Stacy Lopez

Special Project Interview

For my special project I interviewed Anne Marie Phelan. She has been a nurse since 1975. Mrs.
Phelan is a nurse in the preoperative unit at Baptist Hospital Main location. She has worked in
this unit for the last 14 years. Prior to working in pre-op, Mrs. Phelan worked in ICU, telemetry
and medical- surgical unit.
1. What has been the most fulfill thing about being a nurse?
The best thing about being a nurse is that I am able to give patients safe healthcare and provide
the upmost safe quality care which is what I strive for everyday. Making the patient feel
comfortable, and the family feel like their loved one is being taken care of. I also like the
personal growth involved with this profession. I am always learning, the job is never boring, and
theres always something to learn and every day is different. When you feel that youre getting
stuck in your field it is easy to go to into another type of unit and there is always room to grow.
You wake up and you never know what youre going to deal with, its something new every day.
2. Have you ever had an experience that has made you question your career choice?
Yes of course, but you take a step back and you think, theres always a positive and negative in
every career but you talk yourself through it: why is this occurring and what happened to cause
this. The best thing to do it go to your support system and realize that tomorrow is another day.
A support system is very important.

My current boss has taught me to have a bubble around [myself], there are always things that
will happen that may make you feel shot down but that protective bubble will allow you to say
tomorrows another day and have confidence in yourself and in your work.
3. Can you give me some pointers on how to handle patients that are giving you a
hard time with complying with medical treatment? What do you do if a patient
refuses care at the risk of his or her own safety?
You never nag the patient. Try to understand where theyre coming from. Talk to the patient,
bring in their support system if theyre available. Understand that there may be another root to
the problem as to why they may be refusing care, and through talking with the patient you may
be able to get to the bottom of things. Accept the patient where theyre at and try to explain to
them the importance of having the recommended procedures and make them understand the
ramifications with refusing care. Explain to them what will be the sequence of events with
choosing not to have the treatment. Always make sure the patient is aware of the positive and
negative of having the treatment done and not done. Sometimes just being present and
establishing a good rapport and building trust can make the difference. If they do refuse, theres
nothing else you can do but make sure they understand the positive and negative of their
decisions.
4. How do you try and create a positive patient experience?
Baptist emphasizes ADET

Acknowledge: always call the patient by their name and who they are. When coming into
a room for the first time introduce yourself, who you are and why youre there. If the
patient has family present, also make the family feel welcomed and comfortable.

Duration: let the patient know how long they should anticipate to be in the hospital, and
what the sequence of events will be. If the patient needs to have procedures performed:
how long, its going to take.

Explanation: always give an explanation; this is what were doing and why were doing
it.

Thank you: always say thank you to the patient and their support system.

5. How do you deal with stressful situations at work?

I always pray in the morning: Lord give me the strength I need today. Give me knowledge to
know what I need to do and wisdom to make decisions. When feeling really stressed, I take a
deep breath, and prioritize, what is most important to be done now. Teamwork, do not hesitate to
call on your team and ask for help.
6. What advice would you give a new nurse going into the hospital setting for the first
time?
Smile and feel confident in yourself. You wouldnt be where you are unless you really knew
your stuff. Its ok to use your resources, and be a team player. When you have down time help
your colleagues (have peripheral vision). Prioritize, work with the doctors, acknowledge them
and work with them. Make sure to take your lunch break, take your 30 minutes to take care of
yourself as well, to refresh yourself.
7. Why did you choose your specialty?
I went through different phases ICU telemetry medical-surgical where I am now. I like
the stimulation, using the knowledge that I have learned. I like to encourage people and make
them feel comfortable which is why I really enjoy the pre-operative environment. In the pre-

operative unit, I always try to make the patients and their family comfortable and cared for. It is
frightening to go in for surgery but I like caring for the patient and then seeing them after theyve
been in surgery and how much better they feel.
8. What is the best way to maintain a good relationship with physicians, nurse
manager, and anyone else in a position of higher authority?
Respect one another. Be open to suggestions and feel confident in yourself. Acknowledge when
you dont know something. Physicians, always demand respect at the bedside. I had a situation
where the physician was putting me down in front of the patient and their family. I did not
tolerate that behavior, I excused myself from the patients bedside and from the physician. Later
I apologized to the patient and the visitors, then talk to the physician after I cooled down and the
situation had blown over.
You do not have to tolerate inappropriate behavior from anyone. Do not feel bad reporting a
physician or someone of higher authority when you feel like you have been put down.
9. What do you do if a physician questions your accuracy of work?
If you dont feel comfortable doing something you refuse to do it, or if its out of your realm you
refuse to do the task. Do not put yourself at risk or at risk of harming the patient. Have a
backbone; you have your knowledge. Never feel like youre alone, ask your colleagues for help
on how to deal with a certain physician or to teach you something you may not know what to do.
10. What are your biggest job motivators?
I believe the motivation comes from within. There is something internal. I always knew I wanted
to be a nurse, I wanted to help people, I wanted to learn and I wanted to give. I believe its

something internal and those who become nurses have to have that drive. After 40 years of being
a nurse I still feel happy waking up and going to work. Its not an easy job, its mental, physical
and emotional but theres that drive to want to be there for someone to make them feel better.