Allison Kirkner, ACNP, is a licensed acute care nurse practitioner who cares for sufferers who want advanced surgical procedure for coronary heart, vein, and artery situations.
Kirkner is a graduate of the UVA School of Nursing. She additionally recieved a grasp of science in nursing (MSN) diploma and acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) certification, after which returned to UVA Health in 2015 to work as a nurse practitioner within the thoracic cardiovascular intensive care unit (TCVICU). She accomplished her physician of nursing observe at UVA in 2022.
Get to Know a Charlottesville-Based Heart Surgery Advanced Care Nursing Practitioner
We requested Kirkner our 7 fast questions.
1. What has most impressed and formed your strategy to affected person care?
I’d say that it is attending to know sufferers at their most susceptible. And seeing how so many individuals are nonetheless so impressed and so decided to get higher, to enhance, to go away the hospital, to go dwelling with their family members, and to get again to the life that they had been dwelling.
It’s exhausting to have a nasty day when people who find themselves so critically sick are working so exhausting. It’s exhausting to not wish to work that tough myself.
2. What’s your favourite a part of your job?
The folks that I work with. We have a extremely good time. I feel that is one thing that when outsiders, consults, or other people rotating via see it, it is one thing that they all the time touch upon.
We handle to maintain it as lighthearted as potential, even when issues usually are not essentially fairly so lighthearted, and it is a group of excellent folks that have a extremely good time whereas we’re doing our greatest to maintain sufferers.
3. What’s your largest worry whenever you’re a affected person?
My largest worry would most likely be not realizing what was happening – whether or not it is no person is aware of what is going on on, or I’m simply not being communicated with. The crew is aware of what is going on on or the supplier caring for me is aware of what is going on on, however hasn’t knowledgeable me but or hasn’t advised me in a method that I perceive.
4. What do you do for stress reduction?
I’ve a 9-month-old now. So, spending time with him, spending time with my husband and my canine, and simply having the ability to unplug a little bit bit and see my son develop up and expertise all these model new issues actually is kind of a stress reliever. I additionally do take pleasure in figuring out.
5. Dogs or Cats?
I’m a canine particular person. I’m very a lot a canine particular person. I’m additionally fairly allergic to cats, so I spent the big majority of my life not likely interacting with them.
I’ve been on allergy pictures in order that now I can a minimum of be in the identical room with them. And they’re rising on me, however I’m undoubtedly a canine particular person.
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6. What’s the final film you noticed? Thumbs up or down?
We rewatched Elf, I feel, at Christmas. I do not assume I’ve watched a film since then. No time for films lately!
It’s a thumbs-up. We’ve watched it yearly whereas adorning the Christmas tree.
7. What’s the most effective recommendation you’ve ever heard?
I’d say the most effective recommendation that I’ve ever heard, or a minimum of that personally does me effectively, is to attempt to take a minute earlier than I converse. Whether I’m very blissful or I’m very upset, to only be extra… to take a minute to be considerate earlier than you ship an e mail or earlier than you say one thing that’s on the market that you may’t take again.