For my Health Profession Interview, I interviewed Nurse Jordan Best. She is a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit and is currently a travel nurse in Charleston, SC working in the COVID ICU. She went to an ADN program and graduated in the spring of 2014, and is  BLS certified, ACLS certified, and FCCS certified. What inspired her to get into the field is that she grew up in a family full of nurses, including her mom. When she was younger she always admired what her mom did and she knew she wanted to impact people the way that her mom impacted her patients and their families. She knew after high school she would start to apply to nursing school, she really had no other career interests. Nursing just felt like it was what she was called to do. Her path to her current job is that she worked in a Medical Intensive Care Unit for almost 5 years before she started to do travel nursing. She is so thankful for those 5 years because they really molded her to be the nurse that she is today. After getting married, her husband and she decided that they wanted to travel to some new areas before settling down and having kids, so she took her first travel RN position 2 years ago in the ICU at Myrtle Beach, SC. They have traveled in South Carolina and North Carolina so far and have loved the flexibility and growth that it offers. Her basic roles and responsibilities as an ICU nurse include attending to critical conditions; attending to patients and supporting their families; attending to physicians; assisting physicians in procedures such as inserting a central line; monitoring life support equipment; measuring vital signs; administering IV’s; giving medications; titrating critical medication drips; ensuring the proper functions of feeding tubes, ventilators, catheters, and other life support equipment; attending to the patient’s overall needs which includes feeding, bathing, dressing, and comfort; provide support and education. She said ICU nurses must be able to handle stressful and critical situations and have critical thinking skills. Her most rewarding aspect of having a nursing career would hand down be the difference you make in the patient’s lives. She said it is an overwhelming feeling of joy to see a patient overcome an illness and know that you were a part of their healing process. She said that something that may surprise some people about nursing is how much they are on their feet during their 12-hour shifts. She always knew that nurses were busy on their feet, but a recent study found that nurses walk 4 to 5 miles in a 12-hour shift which is pretty crazy! To put that into perspective, the same study stated that an average American adult walked 2.5-3 miles over an 18 hour period. So she states comfortable shoes are a must! 

The most challenging part of nursing for her personally over the years is how mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting it is. It is definitely a rewarding career as she mentioned in a previous question, but it is nowhere near easy. It can be very difficult on your body and your mind. Some days it is very challenging to leave work at work. She tends to struggle with taking some situations home with her when she grows close to a patient or when she has taken care of them for a long period of time. The last year has been the most challenging in her nursing career due to working strictly in COVID ICU. The things she has seen, and the emotions she has felt are unforgettable. She said that if she could give anyone advice that is considering entering the health field would be to take care of your patients as if they were your loved ones. Imagine if it was your mom, or dad, or grandmother, or sister, or brother, or cousin, or uncle; how would you want them to be cared for? Join the healthcare world for the right reasons and know that even during the hardest shifts you will have, you are making a difference. Have compassion for others and be caring, take deep breaths, say positive affirmations, have an outlet to release your stress and high emotions when you need it, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. The beauty of nursing is that you learn something new every day, no matter how long you have been practicing.