Q: With the PTA field, how much of the work in behind a computer, if any?
A: Around 15% of the day
Q: If I started to go down a path of a different medical field but wanted to switch to a PTA could all the classes and in clinic work be transferred over to the PTA course?
A: Clinical work is specific to our program and follows CAPTE's (our accrediting body) requirements. Non-PTS courses that are part of our program listed here can be transferred in with the requisite grade requirement.
Q: Is it possible to switch form one nursing practice to another to then work in a different part of the hospital?
A: Yes! One of the many great things about nursing is its versatility. It is not uncommon for nurses in hospitals to change practice settings. For example, a nurse may work on a medical-surgical floor and then decide they want to work in the operating room. Also, nurses do not only work in hospitals. Nurses work in outpatient medical practices, schools, research labs, public health, home health, hospice, and so many more places!
Q: Could you work at multiple hospitals at once?
A: Yes! A nurse can work in more than one hospital at a time, or in another nursing role such as home health.
Q: What is the difference between ADN and BSN what can you do with one that you can't with the other?
A: ADN means Associate Degree in Nursing and BSN means Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Both degrees allow the graduate to take the state licensing exam (NCLEX) and the end result is the registered nurse (RN) license. KVCC offers an ADN nursing program.
ADN: 2-year nursing degree that leads to becoming a registered nurse (RN).
BSN: 4-year nursing degree that leads to becoming an RN that includes additional courses and a more in-depth nursing education than the ADN. There are no additional clinical components. The additional courses are related to community and population health, as well as some courses about the nursing profession.
*** The ADN and BSN graduate take the same licensing exam to become an RN.***
An ADN and BSN nurse can work in clinical settings. Some hospitals (only 1 in Maine, I believe) prefer a BSN-prepared nurse. Typically, management positions require a BSN or higher degree. Otherwise, ADN-prepared nurses work alongside BSN-prepared nurses in the same jobs.
There are many RN-BSN nursing programs. A graduate of the KVCC ADN program can obtain their nursing license and work as a nurse while completing courses for their BSN. Most RN-BSN programs are fully online. This is often a more affordable way to get a nursing license since ADN programs are less expensive.
Q: What does BLS entail? Is it different than being CPR certified?
A: Great question! BLS is healthcare provider-specific CPR that includes additional components than the traditional CPR courses. Hospitals require BLS certification which is why healthcare programs at KVCC require it since students will be doing clinical rotations in hospital settings.
Q: Does nursing have a good work-life balance?
A: Yes, nursing has a great work-life balance. Firstly, many nurses work 3 12-hour shifts, thus leaving 4 days off for family, friends, continuing education and/or other per diem jobs. Next, nurses work in teams, thus we are never alone. This helps to decrease anxiety and fear of upcoming shifts. I will say that historically, nurses are not great about individual self-care. As a result, this can lead to burn out. Having a work-life balance means that the nurse is responsible for finding times to include self-care into days off.
Q: How does one determine their specialty? How did you choose yours?
A: I love this question! I wish I knew the answer. The nursing profession is very fluid and with the hundreds of specialties, nurses often shift from one area to another when burn out occurs or an interest peaks in a different specialty. I think having clinical experiences during the academic program helps students determine which areas they enjoy vs. which areas they do not picture themselves working in. For example, when I entered the nursing program 15 years ago, I thought I wanted to work with mom and babies. After my clinical experience in school, I found this was not an area I enjoyed and in fact really enjoyed geriatric populations.
Q: I am a veteran of field work as an Emergency Medical Technician. My goal is to be an RN assigned to an ER. I also want to maintain a field credential in case I need to be sent to the field. I just want my primary setting to be in the ER. What is your advice for me? What is my best pathway?
A: To be an RN, student must pass the NCLEX-RN state licensure exam, and in order to sit for the NCLEX-RN, they must successfully graduate from an accredited nursing program. Students do not specialize while they are in the student role as NCLEX-RN tests a variety of specialties in diverse settings.
Once graduated, the graduate RN may pursue employment in the ED setting, however, many healthcare organizations (HCO) prefer not to hire a new graduate RN directly to the ED and require some experience in a lower acuity setting(s) first. Other HCOs have new graduate RN residency programs with the goal of being ED, but have them train in lower acuity settings first as well. Occasionally, in the smaller, critical access hospitals, they do hire right into the ED, but that is not typically the preferred method for ED staff.
Q: How much other things do Radiology Technicians do besides just x-rays in a day?
