Resume

Dana L. Happel
14A Old Landing Rd ● Durham, NH 03861 ● Mobile (203) 731-7321 ● DHappel06@hotmail.com

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE - Durham, NH
Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Projected date of graduation: May 2010

EXPERIENCE

EXETER HOSPITAL, Spring 2008 - Exeter, NH
UNH Medical Surgical Clinical Rotation
• Learned basic nursing skills under the guidance of a clinical instructor and Exeter Hospital staff.

WENTWORTH-DOUGLAS HOSPITAL, Fall 2008 - Dover, NH
UNH Medical Surgical Clinical Rotation
• Built upon basic nursing skills under the guidance of a clinical instructor and WDH staff on Douglas North.
• Rotated to various departments to gain further experience including days spent on two medical surgical units, ICU, Operating Room, and the Emergency Room.

HAMPSTEAD HOSPITAL, Spring 2009 - Hampstead, NH
UNH Psychiatric Clinical Rotation
• Rotated through four different units with patient populations including children, adolescents, and adults with and without developmental disorders.
• Improved patient interaction skills and therapeutic communication
• Learned about specific disorders and medication regimes.

HENRY WILSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Spring, 2009 - Manchester, NH
UNH Community Health Clinical Rotation
• Learned to care for children in the school setting through all aspects of patient care, documentation, and case management.

MCGREGOR MEMORIAL EMS, 2008-present - Durham, NH
EMT- Basic
• Provide emergency care to the towns of Durham, Lee, and Madbury through all aspects of ambulance operations and patient care.

MADBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT, June 2009-present - Madbury, NH
Firefighter and EMT- Basic
• Provide response to the town of Madbury for fire and medical emergencies.

HAMPSTEAD HOSPITAL, April 2009-present - Hampstead, NH
Direct Care Worker
• Responsible for the care of child and adolescent patients both with and without developmental disorders.
• Responsible for patient safety, ensuring activities of daily living are complete, following behavioral support plans, and using therapeutic communication.


SKILLS
Languages: Intermediate Spanish
Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (CPR and AED certified)
Certified Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
Certified Red Cross Lifeguard

About Me

My name is Dana Happel and I am a 20-year-old nursing student at the University of New Hampshire going into my senior year. I plan to graduate with a Bachelors of Science degree in the spring of 2010. I was born and raised an only child in Connecticut by my mother. I hadn't thought about becoming a nurse until High School when at the age of 16 I became an Emergency Medical Technician and began to volunteer at the local ambulance service. It was through that experience I discovered my gift and love of caring for people through medical care and emotional support. It was after this that I decided to pursue a career in nursing. I am excited about all of the opportunities that nursing offers. During the summer of 2007, I was able to spend 9 weeks in Rwanda, Africa volunteering in an orphanage and I look forward to a time when I will be able to travel back to Africa and offer my skills as a nurse to a country in need. I plan on working hard through school to obtain an optimum knowledge base so that after graduation I will be able to have the greatest effects on my patients.

Philosophy of Nursing

Nursing is a profession that requires a perfect balance of knowledge and compassion. As a nurse I must have a wide base of medical knowledge that I am able to put into practice. I must never stop learning or gaining new information as medical knowledge is constantly changing and evolving. As a professional nurse I must always be able to use the knowledge I have and must be open to change. However, having knowledge is not simply enough in this field.
I believe that as a Nurse I must have overwhelming compassion and care for my patients and clients. I must be an emotional support as much as I am there to care for physical illness and injury. As a nurse I must be gentle and kind and genuinely desire to see my patients achieve the optimum level of physical and emotional health.
While I believe it is important for a nurse to have their own values, it is equally important to be able to follow the wishes of patients and to understand the patient’s right to their own health care decisions.
As a nurse I will help my patients make their own decisions by making them as well informed as possible about all aspects of their situation and I plan to put my patient’s decisions above my own desires. It is the role of a nurse to be an advocate for their patients and that will be my goal as a nurse.
As a nurse it is my role to care for the whole person by providing the best care possible for the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of all patients.

Career Goals

My career goals are continually evolving. As I get farther into my nursing education I am constantly revising my goals and rethinking my plans for the future. My experiences thus far in the nursing program at UNH have revealed to me a desire to work with children, particularly underprivileged children in either an acute care hospital or in a community health setting. I also have an interest working in emergency situations. Ideally I would like to combine these interests and work in a pediatric emercency department.
A definite long term goal that I plan on pursuing in my career is international nursing. I plan to work or volunteer in a foreign setting in an attempt to better the health conditions in a third world country.
Overall, my goal as a nurse is to be an advocate for my patients wherever I work, whether with children or adults or in America of overseas. I desire to be a trustworthy advocate who is able to deliver safe and competent nursing care.