Have you ever wondered what your friends actually do for work? We’re not talking about the description in their LinkedIn bio, but what they actually do in their 9-5? As part of our mission to bring you more girl boss content, we’re investigating job titles to get the low-down on exactly what they really entail. Curious to know what an account executive even means? Wondering what a VP in finance does in the afternoon? We’re creating more transparency around different jobs, and the salaries and duties that come with them, to help you figure out what you’re interested in. Below, read what the incredible workday looks like for a pediatric nurse living in Boston.
Age: 26
City: Boston
Industry: Healthcare
Job Title: Registered Nurse
Years of Experience: 5
Salary: $70k
What does your job title mean? What does your job entail?
I work in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in a pediatric hospital, so for me, being a nurse means a lot of different things. You can find me at the hospital any time, day or night, weekend or holiday where I take care of infants and small children who need cardiac surgery early on in their lives. My patients can be very sick before and after their surgical interventions and I work 12-hour shifts where the sole focus of my shift is to provide minute-to-minute care for my patient and their family as well.
When do you wake up?
When I work a day shift I wake up at 5:30 A.M. to be at work at 7:00 A.M. Since I wear scrubs to work, my AM routine is pretty simple: coffee, shower, scrubs on, and out the door! When I work a night shift and have to be in at 7 P.M. I usually wake up early to run errands and work out during the day. After I’ve done all that I try and sneak a quick nap in for a few hours before my 12-hour night shift.
At 9am I am…
If I’m lucky, having a quick coffee break! More than likely though I am at the bedside participating in multidisciplinary rounds on my patient with the physicians, respiratory therapists, and any other medical services involved in the patient’s care. Any changes made during rounds are then my responsibility to put into effect for the patient.
At 11am I am…
Usually implementing changes for the patient at the bedside; starting new medications, decreasing current medications, drawing lab work, etc. I’m also making sure all medications are up to date and the patient’s pain is well controlled.
What does lunch normally look like for you?
Lunch is different each and every day. We try and take 30-45 minutes in 2 separate breaks in the morning and afternoon but everything is patient dependent. I’ve learned to bring my lunch so when I have even a few minutes I can run to the break room and eat quickly before I’m needed at the bedside again.
At 1pm I am…
Evaluating my patient from head to toe again, assessing if medications added or taken away have made a positive or negative impact and if further changes need to be made. I’m also updating any present care providers on the patient’s progress and plan of care as it evolves. I’m charting on my patient and catching up on any back-charting that needs to be done – each hour we chart vital signs, fluids in and out, infusing medications and IV access so there’s a lot to stay on top of!
At 3pm I am… 
Hopefully eating lunch in the break room with the other nurses! Having a minute to sit and decompress is vital in such a stressful work environment and my co-workers are some of the best in the world!
At 5pm I am…
Our shift ends at 7:00pm so making sure I’ve done as much as possible for the night shift nurse so he/she is prepared for what their night might entail. I’ll catch up on hourly charting, writing my daily nursing note and assessment, ensuring my room is adequately stocked with medications, syringes, needles, etc. This is all an ideal scenario as well – if the patient is acutely ill or decompensating then all of this takes a back seat until the patient is stable.
How does a workday end for you? What time do you normally leave work?
How the day ends depends on how my patient is doing – it can be calm and organized or chaotic and stressful or anywhere in between. We give nurse to nurse report at the bedside with a detailed past medical history, operative history and system by system report (i.e. cardiac, respiratory) so I can’t leave until I’ve completed bedside handoff with the other RN. After that I triple check that all of my charting and tasks were done for the day and then head home, usually around 7:30.
What do you do after work? An event? Dinner? More work?
I take the T home, which takes about half an hour – it’s a nice time for me to decompress and listen to my favorite podcasts, call my Mom, etc. If I’m working the next day it’s pretty much home, dinner, bed with little else in between. If I’m not working the next day it’s a little more flexible. My fiancé is usually home when I get there so we like to have dinner together and just enjoy some down time after our busy days. The nice part about my job is when I leave work there is no more work to do – I can’t bring the baby home with me!
What time do you go to bed? 
I’m an early bird for sure. My goal is to be in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10:00. I’m a big fan of sleepy time tea so I usually have a mug while my fiancé and I are hanging on the couch. Then I head to the bathroom for all my lotions and potions and when all of those are on I get right into bed. I usually read for about half an hour before falling asleep.
Is there anything about your job you’d like people to know?
People say it a lot but it’s true, being a nurse is very hard but also very rewarding. If you have a loved one who is a nurse or anyone in the medical field do your best to be understanding. We don’t always want to talk after a long shift, we might not be in the best mood but it’s likely because we’ve given every last ounce of ourselves to our patient that day. If you or your loved ones ever find yourself in the care of a nurse; know how much they give every single day to provide you the best care. To all my fellow health care people out there – you inspire me and motivate me every day to be the best nurse I can be!