Things I have learned being a nursing student
Whitney Myers is a Sophomore in the Basic BSN program at Oakland. She is a member of the Student Nurses Association of Oakland University (SNAOU) and the Lambda Alpha Delta honor society. She works at Troy Beaumont Hospital as a Patient Transporter. When not in school or working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cuddling up to watch a good movie, and shopping, of course! She plans to further her education by becoming a CRNA.
When it came time to apply to Oakland University and the School of Nursing in the fall of my senior year in high school, I felt a little lost not knowing what to expect the following fall when classes would begin. However, after completing my first year of pre-requisites and my first semester of nursing school, I learned a lot and feel like a pro now. To others, it may seem that what I learned came naturally when transitioning from high school to college, but it took some adjustment.
The first thing I learned about being a nursing student is to always stay on top of your assignments and studying. Assignments can vary from reading to online quizzes posted by your professor, or writing papers. Your workload can be pretty demanding and completing your assignments as they are given is the best way to get the most out of every class and to stay stress free. Procrastinating in nursing school, for me, has not been an option and it’s best to not get in the habit of thinking “I’ll do it later.” Doing a little homework each day is much more efficient than cramming the day before it’s due. Begin studying for exams a few days before and avoid waiting to study the day before the exam.
The second thing I learned about nursing school is that when it comes to reading, skim the chapters covering the material BEFORE lecture. It helps to go to class having an idea of your professors lecture topic. If you do in fact decide to read the many, many assignments given (trust me, I could probably add a few more “manys” in there), don’t spend time reading every word. Read up on topics of the lecture you need more clarification on, and spend more time reading the summaries at the end of each chapter. This saves time, and you will still feel accomplished and be prepared.
The last thing I would like to share with you that I have learned is to visit your professors during their office hours. A lot of professors enjoy seeing their students outside the classroom and they actually notice when you are really trying! Visiting during office hours is a good time to review material covered in class, get your questions answered or get general tips about the course. Every time I have visited with a professor, I walked away feeling much better than I did before. So, if you haven’t visited a professor before, I highly suggest doing so.
These are only a few of the things I have learned and I know I will learn much more. I hope sharing what I have learned while being a nursing student will help others who are considering going to college, especially Oakland’s nursing school. For more tips and tricks about nursing school, I highly recommend visiting www.allnurses.com and looking at their message boards. Every topic and question you can think of have already been asked, I promise!
My Nursing Home Experience
Whitney Myers is a Sophomore in the Basic BSN program at Oakland. She is a member of the Student Nurses Association of Oakland University (SNAOU) and the Lambda Alpha Delta honor society. She works at Troy Beaumont Hospital as a Patient Transporter. When not in school or working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cuddling up to watch a good movie, and shopping, of course! She plans to further her education by becoming a CRNA.
Going through nursing school, each student has the opportunity to practice many different types of nursing, ranging from elderly patient care in a nursing home to obstetrics in a hospital. As a sophomore, my first clinical rotation is at Martha T. Berry Nursing Home in Mount Clemens. The purpose of this clinical is to learn basic nursing skills such as bed baths, bed making, taking vital signs and providing ADLs (activities of daily living) to patients. Some students may even have the opportunity to administer insulin injections or provide sterile wound care.
After meeting for the first time at the facility, being in the nursing environment was very different from any hospital I have been in. Martha T. Berry has only 217 beds and the rooms are much more personalized than that of a hospital. There are Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), LPNs and RNs. CNAs are responsible for the daily hygiene of each patient (baths, dressing, brushing teeth and hair), feeding, and ambulation of patients. RNs and LPNs administer medications, assess the health of patients, and collaborate with each patient’s doctor.
During each clinical day, I am assigned one or two patients and responsible for any daily care they need and required to complete a modified health assessment on the patient. Throughout the semester, after being assigned one patient more than once, I have had the ability to get to know patients well and form a relationship with them. Since this is my first direct patient care experience, this is very rewarding. The work of the CNAs at Martha T. Berry is challenging, tiring, and time consuming. Yet, they manage to complete this with the upmost care and a positive attitude. Not only do I get to learn basic nursing skills and appreciate the work of the CNA, but also I am able to create my own nursing care plan and implement interventions through a student nurse-client relationship.
This clinical rotation at a nursing home is a great way for nursing students to begin to put their nursing skills learned in the classroom to use on patients. Also, you learn how to socially interact with patients on a daily basis. Most students find that walking into a stranger’s room and creating conversation or obtaining vital signs doesn’t come naturally. This clinical allows students to master these skills. A good number of patients enjoy the nursing students’ presence, and they are sure to put a smile on your face throughout the day. Beginning my education to be a nurse would not be complete without my nursing home experience.
Habitat for Humanity
Lyndsey Dombrowski is a Senior 1, part of the Crittenton cohort. She works as a nursing assistant in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Beaumont Hospital and belongs to SNAOU where she is the Community Service Co-Chair, Sigma Theta Tau and the Dean’s Circle.
