Best friends, Joe Yuna and Lee Haeun

How many graduates can get a job immediately after graduation? And how many students are going to choose the right major for themselves? Everyone knows it's not easy to get a job these days. Also, many people don’t get to find jobs in their field of expertise. However, there is a special department at CWNU that boasts a 100% employment rate every year and it’s the Department of Nursing. Nursing students usually secure their employment in the fourth year and prepare for the National Examination. Let's listen to the life as a nursing student and their work through an interview with Lee Haeun and Joe Yuna.

Q. Thank you for your interview. I’ve heard that you two girls are already employed by Hyundai Asan Hospital in Seoul, which is one of the Korean Big 5 hospitals. Congratulations! What led you to apply to Asan Medical Center in Seoul and how are Asan Hospital’s welfare and working conditions?

Yuna: I studied really hard for four years in nursing. I wanted to go to the best place where I could freely exercise my skills. I think youths should enjoy challenges even if it’s very difficult. Asan Hospital is especially famous among the Korean Big 5 hospitals for the high severity and the high salary. In addition, it has newly built dormitories. Those points attracted my attention. I also liked the fact that the relationship between the nurses and the doctors is relatively horizontal there.

Haeun: I was not really interested in Asan Hospital, but I followed Yuna. Then while I was preparing for the resume and interview, I realized that many people wanted to work at Asan Hospital. I also thought that if I worked there, I would grow into a professional nurse with a lot of experience.

Q. What is your first-choice department at the hospital?

Haeun: I applied to the emergency room. I want to develop my ability to cope with patients in any situation. I also like active work. However, when I did the emergency room practice a few weeks ago, what I expected turned out to be very different from reality. So I will continue to think about it until I join the company.

Yuna: I’m torn between the operating room and the surgical ward. I had a desire to support the operating room before, but the operating room is not a place where conversations with patients is frequent. And the downside is that I don’t get to observe the patient’s progress after surgery. If I get a chance to work in the surgical ward, I want to be a nurse who takes care of patients to the end and build a strong relationship with them.

Q. I think this question will be especially helpful for nursing applicants. How about grades and TOEIC conditions for applying to hospitals in Seoul and how did you prepare for the job interview?

Haeun: When writing your own resume and your cover letter be honest about your story. We made a list of expected questions and constantly prepared answers to all questions we might face. But the most important thing in the interview is to have confidence and to appeal to the interviewers. Many hospitals usually post each job opening for a week. So I recommend you write your resume during the vacation time of your junior year. We received support by ‘Dream Catch’, a school program that helps students get ready for the job interview. Those programs were really beneficial.

Q. What do you think about the past four years as a nursing student? What kind of troubles did you have with your major?

Haeun: When I entered nursing college, I had a lot of trouble because I was not sure about being a nurse. But as I learned about the science of nursing, I realized how meaningful it is to help people who are sick and going through a tough time. Now, I have a sense of mission.

Yuna: I have studied so much since I came to university. I thought I did not study so much until the third grade of high school. It was very difficult to balance practicing while studying theories. It was very hard on my physical and mental health. Honestly, I wanted to give up many times, but I thought that my efforts would be fruitful someday. Classmates were also helpful to endure the hardship.

By Sarah Park, reporter

Sarah Park  starcity2015@changwon.ac.kr

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