This summer internship really set a new bar for me. As I worked along-side my preceptors, I realized one very important thing; I lack confidence in my skill. I had a hard time admitting something like this, but if I want to advance in my practice I need to work on my confidence. How did I do that throughout this internship? I had the opportunity to practice my skills in the clinical setting while following experienced preceptors. I talked to my preceptors about my concerns, and they oriented me and helped me improve. When I felt unsure about something in the clinical setting I asked questions (this was so essential to my learning). When there was an opportunity to practice a skill, my preceptor would either have me watch or walk through the steps; whichever I felt most comfortable with was usually the way I chose. These opportunities to practice and have a better understanding of my skills has made a great impact on my confidence. Even my preceptors were able to notice the difference. They continued to encourage me to practice as much as I could during nursing school and to take advantage of every learning opportunity.
I keep this in mind now as the beginning of the semester is upon me. Now that I am literally hours away from my first clinical rotation, I am thinking about how to enhance my clinical experience. How do I use what I learned throughout my internship and apply it in my school clinical practice? I plan to continue to practice my skills and learn from every opportunity that presents itself. I want to work on my therapeutic communication and strive to give holistic nursing care to all patients. I look forward to furthering my understanding of disease processes and why they are treated the way that they are. I look forward to building professional relationships with my preceptors and the staff that I will be working alongside. I am grateful to my supervisor, Leslie Hackett, for offering me an internship at Covenant Health Plainview. I had a wonderful experience and have never had so much enthusiasm about going to work before. My internship with Ogallala Commons has opened a lot of doors for me in my field of study by giving my actual work experience. I am so grateful to be a part of such a great organization. I look forward to finishing school and working with a team of nurses who have a passion for what they do. Now I go on, excited to see what the future has in store.
