The End of an Experience

As I conclude my internship at Kiowa County Hospital, I am deeply saddened because I am going to miss my coworkers and patients. I became incredibly close to some of the people there and I learned so much. I spent time on the long-term care side and realized how much I actually like it. I got the opportunity to work in the lab and it was very, very interesting. I worked in the emergency room and in acute care, and I really enjoyed it. I learned all about medications, precautions, prevention, and much more. This summer, I experienced things that some new nursing students have not. It was challenging that I could not participate and help as much as I would have liked to, but I observed closely and found things to do along the way. For example, I could change linens between ER patients or socialize with different patients. At the beginning of my internship, I set three goals. I wanted to be able to communicate with patients without hesitation. Recently, I sat at a table with patients and we talked while they enjoyed baking cookies. I spoke to a patient that used to live relatively close to me and farmed a vast amount of land. Each resident has their own stories from their time and I love hearing all about them. I also wanted to increase my networking skills by connecting with three of my coworkers through common interests. I became friends with Pam because we both have a bit of a passion for agriculture, so we would often discuss my show steer or my welding projects. I connected with Laura because she always went above and beyond in caring for her patients and we realized we have the same intense passion for compassionate caregiving. Lastly, Mariah and I became good friends because we are in the same age group and enjoyed conversing about our nursing school options and love for sloths. My last goal was to share y experiences with my peers and community members. I have been sharing the links to each of my blogs and have gotten multiple students come to me with questions about the program, Adults will stop me at the grocery store and ask me about how my experience is coming along. I loved this experience and I hope that more people from my area will get themselves out there to learn like I have. I am jumping into the CNA program this fall and I know I have a place that will employ me. I also have new lifelong friends. I will never forget the opportunities I was given and all the things I have learned this summer.

Thanks for reading,

Maura Smith, Wiley, CO