INTERVIEW ANALYSIS: MORE THAN A PROFESSION

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS: MORE THAN A PROFESSION

Mary Grace Becker
The University of Kentucky

Abstract

MORE THAN A PROFESSION

This paper will thoroughly analyze two interviews with nurse practitioners that were
conducted over the past month. The main purpose of these interviews was to receive insight on their
professional careers in the hospital. I specifically chose to interview these two professionals because
after completing nursing school, my goal is to attend grad school in order to become a nurse
practitioner. Raquel informed me that she is a current APRN practicing hematology while Leslee
works as an APRN in pediatric oncology. Though both Raquel Brown and Leslee Bertram are
employed in areas at the hospital that deal with different diseases, this analysis will reveal that their
roles and responsibilities are typically the same. This paper will discuss Raquel and Leslees
responses to the questions I asked them. It will also convey how my time spent with these women
influenced my short and long-term goals as a pre-nursing student and aspiring nurse practicioner.
Key words: APRN= Nurse practitioner, oncology, hematology, Raquel, Leslee, interview

MORE THAN A PROFESSION

3
Introduction

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Raquel Brown to hold an informative
interview. Raquel has numerous nursing degrees but is currently a practicing APRN, or a nurse
practitioner, in the hematology clinic for adults and children. Additionally, I had the chance to hold a
second informative interview with Leslee Bertram regarding her career as a pediatric oncology
APRN. Though both Raquel and Leslee work in different areas of the hospital, their autonomous
roles as nurse practitioners remain the same. Through two thirty minute interviews with Raquel and
Leslee, I was able to analyze both and apply their answers to my short and long-term goals.
Body
My first interview I conducted was with Raquel Brown, an APRN, who has 3 masters
degrees, a nursing teaching degree, and PhD. Despite the many years it took, she feels that the field
of nursing always has room to educate yourself. Raquels current position allows her get to know her
patients more on a personal level. She works in the hemophilia treatment center that deals with both
pediatric and adult bleeding disorders. With many years of experience, she feels comfortable to work
at any level of nursing. When I questioned what a typical day in the hospital was like, she
responded by telling me that some days she will have terminally ill patients and others that are
chronic (R. Brown, personal communication, October 5,2015). During these days, she further
explained that she can prescribe medication, perform some medical examinations that doctors
typically do, and diagnosis patients. With this, Raquel concluded by adding that though her role holds
much autonomy, she can still consult with physicians because the medical field operates as a team.
The second interview I conducted was with Leslee Bertram, an APRN in the pediatric
oncology unit. Leslee informed me that, unlike, Raquel, it took her only 3 years after nursing school
to get her APRN degree. In comparison, I found Leslees interview much more interesting as I want

MORE THAN A PROFESSION

to purse her exact career. She knew nursing was for her through volunteer work, where she interacted
with patients and their families. Similar to Raquel, Leslee said that some days she sees patients that
have been off therapy and some that come in for scheduled treatment (L, Bertram, personal
communication, October 14, 2015). As a practitioner, she can conduct a patients assessment and
write their medications or labs. Finally, Leslee concluded our interview by praising her team of
physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Leslee loves her career because she can independently help
patients while still being able to rely on her colleagues for second opinions.
In regards to my short and long term goals, Leslee and Raquel both gave advice on what I
need to do in order to become an APRN. My short term goal is to get into nursing school and both
women said I need to remain diligent in my academics. My long term goal is to be a pediatric
oncology APRN and both told me I need to strive to have incredible clinical skills. This means I need
to be dedicated to nursing and consistently practice assessment in the clinical setting. They stressed
the importance of assessment skills as a practitioner because of the greater responsibility you have
for diagnosis, handling treatment, and ultimately the patients condition. Finally, as I left both
interviews, Raquel and Leslee made me feel extremely inspired and motivated to work hard at my
short and long term goals.
Conclusion
Throughout the course of the interviews, I found myself becoming increasingly passionate
about the field of nursing. With each question I asked either woman, the light in her eyes really
portrayed her love for her career. I could sense with each response they gave that nursing is a very
satisfying role and is more than just a profession. That is something I want to make sure I have in my
own professional job experience. With the same dedication and enthusiasm Raquel and Leslee have
towards nursing, I am positive I will be able to accomplish my short and long term goals of becoming
a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner.

MORE THAN A PROFESSION