This summer I successfully completed my third community internship with Ogallala Commons. I had the pleasure of working with the Covenant Healthcare system in Plainview, Texas. When I was trying to decide where to do my internship, Plainview immediately came to mind. Plainview is closer to my family, (Hart is only 30 minutes away), it is a larger hospital so I had more opportunities to see new things, and I was born here so it only felt right to come back and learn from the people that helped bring me in to the world. I have been in the nursing program at West Texas A&M University for a little over two semesters now so bringing the knowledge that I have learned and applying it in the real world was helpful. We are only allowed so many clinical days during the semester so I loved getting more field experience, more interaction with patients and healthcare providers. Getting to practice my skills and seeing a full day of a registered nurse and what all goes in to it was interesting and like a foreshadow of what I should expect in the not so distant future. I was able to make connections with patients, with the healthcare team, and with possible future employers. I was also able to have many new, exciting, emotional, and eye opening experiences. I wish I could share some of the stories with you all but that would be a violation of HIPPA! The hospital is not only a great place to work, it is a great place to find volunteer opportunities. I was able to do my ten hours of community service at Covenant working with the pharmacy department and the physical therapy department. Many people do not realize that the hospital takes a whole team of people to function at the high paced speed it does to provide the best possible care for our patients. I got to see what other departments do to keep the hospital running smoothly. It was fun to get a change of scenery and learn about things that I was interested in at one point. As I conclude my third and more than likely, final internship with Ogallala Commons, I can’t help but look back at everything this program has helped me with and be grateful. I have truly been blessed to be a part of such a great organization. I continue to spread the word about Ogallala Commons and the awesome things they are doing for our communities, our youth, and our futures. They have opened so many doors for me and I will always hold a special place for them in my heart. Thank you for three unforgettable internships.
