Albany County Public Health.
During my time at Public Health I was able to participate in the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, a program that pairs first time low-income pregnant women and their families with a nurse. The nurse visits with the family twice a month through the woman's pregnancy until the child reaches the age of two. The nurse is able to provide a variety of services such as well-child checks, nutrition and breastfeeding support, and parenting education. I absolutely loved participating in this program and I would love to be an NFP nurse in the future. I was able to meet so many amazing families and felt like I was truly contributing to their child's future. Through my participation in this program I discovered my love for maternal-child health and my desire to have a career in this field.
Ivinson Memorial Hospital's Family Care Unit.
While finishing my senior capstone at IMH I was able to further participate in the arena of maternal-child health through my work in the Labor and Delivery/Pediatrics area. I have been blessed with the opportunity to help so many wonderful families with the birth of their beautiful babies! It feels pretty amazing to watch so many little miracles everyday. I have also had the opportunity to practice and improve upon so many of my nursing skills and to complete the nursing process from start to finish.
"Nursing school is only the beginning of the learning experience."
I have learned an incredible amount not only about nursing, but also about myself during these two experiences. My senior capstone has given me so many opportunities to learn. I feel more confident in my ability to be a nurse, not because I feel like I know everything I need to know about being a nurse, but because I have learned that nursing school is only the beginning of the learning experience. When we leave those doors for the world beyond we have only begun our journey!
