I Am a Critical Care Nurse Dorothy Horgan, CCRN, CMC, is staff nurse in the critical care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Why did you become a nurse? I never imagined being anything else. My mother, aunt, and cousin are all nurses and I often say nursing is in my blood. I was fortunate to have them as wonderful role models; their support and encouragement got me where I am today. What about your job as a nurse makes you happy? Many grueling days go by but all I need is one moment to make it worthwhile: a simple acknowledgment from a coworker, a patient, or a family member turns my day around and makes me happy. Also, being a critical care nurse is exciting because of the challenges and unique experiences that keep us on our toes. Tell us about an extraordinary experience you’ve had as a critical care nurse. An experience that stands out for me was when a young patient showed me that being a mom always comes first. She had developed cardiomyopathy during her second pregnancy and it had been mistreated for several years. Although she was finally receiving proper treatment, she needed a heart transplant. She had a 12-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. The patient’s niece overheard the physicians talking and told the patient’s children that the daughter was the reason their mom needed a new heart. The patient found out when her son told her that he was mad at his sister because she was the reason his mom was dying. The patient was amazing. She reassured and comforted her children, spoke to them candidly, and let them voice their feelings and concerns. A woman so sick she could barely brush her teeth showed me how love can give us strength to do wonderful things. She comforted her children without getting upset; she just made it better and I think that was extraordinary. ©2013 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ccn2013136
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CriticalCareNurse
What are the challenges you encounter and how do you overcome them? One of the biggest challenges is not getting consumed by sadness. Our patient population is diverse and we see a lot of patients who need end-of-life care. I sometimes struggle to separate my emotions from providing patient care, and I try to find a balance between sympathy and empathy. Some days are easier than others. What has your journey as a nurse been like? Challenging! I started out on a telemetry unit and after 5 years I got the guts up to move to critical care. Those first 5 years were a great learning experience; I got a strong foundation because of an amazing manager and a great group of coworkers. My transition to the intensive care unit was rocky, but now I can truly appreciate all it takes to work in critical care. This field has given me exposure to a broad patient population and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. At the end of a busy day, how do you find balance in your life? I struggle with balance, especially because of my 3 daughters and their busy schedules. However, my family keeps me grounded, especially my husband who supports me in everything I do. Working in critical care helps me keep things in perspective and reminds me to value what I have. How has AACN played a role in your career? AACN is my resource for everything. There are times when I feel like AACN must have overheard a conversation about a patient because the next day I will find something in Critical Care Nurse or on the AACN website pertaining to that very issue! Also, certification was a huge accomplishment for me. I am so proud of getting my CCRN and as an Ambassador for Certification I encourage my peers to do the same. We use AACN articles for our journal club and even take advantage of the continuing nursing education articles. AACN guides my practice, and its resources are a great asset to all critical care nurses. CCN I Am a Critical Care Nurse features the extraordinary in a critical care nurse’s ordinary experiences. To be featured in this department, contact Critical Care Nurse via e-mail at [email protected].
Vol 33, No. 6, DECEMBER 2013
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I Am a Critical Care Nurse Dorothy Horgan Crit Care Nurse 2013, 33:84. doi: 10.4037/ccn2013136 © 2013 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Published online http://www.cconline.org
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Critical Care Nurse is the official peer-reviewed clinical journal of the American Association ofCritical-Care Nurses, published bi-monthly by The InnoVision Group 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Telephone: (800) 899-1712, (949) 362-2050, ext. 532. Fax: (949) 362-2049. Copyright © 2011 by AACN. All rights reserved. Downloaded from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/ by guest on March 21, 2015
Why did you become a nurse? I never imagined being anything else. My mother, aunt, and cousin are all nurses and I often say nursing is in my blood. I was fortunate to have them as wonderful role models; their support and encouragement got me where I am today. What about your job as a nurse makes you happy? Many grueling days go by but all I need is one moment to make it worthwhile: a simple acknowledgment from a coworker, a patient, or a family member turns my day around and makes me happy. Also, being a critical care nurse is exciting because of the challenges and unique experiences that keep us on our toes. Tell us about an extraordinary experience you’ve had as a critical care nurse. An experience that stands out for me was when a young patient showed me that being a mom always comes first. She had developed cardiomyopathy during her second pregnancy and it had been mistreated for several years. Although she was finally receiving proper treatment, she needed a heart transplant. She had a 12-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. The patient’s niece overheard the physicians talking and told the patient’s children that the daughter was the reason their mom needed a new heart. The patient found out when her son told her that he was mad at his sister because she was the reason his mom was dying. The patient was amazing. She reassured and comforted her children, spoke to them candidly, and let them voice their feelings and concerns. A woman so sick she could barely brush her teeth showed me how love can give us strength to do wonderful things. She comforted her children without getting upset; she just made it better and I think that was extraordinary. ©2013 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ccn2013136
84
CriticalCareNurse
What are the challenges you encounter and how do you overcome them? One of the biggest challenges is not getting consumed by sadness. Our patient population is diverse and we see a lot of patients who need end-of-life care. I sometimes struggle to separate my emotions from providing patient care, and I try to find a balance between sympathy and empathy. Some days are easier than others. What has your journey as a nurse been like? Challenging! I started out on a telemetry unit and after 5 years I got the guts up to move to critical care. Those first 5 years were a great learning experience; I got a strong foundation because of an amazing manager and a great group of coworkers. My transition to the intensive care unit was rocky, but now I can truly appreciate all it takes to work in critical care. This field has given me exposure to a broad patient population and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. At the end of a busy day, how do you find balance in your life? I struggle with balance, especially because of my 3 daughters and their busy schedules. However, my family keeps me grounded, especially my husband who supports me in everything I do. Working in critical care helps me keep things in perspective and reminds me to value what I have. How has AACN played a role in your career? AACN is my resource for everything. There are times when I feel like AACN must have overheard a conversation about a patient because the next day I will find something in Critical Care Nurse or on the AACN website pertaining to that very issue! Also, certification was a huge accomplishment for me. I am so proud of getting my CCRN and as an Ambassador for Certification I encourage my peers to do the same. We use AACN articles for our journal club and even take advantage of the continuing nursing education articles. AACN guides my practice, and its resources are a great asset to all critical care nurses. CCN I Am a Critical Care Nurse features the extraordinary in a critical care nurse’s ordinary experiences. To be featured in this department, contact Critical Care Nurse via e-mail at [email protected].
Vol 33, No. 6, DECEMBER 2013
Downloaded from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/ by guest on March 21, 2015
www.ccnonline.org
Downloaded from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/ by guest on March 21, 2015
I Am a Critical Care Nurse Dorothy Horgan Crit Care Nurse 2013, 33:84. doi: 10.4037/ccn2013136 © 2013 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Published online http://www.cconline.org
Subscription Information http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/subscriptions Information for authors http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/misc/ifora.xhtml
Submit Manuscript www.editorialmanager.com/ccn
E-mail alerts http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/subscriptions/etoc.xhtml
Critical Care Nurse is the official peer-reviewed clinical journal of the American Association ofCritical-Care Nurses, published bi-monthly by The InnoVision Group 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Telephone: (800) 899-1712, (949) 362-2050, ext. 532. Fax: (949) 362-2049. Copyright © 2011 by AACN. All rights reserved. Downloaded from http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/ by guest on March 21, 2015
