Uro-Vascular Nurse Interview

Throughout the past several months, we have met nurses in various specialties, including the PICU, public health, telemetry, and more. Today's interview is with a former classmate of mine, Heather. Heather currently works in uro-vascular nursing, and she is in school to be a nurse practitioner. Yeah, she's cool 😊

What type of nursing do you do?

I work on a med-surg floor that specializes in Urology and Vascular patients.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and why you chose that specialty?

I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 14 years old. When I was 15, my neighbor was diagnosed with cancer and so I would sit with her every day until she passed away. That experience really reinforced my love for nursing because I saw how much of an impact a nurse could make on a situation that wasn’t ideal. I thought I wanted to do Hospice nursing when I got out of college, but I was able to get a day shift position on the unit I’m currently working on right out of nursing school so that’s why I picked this speciality.

How is your specialty unique to other types of nursing? Challenges? Rewards?

We see a lot of the same people on our unit. It’s hard because if patients are not controlling their blood sugar it can lead to a lot of complications including multiple amputations and eventually dialysis. This patient population can become critically sick quickly. It's really rewarding to catch things early and know that you saved a life.

Did you work in another specialty before going to this one? If so, how did your prior experience help you prepare for what you do now?

I’ve only worked on this unit.

Is your current job a step towards a bigger goal?

I’m currently going to Clemson University to become a nurse practitioner. That wasn’t my goal after nursing school, but the experience I’ve gotten has really helped me since med-surg nursing can be a lot like family practice medicine.

Did you need special certifications to work where you do? If so, how did you get them?

We need Basic Life Support (BLS) which the hospital provides for us to get recertified every two years. For nurses on our unit we have several specific things that we get “checked off” on like Ketamine and Coude catheters.

What is a "typical" shift like?

I’m assigned my patient group and I get a report on them. I then look at the chart to see their orders. I plan my med pass based on who will need mealtime insulin and who has the most meds. If someone has wound care orders I try to do that with my med pass and assessment (i.e. last). We have a lot of discharges on our unit so if someone knows they are going home, I try to give them a realistic timeline of when I can get them home. I always overestimate how much time I’ll need to do their paperwork because you never know when you’ll be tied up with something else and can’t do their discharge. The rest of the day is just up in the air based on the number of patients and how critically sick they are.

What would you tell a nursing student interested in your specialty?

It can be very depressing when patients don’t seem to care about their own health. Don’t take it personally or let it affect you. All you can do is teach, and it’s the patient’s right to accept or refuse the advice, as sad as that may be.

Anything else you would like to share?

Nursing is really hard but it’s worth it. When you save someone’s life, it’s the best feeling in the world. It makes up for all those times you had a horrible day. Don’t let the first year of nursing discourage you. It feels horrible, but it will get better. You will eventually feel like you know what you’re doing, you will be faster at med passes, and you will trust yourself more. It just takes time.

Thanks, Heather! If you would like to learn more about uro-vascular nursing, or becoming a nurse practitioner, contact Heather at hcowen@g.clemson.edu