Email:
currier.rn@gmail.com
Occupation:
Registered Nurse
Phone Number for follow-up questions:
520-241-0839
Title of presentation:
Nursing
Brief Professional Biography:
I have been a nurse for 10 years: 7 working in critical care, 3 working in the recovery room. I am currently the Assistant Nurse Manager for Pre and Post-Op at St. Luke’s in Meridian, Idaho.
Brief Personal and Professional Biography:
I’m married and my husband is also a nurse. I am the mother of 2 children, 2 dogs, and 1 fish. In my spare time, I try to binge watch as many shows as I can!
What is one highlight of your career field?
I am most proud of my time working as an ECMO Specialist. It is a machine that so few nurses in the world know how to work. I feel privileged to be able to master the machine and take care of ECMO patients.
How did you get to your career?
I broke my foot in Venezuela when I was a freshman in college and the nurses at the clinic were really kind and made me feel safe. I didn’t have a clear major or career path in mind at the time. I decided to come back to the states and purse a career in nursing so I could comfort those who are injured the way the Venezuelan nurses comforted me.
What does your average day look like on your job?
As an ICU RN: Wake up at 0600. Make coffee. Drive to work. Get report from the previous shift. Look up patient’s chart and plan my day. Go into patient room, perform assessment, give meds, clean up after previous shift ;). Participate on rounds with the physician team. Look through new orders from physician. Perform another assessment at noon. Work hard so my patient doesn’t code. Perform another assessment at 1600. Keep trying to keep my patient alive. 1900, next shift shows up. Give report and go home! Each shift is actually so different that there is no “average day” in nursing. In general, an ICU nurse does 3 assessments in a shift. We have 1-2 patients, depending on how sick they are. We are the eyes and ears for the doctors so we are always watching and assessing our patients for changes.
Are there any tips you have for individuals seeking to start this career or do you know if there are scholarship or internship opportunities available with your career?
Get a job in healthcare to make sure you know what you are getting into and it is something you want to do. If you decide nursing is for you, get the best grades you can with your pre-requisite courses because getting into school is very competitive. If you can, you may need to apply to nursing schools out of state to get in faster.
