What does a nurse do?

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What does a doctor do?

by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

-- Don't miss our interview with nurse Sarah Farkash of New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell! Scroll down!!--

You’ve probably encountered nurses at work when you were feeling sick at school or when you went for a check-up at the doctor’s office. Nurses do a huge range of important things that help keep people healthy, make them better when they’re sick, and support patients and their families!

Nurses work in lots of different places like hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, people’s homes, schools, camps, and more! Depending on where he or she works and the level of training they’ve had, a nurse can do a big variety of different things. Some nurses take temperatures, give shots, administer medicines, and check patients’ blood pressure and pulse. Other nurses might prescribe medications, order tests, and help diagnose a patient’s problem. There are nurses who assist doctors during surgery, and nurses who help deliver babies!

Lots of nurses work closely with patients and families, helping them, supporting them, and educating them about things they need to know take care of their illnesses and stay healthy and happy!

whyzz interview with nurse Sarah Farkash from New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell:

1. Why did you want to become a nurse?

Ever since I was little, I wanted a job where I could help people and work with kids. I wanted a job where I could be a part of a team, and one that would keep me interested every day. As a pediatric ICU nurse (what I do now), I take care of very sick kids. I work together with doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, child life specialists, social workers, and more to help the kids and their families. I love this job, but I could be happy in a million other nursing jobs too!

2. How did you become a nurse?

Once I knew I wanted to be a nurse, I went to college for 4 years. You can also become a nurse through a 2 or 3 year program too. After finishing school, I had to take a very big test to get my nursing license. Then I found a job and got special on-the-job training for another intense 12 weeks (called orientation) before I worked as a nurse by myself.

3. What is your typical day like?

I come into work in the morning and the nurse from the night shift gives me the "shift report," meaning he or she tells me how my one or two patients did overnight, and we talk about the plan for the next shift. Then I assess my patients; I listen to their hearts and lungs, and I double check all the medicines and the machines we are using to help them get better. After that, my day is very busy. Sometimes I take patients to tests like MRIs and CT scans, sometimes I take my patient for surgery, sometimes we do little surgeries at the bedside. I give medicines, draw blood for tests, and adjust the machines we're using to help the patient. Most importantly, I keep in constant contact with the other members of the team so we can keep making decisions together about how to help the patient best. After my 12 hours are over, I give my shift report to the next nurse!

4. What's the best part of your job?

The best and most rewarding part of my job is that I'm not just taking care of one person. My patient may be a little boy or girl, but their mom or dad will have to help them when they're able to go home so I teach moms and dads too. When a patient is able to go home healthy, they're excited but so is their whole family and all of their friends too. It feels really special to know that I'm helping all those people!

Sarah received her BSN and MSN from UPenn. She has worked in NYC at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit since July 2006. She is currently hunting for nurse practitioner jobs (the kind of nurse who can prescribe medicine, order tests, and diagnose problems) since she finished her MSN in August 2010.