ATHENS, WV (WVDN) – Nursing students from Concord University are taking advantage of summer externships with WVU Medicine – Princeton Community Hospital. The opportunity came about through the Concord Nursing Department’s clinical partnership and networking with contacts in the hospital’s education department. Concord’s nursing students are passionate and driven to start their nursing career; as a result, with encouragement and support from faculty and administration, these students applied for and secured these externships at the end of the Spring semester to be completed during the summer months, when they typically do not have classes.
Michele Holt, Department Chair and Director of Nursing, says of the program, “Externships are a great way to gain valuable experience while exploring various opportunities available in nursing. Students themselves need to be motivated enough to pursue them and our nursing students at Concord University are motivated! With the assistance of our clinical partners, Concord University Nursing provided information about externships, and our students eagerly seized the available opportunities.”
Here’s what some of the students are saying about the experience:
“So far, I have been on the orthopedic and women’s center units. During my time on the orthopedic unit, I learned how to admit a patient to the floor, program an IV pump, and postmortem care. I am currently externing in the women’s center unit and absolutely love it! I have learned how to set up the rooms for different types of deliveries, the process of getting a patient ready for the epidural, how to give a newborn a hearing screen, and much more. I feel what I have learned this summer will only continue to help me during the last year of nursing school.”
~ Santana B. Strickland
“During my externship at WVU Medicine-Princeton Community Hospital, I’ve rotated through a couple departments. Initially, I was on 4 East, the oncology floor, where I gained valuable insights into the daily duties of floor nurses, including medication administration and critical thinking in patient care. Currently, I’m in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), focusing on immediate post-surgical patient management. I’m learning how healthcare professionals assess patients’ readiness for discharge to Day Surgery or recovery rooms. My PACU experience has been amazing, and I’m eager to explore the Operating Room next week. In the remaining three weeks, I look forward to further developing my skills in the Emergency Room.”
~ Jenna-Kay Nash
“So far, I’ve had rotations in Day Surgery and Oncology. I have also spent some time in the Cath lab and with the vascular access team. I have learned about the admission process for a surgery, the preparation for specific surgeries, and how to care for patients after surgery. I have also gained experience with starting IV’s and programming pumps. I find the exposure to different departments in the hospital very valuable. I have enjoyed seeing how nursing differs throughout each department. I will finish out my externship in ICU/CCU.”
~ Hayley Lawrence
“I have been in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Operating Room, and currently the Emergency Room at the Bluefield Location. During my time in the PACU, I learned the importance of recovery after surgery as anesthesia can cause respiratory depression. The Operating Room was incredible! I observed the verification of signatures for consent to have surgery. During the preoperative procedure the patient is sometimes premedicated and then taken back to an operating room for surgery to be performed. Once in surgery the patient is given anesthesia, a Nurse Anesthetist monitors the airway and vitals to ensure they’re not in pain and remain asleep during their procedure. Being in the Emergency Room has been quite an experience. I’ve started many IV’s, learned about the IV pumps, witnessed death, postmortem care, and cultural diversity. In the Emergency Room at Bluefield, I’ve seen teamwork during a crisis and what it takes to keep a patient safe, healthy, and alive. My overall experience is worthwhile and I’m thoroughly enjoying my time – so much that I’m ready to graduate and be a nurse. I’m really grateful for the experience.”
~ CaSara Vanover
