The sirens’ wailing is accompanied by the moans of accident victims. Blue uniforms blur past the waiting area with bloody stretchers in between them. Doctors and nurses descend upon the bleeding and broken bodies like angels from the sky.
For most people, a visit to the emergency room is one of the most dreaded experiences a person can go through. For Lauren Lindemann, the ER will be a more welcoming place than it would for most, a place where she will spend her days helping patients as a registered nurse.
Lindemann will be graduating in May with a BS in nursing and has already found a job at the Parkland Hospital in Dallas, home to the nation’s second best trauma units.
Out of thousands of applicants, Lindemann was one of the few chosen for the job, and was the only newly graduated nurse to be offered a position at Parkland.
“I feel really honored that out of thousands of people, I was chosen,” Lindemann said. “. . . And I think I’m ready. I think I have the strong foundation and the skill sets to do what the job requires. It’s not going to be easy by any means, but it will be a life changing experience [which is] something I’m excited for.”Lauren will start her new job in July and will spend three months working and learning alongside experienced nurses in the Parkland ER as a nurse resident.
“By the time I start, I will have passed boards and will be an RN,” Lindemann said. “One week I’ll have class and I’ll go to lecture where they’ll teach me the ins and outs of every aspect of the emergency department. Then the next week I’ll do clinical hours which means I’ll be working as a nurse, but will have an experienced nurse working with me as I take care of patients. At the end of the three months, I will join the hospital personnel as a Staff RN.””The nursing program has set us up for success, the ultimate goal for not just students, but for the program,” Lindemann said. “They gave me the foundation I needed for professional nursing, and in my opinion, it is a strong foundation.”
Lindemann said one part of the program she really appreciated was the efforts made by professors to not only get her ready for the working world in the skills aspect, but also for helping her get ready for interviews.Lindemann also said that one of the critical things that helped her attain the position at Parkland was her nursing professors, from which she learned everything from life lessons, to the tricks of the trade.
“Dr. Mary Anne Vincent is the reason I wanted to do ER nursing,” Lindemann said. “She would never let me give up either when things got tough in the program. ”
Lindemann’s professors felt equally strong about Lindemann and were confident that a bright future lay ahead of her.
“The biggest thing about Lauren is that she has really matured in the year I have known her,” Zinn said. “She has really grown, and has been able to move past her challenges, indicating that she has developed the skills needed in her future leadership role.”
Lindemann said that the part about her job she was most excited about would be getting to care for people.
“My favorite aspect of nursing is getting to impact other people’s lives,” Lindemann said. “Whether they need you on the best days of their lives or on the worst days of their lives, it’s your job to make them feel better.”
She said nurses are visible heros of medicine.
“Whether they’re hurt, or sick, or whatever, they’re looking for you to fix the problem,” Lindenmann said. “Nurses are the face of healthcare, which has a huge impact on the lives of everyday people. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
