Introduction
In a nursing practicum, the nurse is exposed to real world experiences where a nurse takes care of patients, conducts evaluations and assessments. The exercise allows the nurse to develop competencies and readies him/her for work. During my spring semester, I undertook my practicum. Initially, I intended on registering with a facility in California. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, my clinical contract in California was null and voided. Consequently, I had to travel to Wisconsin where I conducted my clinicals. This was very challenging given the abject change in climate.
Unlike in California where the climate is hot, Wisconsin was snowy and I had to travel in the snow to attend my clinicals. Additionally, I was away from my family for twenty days over a three month period of time. From a financial perspective, I spent over six thousand dollars and this put a pressure on my family’s finances. In the midst of adversity, my passion for nursing was perennial as grass. As such, the entire experience was not only humbling but also enlightening. The following is an account my practicum experience.
Discussion
During my practicum, I conducted clinical rotation in Madison, Virginia. I volunteered at a shelter where battered women receive care. Battered women not only have physical scars but also emotional scars. Statistics on domestic violence are disheartening with a woman getting battered every fifteen seconds in USA and three women getting killed by their partner every day. For a long time, the nursing profession has viewed domestic violence issues to belong with social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists (Shipway, 2012). However, the experience at the battered women’s shelter has opened my eyes to the role of the nursing profession in managing cases of domestic violence. In the process of care for these women, I learnt to not only assess for physical signs but also emotional indicators.
I was also involved in community health interventions. Cultural diversity is a very important part of nursing practice. During practice, a nurse works with individuals from different cultures. As such, it is important for a nurse to develop and improve interpersonal skills. Due to the exposure to different personalities in the community health activities, I am confident about my ability to work in different settings as a nurse. Additionally, working in the community allows one to improve on his/her skills on improvisation. This is because during community work, one does not have all the tools required to perform certain tasks. This enables one to work under extreme conditions characterized by lack of social amenities and functional facilities.
Work Experience
Presently, I work as a licensed vocational nurse in the obstetrics and gynecology unit. Mostly, I work deal with high risk pregnancies and patients who have very sick infants. I work under the instruction of a registered nurse and a physician. This is a good experience because it helps me diversify my practice my acquiring hands-on experience in various fields of healthcare. While working with high risk pregnancies, I handle cases like preeclampsia, issues with the placenta, preterm labor, and retarded growth of the baby. The experience is exhilarating and enlightening at the same time. For instance, under the instruction of a physician, I am aware that Braxton Hicks Contractions are at times confused for preterm labor.
During the, I managed a patient with preeclampsia in conjunction with a physician. During this particular case, I learned a lot about the management of preeclampsia. In the management of preeclampsia, a lot of considerations are made. Calcium channel blockers are employed in order to stabilize and eventually lower the blood pressure. This is in order to preempt complications like stroke that would endanger the mother and the unborn baby. For the case I managed, I used magnesium sulphate to mitigate the risk of eclampsia in the pregnant mother. In the process of care for such a patient, constant monitoring was required in order to check changes in blood pressure. I assessed the blood pressure every six hours. Where preterm births are procured, care strategies extend to the neonatal intensive care (Trivedi, & Puri, 2010).
My stay in the obstetrics and gynecology unit was important as it enhanced my practice and increased my vision. This is very important especially because I am almost completing my baccalaureate education. From the experiences I have been exposed to, I have more options to choose from when I start my nursing practice in earnest after completing my baccalaureate education. I have also experienced growth from a professional perspective. In addition to the extra paragraphs in my resume, I have hands-on experience in the management of various conditions. I also have experience and improved skills in working in multi-cultural settings. This will enhance my practice as I have always envisioned working with doctors without borders.
Conclusion
Practicum is a learning experience where one learns from self through mistakes and from others through corrections and instruction. My practicum experience was full of challenges. These not only offered new opportunities to learn but also sharpened my skills as a nurse. I reckon that I am better placed to serve as a nurse and also grow my career because of this practicum experience.
References
Shipway, L. (2012). Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Health Care Professionals. New York. Routledge
Trivedi, S. S., & Puri, M. (2010). Management of high-risk pregnancy: A practical approach. New Delhi: Jaypee Bros. Medical Publishers.
