Holloway 1

Hailey Holloway
Mr. White
AP English 12, P.2
27 October 2015
Senior Project Final Paper
Introduction
I have been thinking about the topic of my senior project ever since I started as a
freshman at Santa Susana High School. It took until my senior year to finally decide what I
would commit so many hours to learning and researching. For my senior project, I am
volunteering at the Simi Valley Hospital. I plan to learn the different tasks of a nurse and work
with experienced members of the medical field. This will help me gain experience and expand
my knowledge of working in a hospital environment. Interacting with patients and nurses will
strengthen my connections with them. Watching the nurses work, the many obstacles they face,
and how they overcome these issues will add to my experience. My goal is to become
familiarized with what a nursing profession entails. My time volunteering will allow me to
become more comfortable working in a hospital and help build my confidence. It will also assist
me in deciding if nursing is the right career for me. Additionally, in order to complete my project,
I must research nursing career benefits, schooling and the credentials that are required, different
nursing careers and fields, the transition from nursing school, duties of nurses, stress that comes
along with nursing, and how to cope with the stress.
Why nursing?

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Nurses everyday lives are very rewarding since they spend their days
helping and caring for others (Nursing Career Choices/Education). Saving a life
or nursing a patient back to health gives nurses a sense of accomplishment
(Different Types of Nurses Thinking Through Your Nursing Education).
Nursing jobs are very stable and in demand all over the world (Why Choose
Nursing). Studies show the demand for nursing will increase nearly 20% by the
year 2022 (Best Types of Nursing Careers). Nursing occupations are offered in
every state and schedules can be very flexible especially for those who have
families to care for. Nurses are able to work part-time, full-time, or night shifts
(Nursing Career Choices/Education). Nurses are constantly moving which is
great for individuals who find it difficult to sit at a desk all day (Why Choose
Nursing). Nursing careers offer great benefits and salaries (Ruesink). California
has the highest paid registered nurses salary of the US of $98,400 (Papandrea).
Students who graduate nursing schools seem to have a relatively easy time
becoming hired (Different Types of Nurses Thinking Through Your Nursing
Education).
Schooling and Credentials Required
Not all nursing fields require the same amount of schooling. Nursing field requirements
can range from a high school diploma to a doctorate (Katz). Nursing degree include the
Associates Degree in Nursing (AND), Registered Nurse (RN), Bachelors of Science in Nursing
(BSN), 2nd Baccalaureate (BSN), and Entry-Level Masters of Science in Nursing (EL-MSN)
(Best Types of Nursing Careers). In becoming a registered nurse, there are different
educational paths available (Different Types of Nurses Thinking Through Your Nursing

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Education). A Registered Nurse Diploma, Associates Degree or Bachelors of Science in
Nursing are obtained to become a registered nurse (Top 9 Advantages of a BSN Degree).
Nurses roles are evolving and nurses with higher education are more qualified to fulfill these
duties (King). Registered nurses who have earned a Bachelors of Science in Nursing earn
approximately 40% more than those with a Registered Nurse Degree (Top 9 Advantages of a
BSN Degree).
Nursing Careers and Fields
There are many different career paths offered in nursing. Some include a certified nursing
assistant, licensed vocational nurse, registered nurse, certified registered nurse anesthetist,
certified nurse midwife, certified occupational health nurse, nurse practitioner, and nurse
researcher (Nursing Career Choices/Education). Not all nursing professions pay the same or
require the same work (Katz). A certified nursing assistant helps the registered nurses with basic
tasks (Certified Nurse Assistant CNA Career). Licensed vocational nurses must provide
assistance to the other nurses and physicians, while working in an intense environment
(LPN/LVN Licensed Vocational Nurse Career). Registered nurses are licensed and capable of
doing the duties of a nurse (Registered Nursing Career). They also may increase their
education in order to advance in the medical field (Nursing Career Choices/Education). A
certified registered nurse anesthetist is a registered nurse who received more education and
provides patients with pain relief (CRNA Career-Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist). A
certified nurse midwife is a licensed nurse with more training in delivering babies and they work
in labor and delivery (Certified Nurse Midwife Career). Certified occupational health nurses
are registered nurses who specialize in recognizing health hazards in work and school facilities
(Occupational Health Nurse). A nurse practitioner has achieved a high level of education and

