Q:What's a typical workday like for you?
I work multiple shifts and take care of three to four patients daily, usually adults. Most have had a stroke, brain tumor, craniotomy, cerebral hemorrhage, spinal or neck surgery, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, confusion or dementia. I work with occupational and physical therapists to get patients moving in addition to giving standard nursing care such as dressing changes, monitoring electrolyte levels, fluids and medications.
Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?
Our patients can have extended hospital stays. The nurses make sure they don't have complications such as blood clots. We also work with them through activity and rehabilitation to get them out of the hospital and into a better situation, but not too quickly. I also work with the manger to make sure we're being budget-sensitive.
Q:Who do you interact with during the course of the day?
Everybody -- patients and families, multiple physicians, physical, speech and occupational therapists, the social worker, care coordinator, educators for smoking cessation and diabetes education, and the dietician.
Q:Why did you become a neuroscience nurse?
I did my clinical internship here. I just enjoyed it so much that I applied for a job after graduation. Unlike some floors, you get a very wide variety of patients, plus most of the patients have multiple system problems, so the work has a good balance between complicated and fulfilling.
