Interviewing a health professional was an assignment designed to give us a better idea of the daily goings of individuals working in the fields we intend to persue. For this assignment, I reached out to one of my mother’s coworkers at Garrisonville Elementrary: school nurse David Ritenour. With him, we discussed his path through schooling, previous medical work, his inspirations, and much more. In the below video, you will be able to listen to the interview. I have also provided the interview notes, in which I’ve noted important points from the interview. Overall, I enjoyed getting to learn more about the occupation. I wanted to interview a school nurse as I feel they are often overlooked. Most would opt to hear from clinical nurses and doctors, but, as someone who has an interest in pediatrics, a school nurse is a job I have considered.
The video can be found on YouTube.com at this address.
| Question | Notes |
| Name and Job Title/Position: | David Ritenour, School Nurse |
| Where do you work? | Garrisonville Elementary School, Stsafford, VA |
| What degrees and certifications do you have for your job? | Bachelor’s in Nursing, working toward BSN license |
| What inspired you to get into your current field? | Nursing has always been his passion. He has worked with both adults and children, working in and outside of a hospital setting |
| How did you get your current job position? What path did you take? | He began with interning at a local hospital, where completed his clinical work as he excelled through university. After he got his degree, he continued working in a hospital setting for about 9 years before discovering the opening at Garrisonville Elementary as a School Nurse. |
| What are your basic roles and responsibilities? | He cares for any and all children who get an injury or feel sick during the school day. He stated his number one task thus far in his time at the school has been giving out ice packs and band-aids. Similarly, he is in charge of the annual school-wide lice check and providing a safe place for students to rest when in emotional distress. |
| What is the most surprising aspect of your career? | He states that the most surprising part of his career was how much he could learn about a child’s homelife based upon their reactions when working with them. He recounts a story in which a student had a fever, and needed to go home. When Mr. Ritenour told the child he would call their parents to come pick them up, the child got very nervous. The kid insisted that they just needed a few minutes of rest and they would be fine, the kid did not want to go home. The exact reason why could not be disclosed, but it was a rather interesting notion. |
| What is the most challenging aspect of your career? | He states the most challenging aspect of his career is that a lot of kids are too nervous or upset to clearly communicate their problems to their doctors. Whether it be through tears, or mumbling, most kids don’t know how to or want to tell their doctors the issues on their own. It’s important to comfort the children and keep them as calm as possible when working with them. |
| What advice do you have for someone getting into the health field? | Develop good study habits.Make sure to Keep a healthy sleep scheduleGive it your all and be confident, especially when face-to-face with a patient.If you present yourself with full confidence, the patient will be more comfortable with you as a healthcare professional. |
| Additional questions/comments/notes | Nursing as a major is a great precursor to many medical fields: pediatrics, physicians, PAs, etc. Dedication is 100% required in medical based careers, don’t try to make it for the money Treat every patient the same, regardless of background or beliefs |