Hello Hello!!! It's Chau again 😁
I hope you have a wonderful J-term or great break for everyone who doesn't have class this term. Back to our blog post this week, our guest blog is BRYAN!!!👏👏👏. We had a Q&As interview with Bryan and I asked him a few questions about his experiences before and after graduating from PLU.
Let's get to know about Bryan:
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Bryan and his girlfriend- cute couple 😍
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"Hi guys, my name is Bryan. I am a recent (like 2021 recent) graduate of the PLU nursing program, and I'm also an international student from China. I used to work at the International student service, and I've posted quite some blog posts. I'm currently working in a skilled nursing facility as a floor nurse."
What made you choose PLU as opposed to other colleges in the US to pursue your academic goal?
The main reason that I chose PLU was the nursing program. PLU has one of the most renowned nursing programs in the area. Even after graduating, many patients of mine knew about PLU and were surprised that I graduated from the school. On top of that. PLU offers scholarships to many international students, and it makes tuition more affordable for international students. Even though PLU is a private school, the scholarship makes it cheaper than attending public schools such as UW. Why do you want to become a nurse?
(I got asked this question so many times in the interview for jobs that I think I should know the perfect answer to this, but I still don't LOL) I originally chose to be a nurse because I didn't want an office job, and I didn't like typing essays and doing paperwork. Nursing currently has high demand in the US (and around the world too), which makes finding jobs easy and makes the paycheck looks good. As I learn more and more about nursing, I found it more and more interesting. There are so many clinical skills to learn and the knowledge is so applicable to daily life. The school of nursing also teaches you to care for your patients not only physically but also mentally. I found this to be especially true after I started working as a nurse. Many times, the patient just needs some reassurance to perform well in care.
How have clinical experiences at PLU helped to prepare you for your career?
The clinical experiences at PLU offer you a variety of experiences--from the medical-surgical unit, pediatrics, mental health, and labor and delivery! I've learned numerous skills from each clinical rotation that allows students to not only develop their critical thinking skills on the floor but also apply the knowledge we learn in the classroom to real-life situations.
Please share with us a memorable patient care experience from your clinical or your current workplace.
A memorable clinical experience that I had included a patient who was nearing the end of their life and placed on comfort care. This means that only their vitals were taken and pain medication was given to them to help alleviate the pain that they were going through from their disease. The patient requested spiritual care and the priest offered a communion for the patient and his wife who was in the room. As they were going through communion, the couple started recalling their first date together in Nevada. At this moment, both of them started crying and it was a beautiful and vulnerable moment that I am forever grateful that they allowed me to experience together with them.
What do you find challenging about nursing?
One major challenge about nursing is burnout. This is especially true for nurses who work back to back 12 hours shifts. Numerous individuals see the paycheck that a nursing career offers; however, they also have to realize the amount of hard work and effort that goes into caring for multiple patients on a floor. This may mean helping a family go through the grieving process after a loved one has passed away, advocating for patient safety when a physician prescribes a medication that is not necessary and making sure that the patient has a holistic experience at the hospital. Nurses balance numerous roles within the healthcare field and it can quickly lead to burnout for numerous individuals.
Please share some tips or advice for our current nursing students and/or future international students who are interested in PLU!
The hardest part for me after obtaining my nursing license was finding a job. The majority of the hospitals in the area will require you to sign a contract to work for them for at least 2 years before they employ you. This is mainly due to the expensive training process that nurses have to go through before they can work on the floor. Yet, as an international student, you only have one year after graduation (OPT) to legally work in the U.S., which means you pretty much won't be able to work in any major hospitals. In addition, it's hard for you to obtain work experience prior to graduating since CPT is the only way you can legally work outside of campus. All this means that nursing careers for international students require detailed planning ahead of time and realistic expectations. It's never too early to start thinking ahead!
Please feel free to add something that you would like to share with us!
"As a side note, Bryan is an amazing nurse and I think all the grandmas at the facility will agree with me, hehe. He has worked hard these past few years and has gone through numerous obstacles to get to where he is now. I am proud of him and all the things he has accomplished! So focus on the bold and you'll do great my fellow international students!" -His girlfriend 😍😘
And that is the interview with our second guest blogger! Thank Bryan and his girlfriend for their time and wish them the best with their life and career! 💖🍀