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earned their Masters Degree in Nursing. They are also able to prescribe some medications
(Nurse Practitioner Career). A nurse researcher gathers information in order to improve health
care methods and educate (Nursing Career Choices/Education).
The nursing fields available to pursue are endless. Some nursing fields include
ambulatory care nursing, outpatient nursing, cardiac nursing, critical care nursing, addictions
nursing, emergency and trauma nursing, forensic nursing, and pediatric nursing (10 Different
Types of Nursing Fields that Pay Well). Nurses are not limited to one field (Why Choose
Nursing). Nurses describe working in the hospital as unpredictable and fast paced (Isaac).
Ambulatory care nurses work outside of a hospital environment and must be familiar with
various health conditions and illnesses (Ambulatory Nursing Care Career/Education).
Ambulatory care nurses may work in ambulances, outpatient centers, schools, and homes (Isaac).
Nurses in critical care are assigned fewer patients due to the patients severe conditions and
constant need for medical attention (Critical Care Nursing-Career Education). Cardiac nursing
requires advanced education and training on conditions having to do with the cardiovascular
system (Cardiac Nursing Career/Education). Critical care nurses must communicate with the
patients other specialists and families (Isaac). Nurses who specialize in addictions nursing will
help patients toward recovery from alcohol and drugs (Addictions Nursing Career/Education).
Working in emergency and trauma nursing requires nurses to tend to patients with serious
illnesses or injuries also while working quickly (Emergency Trauma Nursing Career). Working
in forensic nursing, nurses are qualified to work with mentally affected patients and must collect
evidence from victims who have been physically harmed (Forensic Nursing). Nurses working
in pediatric nursing will care for infants, children, and young adults (10 Different Types of
Nursing Fields that Pay Well).Working in a variety of nursing fields will make an individual a

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well-rounded person as well as give a better understanding for which field is most suitable
(Isaac).
Transitioning
The first twelve months of transitioning from nursing school to a career includes
attempting, learning, and knowing (Duchscher). When nurses graduate from school and are hired
they lack confidence and knowledge (Sherman). It takes about twelve months for newly
graduated nurses to fully transition into a professional practice (Duchscher). Over time with
experience, they learn from mistakes and continue practicing (Chandler). New nurses described
their first few months as exciting and frightening (Sherman). The new levels of responsibility
and fear of making mistakes can cause the transition to be overwhelming and intimidating
(Chandler). They observe and are encouraged to ask questions; like any other new job or task it
takes time to adjust (Duchscher).
What do nurses do?
Performing physical treatment and filling out reports are required from hospital nurses
(Isaac). They monitor their patients and inform their families about their progress (The New
Millennium: The Evolving Role and Emerging Role of a Nurse). Nurses must build relationships
with coworkers and patients, also while acting as teachers and counselors (Burger). Hospital
environments are unpredictable and intense; nurses must be prepared at all times and ready to act
quickly in case of an emergency (Gray). Nurses must have multitasking skills, clinical
experience, and be comfortable with caring for patients (Isaac). For nurses to give the best
possible care to patients, it is recommended they have a balance of technical and people skills
(Xu). Registered nurses also require basic skills such as listening, comprehension, and decision

