinking and assessment skills. Future nurses, you can do whatever you set your mind to!
Ezra: Tell me about some struggles you have faced as a relatively new nurse.
Emily: Being a new nurse, there are many struggles that I have faced. I think something I struggled with a lot was being unfamiliar with the unit I was working on. It was a new environment with people I had never met before and some disease processes and defects that I had never heard of. It took some time to get acclimated to my new coworkers, the patient population, where things were on the unit, and how things were run. It’s only been a little over 4 months, so I’m still in that process, but I know with experience it will all become more familiar and things will get easier.
Ezra: I’d imagine that you have to be emotionally strong to work at the bedside of seriously ill children. How do you manage to put aside the emotions?
Emily: I feel that being a nurse in pretty much any setting has the ability to be emotionally taxing. Being in the ICU, a lot of the situations we have to deal with may be a bit more serious do to the acuity of the patients. I’ve been there to hug a mom when she couldn’t control her happy tears once she saw her baby thrive without a breathing tube. I’ve also been there to see the terror in parents eyes when they see their newborn baby go into cardiac arrest, watch as the nurses begin CPR, and have no idea whether their child will survive. I’m able to put my emotions aside because I know that if I let my emotions get to me, my judgment will be clouded. These parents rely on us medical professionals to ensure that their children get the best care that they possibly can, so I make sure to take part in that and leave the emotions in the back of my mind. Holding in emotion can become unhealthy, so this isn’t to say that there aren’t times I do get emotional, however, sometimes it's in the patients best interest that I focus on the clinical aspect of their care and deal with my own emotions at a later time.
Ezra: What are your favorite and least favorite things about your job?
Emily: My favorite part about my job is when I see the patient that has been in the unit for months finally get to go home, or even when I spend those few extra minutes giving a baby a nice soap and water bath. It’s also great when I’m able to spend some time actually playing with some of the children, to help them take part in normal child-like activities. By far, my least favorite thing about my job is when I hear the words, “there’s nothing else we can do” and watch an innocent child’s life come to an end. There are no words to describe moments like that, and I don’t think it’s something that will ever become easier. It’s the most unfortunate part of the job.
Ezra: What do you like doing outside of work?
Emily: On my days off I enjoy getting outside, doing outdoorsy things like hiking. I love going to the gym, working out, and reading. I babysit for a local family on some ‘days off’ as well. I also make sure to hang out with friends because I learned fast that its very important to have a social life to get my mind off of the stress of work!
Ezra: Where do you see yourself in10 years?
Emily: In 10 years, I see myself married to my now fiance, Clint, still living in Raleigh, NC, or possibly back in St. Augustine, FL to be closer to family. I plan on going back to school in a few years to become either a Family or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I don’t see myself working in the hospital setting for the rest of my nursing career. I plan on hopefully working in a pediatrician's office or clinic setting once I become an NP!
Ezra: What are some things you think the general public should know about your field?
Emily: Something that I think the general public should be aware about nursing is that even during the less busy shifts----when from the outside it looks like we may not have as many tasks-----nurses are always thinking about the possibility of what could happen. The worst is constantly in the back of our minds, we plan for the “what-ifs” and prepare for situations if they were to go south. There isn’t a minute of the long 12 hour shifts that is spent care-free. Our job requires us to be attentive every second of every shift-----we aren’t given a break. With that being said, please be patient with us nurses because we are doing the best that we can!!
Ezra: This has been great! Thanks for joining me!
Emily: Of course, thank you for reaching out! My pleasure!
If you are healthcare provider looking to share insights about your job, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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