Mentor Interviews Mentor Interview #1 - Senior Capstone LHS 2017

Student Name: Brysseida Cepeda

Senior Capstone Topic: Registered Nurse
Mentor Name: Korrie McFarlane
*Email Address korriemcfarlane@kentisd.net
*Phone Number (616) 540-1122
Company/Business KCTC
Career Field Medical/Education (ie. Business, medical, education, marketing, etc.)

About Your Mentor:

What is your background?
Bachelors of science in nursing from Grand Valley (2000)
Nurse for 17 years
Worked in hospital for 12 years
4th year teaching
Finishing up masters degree in career and technical education from western michigan

Describe your career path.

Worked in post mortem
High risk OB - moms with complications (Diabetes, High Blood Pressure)
Taken care of moms with multiple babies
Womens Health
Mostly Womens Health
12 hour shifts
Great for having a family
Flexible - worked every shift (4 hour, 8 hour, 12 hour) - Weekends, holidays
Home care, hospital, doctors office (all through spectrum)
Home visits for women (Welcome Home Baby) - First time moms
Taught Clinicals at Grand Valley (Skills in speciality)
Education part is a big part for nursing
How have you progressed to your present position?
Different areas worked in
Taught Clinicals at Grand Valley
Best part is helping teach patients about their babies
Liked teaching
Had professor at Grand Valley that inspired her
Wanted to inspire people
Why did you get into this field?
Always had an interest for helping people, science piece of it
Anatomy, physiology
Having a brother with a chronic illness got more interested in it

Did someone/something significant impact choosing this career?

Brother
Professor

Do you belong to any professional affiliations?

American Nurses Association

Do you read any field-specific journals or magazines?

American Nurses Association
Nursing Journals
Because of school: Independent research
Reading a lot of it

What are the things you find personally rewarding in your career?
Nursing:
Being able to make a difference for patient
Being able to put a smile on their face
Make them feel comfortable and safe
They will remember you (Remember what you did for them either happy or sad)
Few you will remember forever
Teaching:
Able to have students come back to tell about what their doing now

What are the things you find frustrating or disappointing?

Nursing:
Nurse to Patient Ratio
Couldnt be the nurse wanted to be with the patients she had
Not feeling like theres enough time to give good care and provide good quality
experience
Teaching:
Having students who arent interested
Cant inspire them
Not being able to get everybody on board
Not taking the experience seriously
If you were starting out again, would you plan your career the same way?
Yes
Go for nurse practitioner instead
Didnt think she was smart enough to become a nurse
Looking back you can really do anything
Travel Nursing - For the good experience

What would you do differently?

Be a nurse practitioner
If your job were suddenly eliminated what other kinds of work could you do?
Something in the medical field
Be a ultrasound tech -did EKGs, help set patients up
Mentor Interviews Mentor Interview #1 - Senior Capstone LHS 2017
Student Name: Brysseida Cepeda
Senior Capstone Topic: Registered Nurse
Mentor Name: Angela Wheeler
*Email Address angelawheeler@kentisd.net
Company/Business KCTC
Career Field Medical/Education (ie. Business, medical, education, marketing, etc.)

About Your Mentor:

What is your background?
Became a CNA at the age of 18
Worked in both long term care and hospital settings
Furthered education in 2004 and obtained a Medical Assistant Certificate
In January 2010, started taking nursing classes at Grand Rapids Community College
Graduated in June of 2011 with Associates Degree in Nursing.
Currently is an adjunct paraprofessional and substitute teacher at KCTC

How have you progressed to your present position?

Through hard work

Why did you get into this field?

Decided to pursue nursing because i wanted to gain more knowledge in the field
It gave an opportunity to continue helping people which is a passion

Did someone/something significant impact choosing this career?

My aunt Tammy

What are the things you find personally rewarding in your career?
Joy in teaching young people about health care careers
Working as a nurse with direct patient contact was rewarding
Being able to impact peoples lives in a positive way

What are the things you find frustrating or disappointing?

Nursing:
Trying to give your patients the time that they would like
Balance prioritization

What would you do differently?If your job were suddenly eliminated what other kinds of work
could you do?
I would still want to work with people
Minister or lawyer