This semester, I was lucky enough to get time in a clinical setting. With everything going on in the world, it was great to be able to work in a clinical setting. This allowed me to get a glimpse into my future and to start using my basic knowledge to work and care for others. I think going into clinical I thought that only my big gestures were going to be noticed, but in reality, a small gesture for a patient can mean the most. 

I got to work with a variety of patients during clinical and am glad because I got to see many different things. I think that one of the times I felt that I made a difference was when I was working with a patient and doing the smallest tasks made her very happy. When I walked in, she asked me to remove old ice packs, move a blanket and get her some water. On first thought, these tasks didn’t seem very medical or nursing like, but now that I think about it again, this is what nursing is. It isn’t always about passing medications or inserting a catheter, it is about making a patient comfortable in a place that is very uncomfortable. I worked with many elderly adults who had been thrown out of their normal and put in a hospital setting. Constant noise, lights, and ringing bells. For this specific patient, having her room neat and orderly made her feel more comfortable in the setting and allowed her to relax. I could tell that my patient had previously been very independent and being in a hospital made her feel like she could no longer do things how she wanted. I put myself in my patients shoes and realized that being at the hospital was very hard for her. I tried to understand how she was feeling and provide the best care for her. I did what I could to make her comfortable and she was very appreciative. 

My experience at clinical was very helpful to get me into the swing of nursing and work with patients to provide care. Although I may not have made a difference physically with a patient, being someone who was there for my patients made me feel like I was making a difference. Sometimes nurses and CNAs can be busy and aren’t able to do every small gesture for a patient. When I was at clinical, I was assigned one patient and was able to do a small gesture for them and in return I got a smile or a “thank you”. Every patient I worked with was very kind, letting me be there as a student was different for them and I hope that the care I provided made a difference to them.