Holloway 6
making (Burger). They must learn how to operate machines, educate patients, monitor patients,
assist doctors, and keep records (Isaac). Throughout a nurses entire career they are constantly
learning and advancing (Xu).
Stress/Emotional Stress
When nurses experience emotional attachment it can cause them compassion fatigue
(Price). Witnessing human suffering can take a toll on the body and mind (Goleman). Nurses
personal lives may be affected if they experience emotional stress and have difficulty coping
(Smith). Stress from nursing can cause negative effects on relationships, sleep, and eating
patterns (Goleman). Nurses are faced with informing families and children of unfortunate news
(Price). They must care for dying and sick patients and are expected to remain positive (How to
Cope with Loss as a Nurse). Nurses become emotionally attached to their patients and watching
them suffer in pain is depressing (Goleman). They must also comfort patients, while trying to
mask their true emotions (Price).
An understaffed hospital, demanding administration, stressful atmosphere, and the death
of a patient can cause nurses to be exhausted or burnout (Smith, Chandler). Nurses must learn
to cope with their grief in order to do their job correctly. Nurses who work in critical patient care
experience the most emotional stress and grief because almost all patients experience painful
suffering and death (How to Cope with Loss as a Nurse). It is important to acknowledge
emotions as a nurse rather than hide them. Boundaries should be set between the nurse and
patient (Price). This does not mean nurses should be distant and brief with their patients, but
learning to let negative thoughts go at the end of the day is crucial (Goleman). Nurses must take
care of their well-being in order to correctly assist their patients (Smith). There must be a balance

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between being a detached, unfriendly nurse and a nurse who becomes too attached with their
patients. Learning to cope with emotional stress cannot be learned in nursing school, but is a skill
acquired with experience (Price).
How to cope with Stress
Caring for oneself is the most important in efforts of decreasing stress (Smith).
Developing a healthy diet, an exercise routine, and plenty of sleep is the best way to help the
mind and body (Try These De-Stress Techniques during Nursing School). Creating time for
friends and family in a busy schedule is a must. Loved ones can help at stressful times and give
advice (How to Cope with Loss as a Nurse). Clinical time is helpful because students are able
to use techniques and information they learned in class on real patients (Try These De-Stress
Techniques during Nursing School). Becoming friends with coworkers or other nursing students
will greatly improve a nurses experience. By sharing advice and common struggles, nurses form
a bond between each other that will lessen the stress of a demanding occupation (Smith). By
practicing and learning through experience is the best way to become familiarized with the skill.
Students gain confidence with time and learn from any mistakes (Goleman).
Nursing school requires hard work, dedication, and constant studying for tests which can
cause stress especially when trying to balance work and school (Try These De-Stress
Techniques during Nursing School). Keeping organized and creating a studying schedule will
help decrease chances of becoming overwhelmed (How to Cope with Stress on the Job).
Prioritizing and focusing on the main concepts will result in less stress while creating better
nurses (Isaac). Post-It notes, phone reminders, an agenda, or bulletin board are great ways to stay
on task (Try These De-Stress Techniques during Nursing School). Some students begin to

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regret their decision and wonder whether it is worth it to continue. These negative thoughts will
only make it harder (How to Cope with Stress on the Job). Reminding oneself of why they
decided to pursue nursing will help them remain focused. (Try These De-Stress Techniques
during Nursing School). When a student has completed nursing school and is hired at a job they
love, it will be well worth it (Smith).
Conclusion
My research has assisted me in building a foundation of basic knowledge of the
responsibilities of a nurse and the struggles of a person working in the medical field. I have an
idea of what it is like to work in a hospital setting which will help me ease into my weekly
volunteering at the Simi Valley Hospital. With an idea of how to better aid patients, I will be able
to ensure a comfortable stay for the women and children in the Womens Unit. Communicating
and checking on people in the Womens Unit will allow me to interact with patients. I am capable
of showing care and compassion towards the patients. I am also willing to answer any questions
they may have to the best of my ability. I hope to build friendships with the staff and patients.
Making the patients stay an enjoyable one will be my most important duty. Receiving orders
from the nurses will improve my listening skills. Researching the schooling needed to become a
nurse, the perks that come along with a nursing occupation, and the types of nursing fields have
provided me with a better understanding of the benefits of a nursing profession. Nursing school
will be a challenge, but studying and keeping organized will help me stay on track. To be able to
attain a nursing career would be so rewarding. I intend to pursue a nursing career and my
findings have helped me come to this conclusion.

Holloway 9

Work Cited
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Isaac, Celia. "What Does a Registered Nurse Do?" What Does a Registered
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