A: X-ray technologists assist patients during the imaging process, keep patients safe, prepare contrast media for procedure, evaluate the quality of images, and practice proper infection control. X-ray procedures occur inside the radiology department, but can also occur in the operating room using a C-Arm or other areas of the hospital with the portable unit. Additionally, x-ray technologists have other non-patient duties such as keeping the department and x-ray rooms clean and organized, stocking rooms, completing projects for quality assurance, as well as answering phone calls.
Q: How much does a RAD tech. need to know about computer programs and computers in general? How much of the job is on a computer?
A: The x-ray tech does a lot on the computer. The images are populated on the computer screen, and because of the electronic health record, the technologist must complete the “paperwork” documentation on the online computer systems that the hospitals use for their electronic health record. Though it of course is not all of what the duties are in the day, but every technologist would be required to utilize the computer as part of their job responsibilities.
Q: Are the math courses extremely challenging for students in this program?
A: MAT 111 is the only required math course for the program. It is a healthy mix of geometry, algebra, percents, functions, finance problems, probability, and statistics. It does not go deep into any of these content areas, so most students find it manageable. We also have built in a lot of supports.
Q: How often is it slow, and what can be done in the lulls?
A: Slowness depends on which clinical site or facility you’re at. A trauma center probably doesn’t have much down time, and small sites can have little to no patients.
Q: How fulfilling is the position?
A: Very fulfilling. As a rad tech, we have the opportunity to be directly involved in the patients care and diagnosis. We have a priority to provide diagnostic images to the doctors and radiologist to ensure that we can help them understand any necessary information from the images. Because we have direct patient care, we are able to interact and chat with our patients, and it’s really rewarding when you can help them through the process.
Q: How often are there patients that take an emotional toll on you?
A: There are a variety of patients at each facility. I think the emotional toll is different at different facilities. There’s hospitals where we only X-ray veterans, pediatric facilities, trauma centers, so I think it depends. I can only speak on my emotional toll from when I was in my practice, and it was fine on most days. I only saw a few traumas during my 6 years of actively taking X-rays and cat scans. I was able to do my job as I needed to and work through my emotions. Most facilities do have programs where they will provide the follow up care for the workers in dealing with traumatic or emotional situations.
Q: How long did it take to feel confidence in the role?
A: During the time in the program, students will complete nearly 1,000 clinical hours. They are prepared as entry level radiographers and will complete additional training for whichever job they are hired upon graduation. I’d say that students are prepared and confident for their first job, but there’s a different level of confidence that comes when working alone in their career. There’s things that are continually being learned on the job every day, even after years of working.
Q: What kind of work do you look for in transcripts when students are sending in applications?
A: Good grades in classes that can be challenging such as A & P. Also grads that show the ability to critically think.
Q: If I started pre-med classes and decided to go for a different medical field could my completed credits be transferred over without losing them?
A: All credits that fit into the requirements of a program as long as they are passing are transferable.
Q: What does the OTA exam look like?
A: The NBCOT board exam is a 200-question proctored exam which is written to test the clinical reasoning and critical thinking of the examee. Some questions it is clear what the answer is, others it is what is the best answer as all of the options might be correct.
Q: What are the differences of Ots and OTAs?
A: OTs can follow a case from day one from the eval to discharge. They manage the entire case. They can practice without supervision. OTAs start after the evaluation is completed and truly have the opportunity to become expert interventionist, in other words, they become highly skilled at the treatment of their patients.
Q: Do occupational therapy practitioners have a good work-life balance?
A: Generally, because of the kind of practitioners we are, being holistic focused and creative/out of the box thinkers, most practitioners would identify that they maintain a healthy work life balance. This is partly because of the way we approach function and occupation, and the emphasis we place on leisure and life balance/quality of life with our patients (therefore using it ourselves), and partly because we do have opportunities for full time, part time, or per diem work to best balance our own lives.
I can say though, that many students find this challenging while in the program as they begin to explore what this means and balancing the demands of school with their other roles and responsibilities. It is definitely something that we work on and discuss!
Q: How well does your math skills need to be to be a good RT?
A: Respiratory Therapy students do a significant amount of math in the program. However, if a student passes the math cut scores on the TEAS and passes MAT 111 Quantitative Reasoning, they should do fine.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a respiratory therapist?
A: One of the most rewarding parts of being a respiratory therapist is seeing a patient who was critically ill, and on a ventilator, (the machine that breathes for them) finally get discharged from the hospital, and knowing that you were a vital part of the team that made that possible. Another rewarding part about being a respiratory therapist is the opportunities that are available to you. There are multiple specialties that you can attain after becoming a registered respiratory therapist.
I've never been bored as an RT, there is always something new to learn.