Ten UW Juniors Receive Summer Nursing Internships

Ten junior students from the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing will participate in summer nursing internships, many with the University of Colorado or UCHealth system.

The summer learning experiences give the students the skills to "hit the ground running" in their senior year, says UW Associate Lecturer Kim Raska-Miller, who oversees clinical placements for course-related clinicals. She says the valuable internships equip the students with "the confidence and preparation to handle the rigors of the senior capstone clinical course." 

Morgan Jacobs, of Sheridan, received an internship at UCHealth in either Fort Collins or Loveland.

"I do not know where I will be placed yet. I like ICU (intensive care unit), ER (emergency room), NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), etc., but I am really looking forward to getting more clinical experience, especially in areas that I haven't spent much time in,” she says. “I'm also excited to help narrow down what concentration I would like to have once I graduate. I'm mainly just grateful for the experience and the ability to practice nursing over the summer."

Brooke Lensegrav, of Powell, received an internship in the VA Learning Opportunities Residency Program in Cheyenne.

"I am looking forward to working with the veterans most of all, but I also am excited to get some experience in the emergency department,” Lensegrav says. “It is a huge opportunity, and I honestly cannot wait for all aspects of the internship."

Nicole McConnell, of Pinedale, will conduct her internship at UCHealth in northern Colorado.

"I am looking forward to being completely immersed in nursing care for the whole summer and the chance to practice my skills more,” McConnell says. “I am nervous, but really excited."

Lindsay Rockvam, of Cody, also is doing her internship through UCHealth this summer, at a site yet to be determined.

"I am most excited for the opportunity to become more comfortable in the patient setting and expand on the nursing skills I learned during the school year," Rockvam says.

Ashton Peterson, from Gillette, has an internship at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, N.D.

"I'm mostly looking forward to experiencing OR (operating room) nursing, because it is something that I'm really interested in." Peterson says she is excited to find out what all the OR nursing specialty has to offer.

Emily Zachman, of Fort Collins, Colo., will be at UCHealth, also at a site yet to be determined, for her internship.

"I am most excited to have more hands-on experience throughout the summer, as well as experiencing specialties that I will not likely be exposed to while in nursing school," Zachman says.

Sara Pepper, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., will intern with UCHealth at either Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins or Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.

"I am looking forward to using the skills I have learned this past year and absorbing all the information and experiences I possibly can,” Pepper says. “I hope to be able to bring these experiences back to Wyoming next school year and use them in my clinical and capstone."

Paige Leonard, also of Highlands Ranch, received an UCHealth internship, at a site yet to be determined.

"I am most looking forward to experiencing situations in a large hospital that can provide all different types of care,” Leonard says. “I believe this internship will help strengthen my nursing skills and make me a better RN for the future."

Lauren Mochowski, of Colorado Springs, Colo., will conduct her internship at either the UCHealth location in Fort Collins or Loveland.

"I'm most looking forward to learning as much as I can from this experience and embracing this opportunity to grow as a nurse,” she says. “I'll be on the cardiac floor, so I'm very excited to learn more about this type of nursing."

Ryan Russi, of Murrieta, Calif., also has his internship at UCHealth in Fort Collins or Loveland.

"I'm most excited to be able to further develop my nursing skills, and hopefully be able to learn about a field of nursing that I am not familiar with,” Russi says.