.in a Wyoming hospital placed me primarily in the Emergency Room, occasionally floating to the Medical/Surgical area of the hospital. When I arrived at my first day of capstone, I was incredibly nervous, but as I progress in the semester, I realize that the education of the previous 3.5 years has really helped prepare me for constant direct patient care. Obviously, there is only so much that lectures and books can teach you, so a lot of the capstone is taking what you have learned and using that to adapt to a real-life situation which is never as straight forward as a textbook scenario.
No matter how well you know a skill or subject, each patient is different.
I have learned so much in such a short time. I have learned how to perform skills in real life situations and have realized that no matter how well you know a skill or subject, each patient is different and will make you adjust and adapt. I have also learned how to think critically and understand the reasoning behind the specific cares we perform for each patient.
Variety
I am always excited to come to the hospital each shift as I know I am going to learn something new and get to practice skills and work on forming therapeutic relationships with my patients. Since my clinical placement is in a smaller, rural hospital, I am always surprised at what each nurse is responsible for. These nurses do not just work in a specialized area, but rather float around and deliver a baby one day and turn around and work in the ER the next. It has been a great learning experience as I get to see a variety of patients.
Overall
I appreciate having had the same preceptor for each half of the practicum, which has been an advantage as I did not have to adapt to working with a new preceptor at midterm. Overall, I was nervous and unsure of myself when I began my capstone this semester, but as I am nearing the end, I feel much more confident and prepared for becoming a future nurse. The Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing has provided me with an excellent foundation on which to base the rest of my career!
Story placed: 4/9/2021