military experience; lived in turkey 2 years, skilled infusion, oncology,What type of job are you looking for? registered nurse position What nationality are you? american What languages do you speak (and at what level)? english What country or area are you looking to work in and why? Iraq, I want to be a part of helping our troops that are injured and hurting, both physically and mentally. What countries have you worked in? turkey-but not as a nurse What field do you currently work in? I am a primary care nurse in a Veteran's Administration clinic; responsible for triage of veterans, minor surgeries, dealing with patients with PTSD, drawing blood, education and training. What fields have you worked in before? oncology infusion nursing primary care psychiatric ward What qualifications do you hold? infusion, phlebotomy, charge nurse, oncology infusion, patient education and teaching, assist with minor procedures ie: biopsies, sutures, cyst removal. Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? I think it's important to have a strong educational background, but skills are definetly what's needed in today's world of nursing. Hands-on with patients with the skills you bring to the setting is the best way to treat and to be a part of your patient's care. Describe the benefits of working with others Team Work!!! It is so important that you get along with co-workers in order to have continuity of care for the patients. Working together helps everyone involved to evaluate situations and better care for the patients. Having an extra pair of hands, eyes, ears and legs, helps everyone get things done correctly and in a timely, orderly fashion. Describe the benefits of working alone Sometimes it's inevitable that a situation will arise that will leave you handling everything for a patient. Autonomy is well utilized in these situations. This is where your critical thinking skills and nursing skills come together for the good of the patient. What was your worst working experience? I was working on a psych ward my first year out of nursing school. Being the new kid on the block was a little unnerving but rewarding. I was doing suicide watches every 15 minutes and soon after my shift was over, a patient hung herself in the closet. I felt responsible for what happened and took it personally for a while. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? I have learned over the years that our patients are the reason we have a job. Every patient counts on us and we owe it to them to give them the very best care available. Many die and deserve to die with dignity. We have to move on to the next patient and give them the best care we possibly can. What unique skills do you have? phlebotomy lifeport/PICC line care organizational skills communication skills oncology skilled educator/trainer minor surgery experience triage skills currently a primary care nurse in a Veterans Affairs Clinic What would you consider as your 'dream job'? I am working in my dream job. I love nursing and caring for my patients. My current job as a primary care nurse gives me the autonomy to take time with my patients to listen, educate and care for what the patients think is most important at their visit. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? The fact that I see patients from all walks of life. I hear stories all the time about WWII and Vietnam. Some patients may not remember what they had for breakfast, but they sure can tell you every detail of what happened over 60 years ago. I learn from these patients on a daily basis. Serving those who served makes me very proud to be a nurse. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? Some of my patients are uneducated and homeless. That is very difficult to deal with, but we do our best to get them the resources they need in order to participate in their own care. Why would I want to go to a dangerous foreign country to work? Well, I come from a military family. My father was in the Army. My husband and I were both active duty, my son is currently in the Air Force. I have lived overseas in the past and even in Turkey for 2 years. I loved learning about different cultures and people. Being able to care for others in that setting seems very rewarding to me. I was in Turkey when the marine barracks blew up in Kuwait back in the 80's. We were on alert for 4 days and lived in qwansit (spelling?) huts. I am use to hardships. How can potential employers contact you? cell phone 850-832-3255 e-mail djones05@knology.net address 7120 Patronis Dr #904 Panama City Beach, FL. 32408 | 
