I had a wonderful experience on the medical/surgical unit in Sheridan. I was lucky enough to have my patients through their entire hospital stay. I was able to watch my patients from surgical recovery to the day they went home. It was great to be able to see such fast progress, thanks to the help of the entire medical team throughout the patient's stay. This part of my rotation allowed me to practice my assessment skills and get much better with time management. The medical/surgical unit is a great place to see all the adult health information that we learned.
The emergency room is truly a different type of nursing. It is fast-paced as far as getting patients in and out. Head to toe assessments have no place in the emergency room; it's all about the focused assessment. I was fortunate enough to use the nursing skills we practiced for an entire semester. It made all those nerve-racking check-off days worth it. I learned so much about trauma and emergency nursing that we don't necessarily have a chance to learn in class. I will be a better nurse for having spent time in the emergency room.
This capstone has prepared me well for the day I get to be a nurse without a preceptor. It's exciting to see all the connections between what I learned in the classroom to the actual patient. I was fortunate enough to have two phenomenal preceptors who wanted me to make the most out of each day I was there, and who gave me confidence in my own abilities. I am excited for the next step.
