Nursing: Making a Difference in People's Lives
by Gabby Hyman
Career School Directory Columnist
June 30, 2006
In June 2004, Wendy Nugent was appointed by UC Davis Health Systems to her role of Assistant Director, Hospital and Clinics, Patient Care Services. She is one of the most highly sought after administrators in California health care. But she started her career as a floor nurse, working in an intensive care unit and attending scenes of shootings, auto accidents, and attempted suicides.
Nugent went into nursing as a second career choice, but today she says it's the best thing that could have happened. It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse, she says. It's Mother's Day and she's agreed to an interview. As she gazes out at the backyard of her Sacramento home, the phone rings from emergency room coordinators.
CSD: Is it always like this?
WN: It is when you're the administrator on call and they have to move patients around.
CSD: Did you plan to become an administrator from the start, or did things just turn out that way?
WN: I knew I would eventually become a manager of some kind. But for me, it's always been about patient safety and patient care. So even in this job, it's still about providing the best in assessing a patient and making sure they are well taken care of. People go to hospitals to receive the kind of care they get from nurses. That's fundamental.
CSD: How did you get started in nursing?
WN: I had a four-year psychology degree and realized that I couldn't find a job with it. My roommate was studying nursing. I thought it would be interesting and it is interesting today. I enrolled in an associate's degree nursing program at Sacramento City College. In California you can complete a two-year program that qualifies you to sit for board exams (to become a Registered Nurse).
CSD: Is that the best way to go?
WN: I'm of the opinion you should get as much training as you possibly can before you report to work, and that means at least a bachelor's degree. Now there's not much incentive, I know, if you can qualify for the exam after a two-year program. But the additional experience and training makes sense, especially if you hope to go into administration.
Eighteen of the 50 states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement which allows you to practice in member states without having to re-certify. Find schools
CSD: What kind of experience did you have as a floor nurse?
WN: Back when I went into nursing, you took a job as a floor nurse in the ER or patient rooms and moved into specialized areas when you had experience. Today you can begin working throughout the hospital after graduation. I liked to work with chronic patients, so moving into dialysis nursing was a good place for me. In nursing, there are 500 ways to go. That's what's so great about it. You do what you like. Some people are suited for burn nursing or neonatal care, others aren't.
CSD: Do you miss your work as a LifeFlight nurse?
WN: I was in the first ever LifeFlight program for UC Davis. Back then there weren't trained paramedics. It was dangerous, always interesting, and exciting, working with an incredible group of dedicated and talented people. Flying in those circumstances is risky, you're exposed to massive amounts of blood, and you get to land on freeways. All helicopters crash -- it's just a matter of when.
CSD: But you left it?
WN: I took two years off to have a son. Then I went into administrative work. I entered a master's program in nursing after working 18 years as a floor nurse. I went to University of Phoenix for two years and it was necessary. I thought I wrote well, and thought I spoke well, and I didn't. Without the masters, there is no way I could do the upper management work I do today. No one could. I went at night and met with my study group one night a week. And I worked full time in nursing at the same time.
Registered nursing positions will make up the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations through 2014. Find schools
CSD: What would you tell students today?
WN: It's critical to have sufficient training as well as significant clinical hours and experience. The money is good, but money should come at least fourth in your reasons to go into nursing. You should want to help people, to work with dedicated and professional colleagues, and want a challenging, flexible job where you make a difference. It's an art making a difference in a patient's life. I can’t imagine why you would do it for the money.
Source
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About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.
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