Interviewing a Health Professional

 

Name: Alexis Tatum

Position: Registered Nurse

Education: James Madison University Graduate (Nursing Program)

In this interview Alexis was very passionate with her answers and you could tell she really loves her job. She went to explain how nursing was the last thing on her mind but she decided to give it a try and she fell in love!

What inspired you to get in the nursing field?

            At first my major was undecided I never thought I would have become a nursing major and have the job I do now until my mother got really bad pneumonia. Which mean I had to go to the hospital every day and night and sit there with my mother. When my mother came home she still wasn’t at her best for I still had to care for her. Then I noticed I liked doing all the things I had to do for her. Then next thing you know I changed my major to nursing.

What was your path to your career?

The path to the career that I have now which is working as a RN at Mary Washington Hospital was very hard. It had a lot of ups and down. I had the lowest GPA to get accepted in the program so you know I had to work hard and show them that I was much better than those 3 numbers. Then finding a job was also hard because I live in a very small town and we only have one hospital so they had a full staff for nurses. April 15, 2015, I received a call asking if I could come in for an interview and got a call the next day saying I got hired.

What is your favorite rewarding aspect about this job?

Working with babies and children. I have a case of bad baby fever so I love taking care of the babies and little kids. The smiles on their faces are unforgettable. Another aspect I enjoy is dressing up for the holidays. The team and patients always seem to be happy during the holidays.

What is the most surprising aspect about of your job?

            Seeing people make big recoveries. It always surprises me when I see someone in a life threaten situation pull through like nothing ever happened

What is the most challenging aspect about your job?

Of course, when you lose a patient. Losing a patient is like losing a best friend because I make a great bond with all of my patients. Also seeing patients that you can no longer help like there is literally nothing else you can do for them but pray. Another one is telling a kid that they have something they cannot get rid of. It literally crushes them and me.

Advice?

            My only advice to someone who wants to be in this career is be prepare for what you signed up for. You have to be mentally prepared and physically prepared. You can’t break down in front of a patient. You can care for them but crying or being sad about their situation is not going to do anything but make it worst. Physically, you will be picking up people 2 times your own weight sometimes. You never know what’s going to come your way.

 

I learned that nursing isn’t as easy as it looks and you will have a lot of challenging moments, more than I expected. I also learned that nursing can be very emotional. Hearing and dealing with patient’s stories can be very sad. You have to be strong and really want this to be your career.