Interview with Monique
Being a nurse for over 32 years, a lot of things have changed; the feeling that I get about nursing hasn’t changed.
How long have you been a nurse?
Monique: I’ve been in nursing for 32 years now. I’ve always loved nursing. It seems to be something in me. I like helping people. Being with people, seeing the progress from being sick to helping them get better and go home.
What inspired you to become a nurse in the first place?
Monique: I wanted to be a teacher first. I chose nursing because I would be dealing with adults rather than children. Being a nurse for over 32 years, a lot of things have changed; but the feeling that I get about nursing hasn’t changed. It’s not as good as it was when I started; it’s more stressful than it used to be.
What are the changes that brought stress?
Monique: The turnover is greater and faster and it’s harder to nurse people back to health. Every surgery takes a certain amount of time to heal but they are not all the same. Generally speaking, it was about 6 to 7 days and we were able to make sure that there was no infection setting in, and if there were other issues like heart problems, we were able to deal with that. Whereas now, the person is there maybe for three or four days and we don’t get a chance to see those things. We see people coming back that we’ve treated before. This is very discouraging as a nurse because sometimes they're coming back sicker than they were before.
What is the hardest thing about being a nurse?
Monique: I think it's on the job stress and that we don’t have a lot of say as a medical person in the outcome of the care.
What would you say is the best part of being a nurse?
Monique: The best part I think is the people we work with and having the patients be appreciative, and just to see them get better. That's what makes it all worthwhile.
How many people do you think you’ve provided nursing for? Have you ever sat down one night and thought about how many patients you’ve probably attended to?
Monique: I don't think I can count, but I’m sure it’s in the thousands.
How did you find out about Carecor?
Monique: When I moved here eight years ago, I was looking for work in my profession and was seeking casual work. I saw this ad in the paper about Carecor and their services and gave them a call.
Did you check other agencies?
Monique: I asked people that I worked with about agencies and we compared notes. So far Carecor is the best.
Do you think the public appreciates and understands the nursing profession?
Monique: I don’t think the public understands as well as some think. They don’t understand that what we have to deal with is not only getting people better.
Do you think the perception of nursing has changed a lot in how people see nursing?
Monique: I think from the patients' and families' perspective, they are more appreciative of nurses. The public sees more about nursing in the news and we’re more in the forefront in peoples' mind and the people in the hospitals see how hard we have to work.
Are doctors different towards nurses now, and if so, how?
Monique: I believe they are, yes. Before it was more of the doctor telling the nurse what to do. Now it's more the doctor working with the nurse as part of a team to find the best outcome.
Tell me what you think is good about Carecor?
Monique: Carecor I find is good because they listen to you and your concerns, and help you solve problems. I feel they’re working as a team with you to provide the best services.
Is there anything you would like them to do that they are not doing?
Monique: I would like them to continue with more educational sessions. I found that these sessions are very useful to me as a nurse and it is nice to be able to connect with other nurses that might have the same problems as me in working on a casual basis in different places. I found them very useful.
What is the most positive thing about Carecor?
Monique: The best part of Carecor is that they work with you as a team. You can tell they are trying to provide the service to the patients. It's not just about the business.
Is there anything they do that you don’t like and wish they would stop doing?
Monique: Waking me up when they know I worked last evening. Waking me up at 9:00 in the morning - you can tell there was no thought behind that phone call. That’s a little disruptive and that’s one of the things I don’t like. Generally speaking, I like the people at Carecor.
If you knew somebody that was looking at going to a nursing agency and you wanted to persuade them to check out Carecor, what would you say?
Monique: I would say, I've worked for Carecor for eight years and I have been happy with the professional service. Working with Carecor is very good.
