Career Descriptions And Education

Sample Career Story

Job Title: Geriatric Nurse

Previous Experience: I worked as a registered nurse in hospitals, specializing in medical nursing. I worked in critical care and medical surgical units. This gave me the necessary background to succeed in long term care.

Job Tasks: As an RN (registered nurse) on a skilled nursing unit my primary responsibility is to coordinate the care for the residents who live here. As the nurse in charge, I make sure all residents have a caregiver and I assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care for each of the residents.

I make rounds with the physician and collaborate with him or her to provide the appropriate level of care. For example, a resident might be having difficulty walking or eating. Together with the physician, we decide on a physical therapy evaluation or a dietary consult. The "plan of care" is very individualized for each resident and there is an interdisciplinary team that works together to create the ideal plan. The team consists of nurse, physician, physical therapist, occupational therapist, dietician, social worker, activities director and in some settings a spiritual care person.

As the nurse, I am responsible for much of the clinical care. It is very important that I administer medication to those residents who have orders. I monitor them for side effects and drug interactions. Diabetic residents need to have their blood sugars monitored and insulin adjusted. Residents require a variety of clinical interventions, from dressing changes to respiratory treatments. I am continuously monitoring vitals signs and responses to treatments. Together with the team, changes are made so that each resident can live up to his or her full potential.

As an RN, I find the duties to be challenging and rewarding. Having worked in other areas of nursing, I find long term care to be the most fulfilling. As residents come through the doors of our facility, I have the opportunity to enhance not only their physical well-being, but also their psychological and social well being. You get to know everything about each person, from birth to the present and you get back ten fold what you give. You meet the most interesting people. Many suffer from dementia, but their ability to communicate continues and you have an opportunity to impact their lives and the lives of their families and loved ones. Each day is a new adventure and a new opportunity to do something wonderful.

Note: The old fashioned name for this industry is a "nursing home". That title has held a negative image and today many places have changed their name to better represent what they do. Many residents come for a short time, to get stronger and go back home. For those who become permanent residents, the goal is remain at the highest level of functioning and to be part of a vibrant community.

Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best part of the job is the satisfaction you get when you care for the resident and you can see a difference in the quality of their days and lives. Some times this take lots of detective work to figure out the best formulas for each resident, but when you get it right, the whole team feels great. The worst part is the paper work. Health Care is highly regulated and documentation is very important and sometimes seems endless. However, technology is finally catching up and in the future I believe documentation will be streamlined.

Job Tips:

• It can be very competitive to get into a nursing program. There is a national shortage of nurse educators.
• Make sure you have taken as much math and science as you possibly can.
• I would also volunteer to make sure this is an environment in which you can work. There are many sights and smells that some people can't take and you should figure that our before you start.
• Practice patience. You will need a lot of it to succeed. Remember, you need to be there for the patient, resident, family and others. If you are not a patient person, you should reconsider this career.

Additional Thoughts: Although not easy, it is the most versatile position with many doors and opportunities. You will never be bored.