ISM- MENTOR INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name: Trysten Guillen Period: 1st

Printed Name of Person Interviewed: Valerie Gray

Role of Individual: Mentor- RN, BSN, RNC-NIC

Place/Name of Business: CLEAR LAKE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Business Address: 500 Medical Center Blvd. Webster, TX 77598

Phone Number: (281) 332-2511

Date of Interview: 11/11/2017

Type of Interview: __X__ In Person

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
The fantasy that most people think when they work in the NICU falls between two lines, its either they
are excited to get to work with the babies and that they get to hold them and take care of them, or that its going to
be sad because theres a lot of death. The truth is though that both apply to working in the NICU, you have Level
2 which is a lot of caretaking such as feeding the babies and changing their diapers, and then there is Level 3
where it is a lot of critical care meaning that patients can die.

2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
Currently Ms. Valerie Gray is an RN, she has her BSN, and is an RNC-NIC. She acquired an education
through UTMB and must go through training every two years in order to keep her license and practice in the
NICU. As long as there is technical advancements, NICU nurses will always need to go through training.

3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

Day to day activities are often planned on what takes priority for the patients care, meaning it varies based
on the critical status of the patient, if they need immediate attention than charting and documentations often get
pushed off until there is time to do so. Typically, the nurses start off with getting information from the previous
shifts and then going through the assessments, from there it depends on the patient again and can go from either
charting to taking care of the patient at the bedside. Day to day activities also vary based on what the doctors
orders placed, so at what times they want certain things done, or what times they order treatments to take place.

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Ms. Valerie Gray believes that if she keeps up with the required training and education needed to keep her
license and practice in the NICU she is very secure with keeping her job. As a NICU in whole she finds that the
unit itself is in a secure position as no matter what the unit will sadly always be needed, no matter what situation.

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Ms. Gray sees that the unit will continue stand but find improvements in keeping up with the patients stats and
finding new ways to monitor patients and treat them better respiratory and circulation wise.

5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
Salary can range from anywhere between $60,000 to $100,000 depending on how many hours the
workers want to pick up.

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

(growth potential)
Speaking in terms of the unit growing Ms. Gray sees the NICU needing to expand and develop treatment
for respiratory issues. With this she believes that the unit should also continue to advance technological treatment
in order to keep up with the growing demand for Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.

7. What made you chose to become a NICU nurse? If you could change your area of work, would you?
Why or why not?
Originally Ms. Gray did not go to school to become a NICU nurse, she went to school to study
premedicine and become a doctor. However, her first year in college she saw a commercial of a famous actress
holding a baby, she was playing the role of a nurse, and it hit her that the nurses were the ones who did more one
on one care with the patients, and that was what she wanted. After seeing that she called her mom and said she
wanted to be a nurse and work with the babies, her mom interpreted it as her wanting to work in the NICU and
said that to her, which gave her the impression that that was what she wanted to do. So she went on saying she
wanted to be a NICU nurse not knowing what it was until a Nurse Practitioner student showed her the unit and
she knew that that was what she wanted to do after getting to tour the unit. Ms. Gray if given the opportunity
would not change her area of work as she has found more and more of a reason to love her job every day.

8. Do you prefer to work in Level 2 or Level 3 of the NICU? Why?

Ms. Gray prefers to work in Level 3 more often than Level 2 because of the different environment
compared to Level 2. She likes the rush of critical care compared to caretaking as there is always a new
experience and something to gain from working in this level. Though she appreciates both levels and appreciates
the breaks she can get from Level 2 by working in Level 3 the experience is rewarding to her.

9. How do you deal with the stress with working in the NICU? Does it ever really get to you, what do you
do to prevent it from affecting your work?
Ms. Gray does get stressed when working in the NICU, as does everyone else working at any other job. In
order to control this stress and prevent it from impacting you, you have to take a deep breath and realize that you
are not alone, that there are other people there who know what you are going through and can help you out
through the situation. Yes, there are times that she had said it got overwhelming for her, especially as a new nurse
going into the NICU, but to not let it get the best of you, rather use it as a learning experience to educate yourself
for the future.

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10. Do you support the possibility of stem cell treatment for BPD? Why or why not?
If the treatment can help stop and cure patients of BPD Ms. Gray supports it, as long as it is not coming
from abortions. She does not support the concept of only having a child for the use of stem cells, but if the stem
cells are pulled from the hip like it was tested in Vietnam and more research and testing was done on the
procedure she could see it being a possible treatment used here.

Interview Summary
What information from this interview will you select for your page typed,
bulleted list of research informationto be used in your presentation?
Create a bulleted summary list on the next page.

Half page bullet points:

Ms. Gray has her RN, BSN, RNC-NIC

How Ms. Gray became a NICU nurse and how it led her to this career
Ms. Gray must go through training and educational classes/lectures every two years in order to
keep her license and practice in the NICU.
Salary for a NICU nurse depends on the number of hours picked up
The fantasy and reality behind working in the NICU and how they both sort of see eye to eye,
but play an intricate role in being able to properly do the job as a caretaker in the NICU.
Using your stress as an educational experience for the future and being able to learn from your
mistakes instead of letting it get the best of you.
The different environments between Level 2 and Level 3 of the NICU and how there is a huge
difference between critical care for a NICU baby versus caretaking a NICU baby. The different
feelings and anxiety held between each level.
The growing need for NICUs and how they will never not be needed as a hospital unit, due to
the increasing level of complicated births.
The different experiences felt between incoming nurses going into the NICU versus nurses who
have been working in the unit for a while. Being able to see the differences in the nurses.
Playing by ear as to how to take care of patient in the NICU, basing it on what takes top priority
with the patient and knowing that there is not no set routine with every patient you take care of
as they are each equally different from one another.
The difference between caretaking when it comes to nurses compared to doctors.
The view points on stem cell research as it focuses on a controversial topic in todays society
and hold a good point on what should be morally right when following medical ethics.

Revised Fall 2017