At the beginning of this program, I was anxious to get on the floor and learn skills that are

required of registered nurses. Seeing that I had no clinical experience when I started at Bon

Secours Memorial College of Nursing (BSMCON), I was not aware of the level of proficiency

that went into caring for patients with regards to time management, critical thinking, and

attention to detail. While I knew all of these things made a safe and competent nurse, it was not

until I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the nurses throughout the Bon Secours

Mercy Health system I realized that these attributes were the “meat” of nursing care.

In the didactic setting, I was amazed at the level of clinical knowledge that is expected of a

registered nurse, for good reason. Even in the classroom, our instructors guided our curriculum

in a way that encouraged critical thinking and examination of the material. It was in the

classroom where I acquired the base knowledge of nursing care and in the practicum setting I

was able to confirm that knowledge through the use of time management and critical thinking.

BSMCON included a variety of settings for our learning including simulation labs and

community-based locations such as the Care-A-Van mobile services program. While they

typically indicated a large amount of nerves and stress for us students, the simulation scenarios

are where I learned from some of the most simple yet crucial mistakes. Being able to make those

mistakes in a safe environment was truly a gift that all students should be able to experience.

While working with my instructors and other students in a classroom or lab has established

my core knowledge for clinical practice, the majority of my nursing skills have vastly improved

over my last semester on the Mother/Infant unit (MIU) at St. Mary’s Hospital. On this unit I am

working with a preceptor who has approximately ten years of experience in the nursing

profession. She has worked on both medical/surgical and critical care units before arriving to her

destination on the MIU. I am thankful for her unique experience and knowledge because it has
helped shape my own time management and critical thinking skills in a way that my time on the

Mother/Infant unit may have not. When I began on the floor of the MIU, I was most excited to

be apart of this crucial time when infants are adjusting their new environment; I was also eager

to work with and educate first time parents. One of the first adjustments I had to make included

caring for “couplets”, meaning a mom and a baby. In the beginning, my time management skills

were being challenged as I was learning to care for both an adult and infant; it was critical for me

to understand the pertinent information for both patients, knowing the risks associated for both at

this time (ex. postpartum hemorrhage or feeding/nutritional status of the infant). My time thus far

on this unit sharpened my clinical knowledge and improved my time management/critical

thinking skills tremendously. With that being said, the measure of which I am most proud is my

level of confidence when caring for patients and communicating with others on the team. When I

started this program as well as my immersion on the MIU, I had very little confidence in my

clinical skills as well my ability to communicate effectively. Tasks such as taking vitals,

performing assessments, providing medication, and documenting in the EMR gave me anxiety.

Now with some experience under my belt (and then some!), I feel so much more confident in my

abilities to provide safe and effective care to patients. Sometimes, I feel that it is the lack of

confidence that can get in the way of learning and growing on a unit. My preceptor has been just

the person I needed to get through my first “independent” clinical experiences.

As for areas of growth, I will continue to learn and build my confidence. Ideally, I will accept

that I do not know everything, nor do I have the capacity to do so. I have learnt through the team

at St. Mary’s that kindness and compassion between coworkers goes a long way; this creates a

happier team and ultimately happier, healthier patients. I have plenty of room for growth with
regards to my skills as a nurse. I expect my time management and critical thinking skills to

improve greatly as well during my first job working independently as a registered nurse.

I feel that Bon Secours has prepared me greatly in both the clinical and emotional sense. I

have learned what it is provide care for the most vulnerable populations, and that the same level

of care is afforded to everyone.