As summer comes to an end, so does my internship at Pampa Regional Medical Center. The once unfamiliar hospital has now become a place of good outcomes and knowledge. As I took my final steps through the hospital halls I began to reminisce on all of what this internship brought into my life. There were moments of disappointment and success, self-doubt and encouragement, and highs from instances that I would repeat all over again.
Throughout these 10 weeks of interning I made some discoveries; 1) Work, chart, and repeat! 2) Have a positive attitude in the toughest of situations, 3) Push forward and realize that you are responsible for your own success and future. My first discovery was made in Med-Surg, the floor that never sleeps. I say this because the nurses are worked to the bone every shift, yet they still show up the next day at 100 percent ready to face new challenges. This made me realize that loving what you do makes the job so much easier and worth coming back. My second discovery was made in the ICU when I was assigned to shadow a somewhat “unfriendly” nurse. I followed her around and by the end of the day she had made it quite clear that she did not want anything to do with me. Luckily, I was never assigned to shadow her again but after that experience I did not even want to go back to the hospital. Then I took some time to think about the situation and realized that not all nurses are anti-students. I was definitely discouraged after that day but I told myself that I was not going to benefit from anything that I was learning if I did not change my negative attitude. I now realize that that experience made me grow as a person and change the way I handle myself and my attitude in tough situations. My third and final discovery was made after my Harvesting Ceremony. I had given a presentation to the board members of the hospital and they were thrilled with my outcomes. The feedback that I received from them was nothing but positive. It felt great knowing that after months of ups and downs I had done a great job. As I sat in my car and drove home, I realized that the entire internship experience was a big stepping stone on my path to success and that I am in control of how it will impact me in my career.
I am so grateful to Pampa Regional Medical Center and to Ogallala Commons for making this internship a possibility for me. I came into this program lacking confidence and knowledge in my field of study and now, with the help of my supervisors and mentors that I have met along the way, I can say that this is no longer true. I am excited to see what the future holds for me and I hope that one day I can have an impact in someone’s life as Ogallala Commons has had in mine. Thank you for everything, and to my fellow interns… WE DID IT!