As Community Service Co-Chair for the Student Nurses Association at Oakland University (SNAOU), I would like to offer a glimpse of the rewarding events we have taken part in. Major events like Relay for Life, numerous fundraisers and countless hours at soup kitchens in the area. But what I would really like to share with you one of the most rewarding projects I have ever experienced.
This was the Habitat for Humanity project. While we try to participate in at least one community service event a month, Habitat is one of our standard summer events. Last August, we worked with Habitat for Humanity of Macomb County and were placed at a site in Mt. Clemens. I had never worked with Habitat before and was very anxious to see how the day would play out. There were close to 15 SNAOU members from the basic and second-degree programs on site along with about 15 other volunteers from around the community.
The day began around 8 AM and concluded around 5 PM. Upon arriving, we were split into different groups — painting, tiling, hardwood flooring and cutting — where we were directed to pick up our necessary tools from a large tool shed and get to work. Four other SNAOU members and I were in the painting group. It was 96 degrees that day, the house was not air conditioned, and we were instructed to wear pants. To be honest, after about 20 minutes of painting and numerous buckets of sweat later, I was seriously questioning whether I would make it through the entire day. I was not the only one feeling this way. As a group, we pushed our own needs aside and helped each other through it. Knowing that you are putting in the hard work and sweat to help a less-fortunate family is more than enough to keep you going. More importantly, looking back at the laughs I shared with my fellow SNAOU members while accomplishing a task none of us thought possible, was equally as rewarding. While we thought we were just painting or flooring and laughing at our mistakes, we were making new friends and forming new bonds.
During lunch, the directors of the site provided pizza and pop. An hour or so later, after everyone jumped up and down like elementary school children at the sound of the ice cream man, the director walked in the house with a large box of fudgesicles; we could not have been happier! After lunch we returned to our various tasks. At the end of the day, we had managed to paint a living room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. We also managed to install hardwood floor throughout the entire house and almost fully tiled the bathroom.
The best part was yet to come. We were then able to meet the family that would be moving into the home. Seeing the look on the faces of the family when they saw how much had been completed was absolutely priceless. They could not thank everyone enough. Knowing that we helped contribute to the happiness and excitement they were experiencing made it worth every grueling hot minute of the day. It really is an indescribable feeling.
I hope this can help serve as a small insight into what we, as SNAOU members, do in terms of community service. I strongly suggest all pre-nursing and nursing students to join. You meet incredible people and are provided with awesome opportunities to meet people and help others while gaining valuable experience. We are currently working on Relay for Life which will take place on March 25. I am looking forward to sharing this experience with all of you shortly.
Nursing Student Organizations
Stacey Rybinski is a senior in the nursing program. She is a member of the Dean’s Circle, SNAOU, National Student Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau and is currently class representative of SNAOU. She is employed at Royal Oak Beaumont as a nurse tech in the Nursing Resource Team which means she rotates through every unit in the hospital, allowing her to see many different patient populations and units while meeting a lot of people throughout the hospital.
There are many new, exciting experiences to look forward to when starting college, but it can also be a scary and nerve-wracking time. A great way to make an easier transition to college life is to get involved. Oakland University has many student organizations to offer and Oakland’s nursing program has some of the best!
When I attended orientation, I joined an organization that is just for nursing students and have been a member ever since. That organization is the Student Nurses Association of OU (SNAOU) and is a great way to meet new people who are also in the nursing program. Members are at different stages of the nursing program so you have the opportunity to meet students from different classes. SNAOU holds meetings once a month where we discuss topics such as volunteering opportunities on campus, in the community or with national organizations. OU also has a national chapter of the Student Nurses Association for students to join which holds meetings on the same days and times as SNAOU.
The Dean’s Circle is another great student organization you can join. It is a select group of students who represent the School of Nursing. Being an active member allows you to develop leadership skills and to work closely with the Dean and other administrators. Dean’s Circle members participate and assist in many student events on campus as well as volunteer in the community. Students in the Dean’s Circle are also at different stages of the program which allows you to work closely with a diverse group of students and faculty. I am honored to be a member and have really enjoyed participating in the volunteer opportunities. In fact, the Dean’s Circle has given me the opportunity to write this blog!
Another goal I had as a new nursing student was to be invited into the nursing honors fraternity Sigma Theta Tau. This is an international honor society in nursing and is an invitation only organization. Students are selected based on superior academic achievements and evidence of leadership potential. If eligible, you are sent an invitation in the second half of your junior year. Being chosen to join was such an honor and one reason why I always tried to do my best. Hard work does not go unnoticed. Being a part of such a large and prestigious organization is a great opportunity to be able to meet people from all over. It is internationally recognized and amazing to see how many nurses around the country are involved in this group.
Being involved in Oakland’s nursing organizations has been a wonderful experience. It allowed me to meet so many students and faculty that I may never have had the chance to meet. I was able to find information about and participate in many different volunteering opportunities. These groups have made my college experience a great one and I’m so glad to be a part of these nursing organizations.
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