America’s Nurses Interview Article – Trauma Nurse
Dec 15, 2014 | 10:00 am
“Every day, nurses remind us there is a cycle. We live and die and get sick and our families mourn and there is another day,” said Carolyn Jones in a piece on Good Morning America on May 8, 2014. “Technology is a miraculous thing and saves our lives, but we have forgotten that someone has to get you and your family through it.”
She is absolutely correct in that people die. It is a fact of life that trauma nurses rail against on a daily basis. It is the nurses that try to prevent the death. They are not counselors, but their presence and conversation help many people adjust to a new reality.
What is a Trauma Nurse?
A trauma nurse is the first line of care for patients experiencing emergency medical situations. They are very specialized nurses who must be prepared to handle any medical situation even before time allows for a diagnosis to be made regarding the nature of the disease or injury. The nurses provide their own specialized services in emergency rooms and similar environments with generally chaotic situations as a near norm. Nurses must be able to coordinate information from the patient, families and widening information web to doctors and fellow nurses. The career and work environment of a trauma nurse is extremely stressful. The hours are ideal because emergency situations occur at any time during the day or night. The nurses will often have to work long hours while providing their specialized and necessary care to their patients in need.
What is it Like to Be a Trauma Nurse?
To find that out, you may want to read the diary of a true trauma nurse, Cory. She delves into real life as well as trauma activities. She says, “To work as a trauma nurse, candidates usually get their nursing qualifications and try to focus on emergency care in their nursing training. Some trauma nurses pursue additional certification in trauma or emergency care, so they are more employable after graduation from nursing school.
To the people who wonder why they pursue this profession, she says in her blog, “What I do want to say to the friends, families and friends of cousin’s families, they are NOT nurses because they work in a health care setting. I know you are proud, but be proud of what they do and call a leopard by its spots!” It is a personal and reveling journey.
Why Would You Want to be a Trauma Nurse?
As the outset, saving lives may seem like a romantic calling, but the stress and strain is palpable. It requires the ability to compartmentalize because you cannot save them all. And, the sooner you make peace with this fact, the better nurse you will be in the long-run. You won’t burn out or let a death break your spirit. You absolutely must be able to leave it behind, for the sake of those who loved you, as well as your own sanity, and for the benefit of future patients who require your full attention.