My clinical placement for capstone was 100% a blessing in disguise. I was super nervous about this placement because I had never been to this specific location in Wyoming, but it has turned out amazing!
Critical access hospital
Since my site is a critical access hospital, both of my preceptors are cross trained
in every department. This means I have gotten experience in the ICU, Med/Surg, Labor
and Delivery/OB, as well as ER. Being blessed enough to see all these units, I also
have been able to really develop skills in all of them. Whether it be starting an
IV, accessing a port, performing a newborn assessment, monitoring telemetry strips,
or inserting foley catheters, I have grown a tremendous amount from the beginning
of the semester when I was too nervous to even take a set of vital signs. Every day
you can be placed somewhere new, and it has really taught me to just go with the flow.
You can try and plan out your days as best as you can, but you never know what your
patients will bring to the table.
Overall
Looking back on the semesters leading up to this capstone placement, everything is starting to fall into place. Before this semester, I was just trying to commit everything to memory based off our textbooks. Now I can connect my knowledge to patients I have treated and can apply it to patients I will have in the future. Medications are easier to remember, disease processes are easier to understand, and I really have become confident in my skills. Everyone must start somewhere, and I believe this capstone experience has been the absolute best way to get sent off to my first real nursing job.
Story placed: 4/12/2021