COMM 1010
I took COMM 1010 as I wanted to get a head start on my college credits and thought it would be a fun class. For this course I am posting two assignments: part two of my interview assignment and a self-reflection.
Interview Part 2:
Memo
To: Ms. Givens
From: Caitlin Gomez
Subject: Interview Analysis Memo
Date: 10/13/14
I was able to interview a Tele-Health Nurse who used to work at Alta View Hospital as a registered nurse. I know her because her daughter used to play on my soccer team.
I have decided that I want to major in nursing and thought this assignment would be more beneficial if I interviewed a nurse so I can learn more about that profession. I was taught all throughout the interview that nursing is such a broad subject. There’s so many different types of nursing you can go into and so many different places you can work at.
This memo includes all the valuable tips and information that I was given during the interview.
The Beginning of the Medical Field:
I learned that the first step to nursing is to finish your pre-requisite classes the first two years and then go on to the nursing part for the rest of the time. She was very prepared heading into nursing school because when she was in high school she did a program similar to the one we have today where students go to the tech center for half the day to take college classes. The good thing she said about nursing was that it has so many different areas to choose from and is such a flexible job. The one downside she said about it was that when she very first began working it took her a while to get comfortable and not be intimidated by the workers around her and the stress of helping patients.
Education:
There are two paths to choose from when it comes to getting your degree in nursing. The first option is an Associate’s degree, which is two years of school. Second, is a Bachelor’s degree, which is four. She decided to go with the four years and get a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN). She said the schooling was overall a great experience, but it did come with many challenges. The classes can be challenging and she suggested getting help from your professor and asking a lot of questions.
A Normal Day For a Nurse:
When working in the ICU, it was very busy for her. She was constantly taking care of patients and sometimes she wouldn’t even get a short break where she could simply sit down. A typical day would be a 12 hour shift, sometimes day and sometimes night. She learned to be able to balance her family life and work and stayed organized to keep track of everyone and everything.
The Demands:
The most difficult thing about nursing I think is the random hours worked. She started out having a hard time with the night shifts and wasn’t used to having to sleep during the day. But after about a year she was able to get used to it. I learned that sometimes the job can be overwhelming with everything going on at the hospital, but that can be overcome with having great coworkers that you can depend on and enjoy spending a lot of time with.
Clearinghouse Questions:
I learned that if I have the opportunity, I should work in a physician’s office or hospital to get some experience before college. It’s also important to stay on top of the work and assignment in college. She used tutors to help her with her more challenging classes and it made a world of a difference.
Analysis of Nursing as my Career Choice:
From the information I learned in this interview, it has made me want to become a nurse even more. Although there are some difficulties that come with it such as the hours, constant helping and dealing with some more difficult people, it really is worth it in the end. I learned that I need to start going and getting as much experience as I can possibly working or interning at offices so I can be prepared for college. Overall, I already knew a lot about nursing, but hearing personal experiences from Michelle gave me an even better idea and knowledge.
Analysis of my Interview Process:
I always feel intimidated talking to adults about such serious things such as professions and I started out nervous, but I ended up becoming more comfortable and it seemed a lot easier than I thought it would be. Something that could’ve been better was if I separated my questions out more on the paper because it was all really close together and hard to read with all I wrote. Another thing I could change would be the length of my notes. I spent a lot of the time writing and I probably should’ve listened better. I think I did well though on not completely following my script word by word and being able to add some comments and questions that I didn’t have written, but worked well.
Overall, this interview was a great experience and I learned a lot from it. Being able to talk to someone with the profession I possibly want helped me learn some good tips and advice. Learning the ins and outs of nursing has helped increase my interest in it. I’m excited to go to college and pursue this career. I enjoyed this assignment and think it really helped.
To: Ms. Givens
From: Caitlin Gomez
Subject: Interview Analysis Memo
Date: 10/13/14
I was able to interview a Tele-Health Nurse who used to work at Alta View Hospital as a registered nurse. I know her because her daughter used to play on my soccer team.
I have decided that I want to major in nursing and thought this assignment would be more beneficial if I interviewed a nurse so I can learn more about that profession. I was taught all throughout the interview that nursing is such a broad subject. There’s so many different types of nursing you can go into and so many different places you can work at.
This memo includes all the valuable tips and information that I was given during the interview.
The Beginning of the Medical Field:
I learned that the first step to nursing is to finish your pre-requisite classes the first two years and then go on to the nursing part for the rest of the time. She was very prepared heading into nursing school because when she was in high school she did a program similar to the one we have today where students go to the tech center for half the day to take college classes. The good thing she said about nursing was that it has so many different areas to choose from and is such a flexible job. The one downside she said about it was that when she very first began working it took her a while to get comfortable and not be intimidated by the workers around her and the stress of helping patients.
Education:
There are two paths to choose from when it comes to getting your degree in nursing. The first option is an Associate’s degree, which is two years of school. Second, is a Bachelor’s degree, which is four. She decided to go with the four years and get a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN). She said the schooling was overall a great experience, but it did come with many challenges. The classes can be challenging and she suggested getting help from your professor and asking a lot of questions.
A Normal Day For a Nurse:
When working in the ICU, it was very busy for her. She was constantly taking care of patients and sometimes she wouldn’t even get a short break where she could simply sit down. A typical day would be a 12 hour shift, sometimes day and sometimes night. She learned to be able to balance her family life and work and stayed organized to keep track of everyone and everything.
The Demands:
The most difficult thing about nursing I think is the random hours worked. She started out having a hard time with the night shifts and wasn’t used to having to sleep during the day. But after about a year she was able to get used to it. I learned that sometimes the job can be overwhelming with everything going on at the hospital, but that can be overcome with having great coworkers that you can depend on and enjoy spending a lot of time with.
Clearinghouse Questions:
I learned that if I have the opportunity, I should work in a physician’s office or hospital to get some experience before college. It’s also important to stay on top of the work and assignment in college. She used tutors to help her with her more challenging classes and it made a world of a difference.
Analysis of Nursing as my Career Choice:
From the information I learned in this interview, it has made me want to become a nurse even more. Although there are some difficulties that come with it such as the hours, constant helping and dealing with some more difficult people, it really is worth it in the end. I learned that I need to start going and getting as much experience as I can possibly working or interning at offices so I can be prepared for college. Overall, I already knew a lot about nursing, but hearing personal experiences from Michelle gave me an even better idea and knowledge.
Analysis of my Interview Process:
I always feel intimidated talking to adults about such serious things such as professions and I started out nervous, but I ended up becoming more comfortable and it seemed a lot easier than I thought it would be. Something that could’ve been better was if I separated my questions out more on the paper because it was all really close together and hard to read with all I wrote. Another thing I could change would be the length of my notes. I spent a lot of the time writing and I probably should’ve listened better. I think I did well though on not completely following my script word by word and being able to add some comments and questions that I didn’t have written, but worked well.
Overall, this interview was a great experience and I learned a lot from it. Being able to talk to someone with the profession I possibly want helped me learn some good tips and advice. Learning the ins and outs of nursing has helped increase my interest in it. I’m excited to go to college and pursue this career. I enjoyed this assignment and think it really helped.
Self-Reflection:
I honestly find this class applicable to nearly any situation I will encounter in my life. It's helped me with obvious school things such as writing papers and completing group projects. But, it has also helped prepare me for when I will start working in a few years. I've learned techniques on how to deal with certain things that may happen in the office. Such as, confrontation, etiquette, problem solving, group projects, etc. This class has taught me people skills. I have learned how to deal with things in a better, more positive way. Communication has helped prepare me for the real world and what is to come after high school.