My internship at the Pampa Regional Medical Center was such a beneficial way to spend my summer. I got the opportunity to gain experience in every unit at the hospital (which is not something I would have gotten to do during school clinicals). Some of my favorite areas to work were the emergency room, operating room and the urgent health clinic.
The emergency room was excellent because you receive such a variety of patients. I had to remember my pediatric patient care all the way to geriatric patient care. Not only were there a variety of patients, but each patients care was so different (much like it is on any floor). Working in the E.R. you see several different cases. All in one day you may encounter anything from an asthma attack to a bad cut that needs sutures. This unit proved to be a challenge to me because I had to recall everything that my education has presented so far.
The place I put in the most hours at was the operating room. This unit was new and exciting. At WT we do not get to do an O.R. rotation. I got to see so many great things such as total knee and hip replacements, laparoscopic procedures, and general surgeries. During one of my rotations in the OR I got the opportunity to put on sterile gloves and prep the patient, which is where you clean the area that is undergoing surgery with betadine. I also got to open sterile equipment and hand it off to members of the surgical team.
The urgent care clinic is similar to the emergency room in a way; the difference is that urgent care treats patients with a less severe case. Urgent care is where we will see flu-like illnesses as well as aches and pains. They are things that don’t require aggressive treatments, whereas the ER does.
Twilla has been so great to work with this summer. She was so patient and willing to answer any questions we had. She was also more than happy to let us come in as many times a week and for as long as we wanted to work. The directors of the unit were also amazing to work with. They were so excited to have us there as a part of their team this summer and I couldn’t have felt more welcome.
The Ogallala Commons is a great program. It very unique to find one that promotes work in the rural communities. I admit I was a little hesitant about how much I would gain from the Pampa hospital, but this internship proved me wrong. Interning at a smaller hospital I felt more like part of the team. It truly would be a fun place to work once I graduate and I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t gotten to work there this summer. 
