As my career through nursing school has progressed over the last two and a half years I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in a multitude of clinical experiences. These clinical experiences have given me invaluable hands-on knowledge to facilitate with my coursework in the classroom. I believe that experiential learning is one of the main aspects of nursing school which distinguishes it from other majors. Through my clinical rotations I was able to acquire hundreds of hours in the clinical setting, allowing me to become better prepared for life after graduation. During my time in the classroom I learned valuable skills needed to excel in the nursing profession, but without my experiential learning I would not have had the opportunity to perfect these skills. Spending several hundred hours in the clinical setting gave me time to practice and master these skills to a level appropriate for a graduate nurse.
Through my time in nursing school at Middle Tennessee State University I was able to participate in many clinical activities in areas including gerontology, health assessment, medical, surgical, obstetrics, pediatrics, critical care, community, management and mental health nursing. Assessment strategies, learned in the health assessment course, were applicable to all clinical settings and used to assess a diverse population of patients throughout my schooling. Medical/Surgical nursing skills were used in the hospital setting while taking care of medical and surgical patients and also while observing during surgical clinical rotations. To incorporate the knowledge learned in my obstetrics class, I spent time in the labor and delivery units, as well as in the postpartum and nursery units. To aid in my learning about critical care, pediatric, and mental health patients, I participated in clinical rotations on units specifically designed for these aggregates. During my community health coursework, I became involved in the community by assisting in body mass index screenings at a local elementary school and participated in giving flu shots during a flu shot clinic. Learning through experience is an excellent way to gain hands-on knowledge and aid in classroom course work. There is truly no better way to learn a skill than to do it yourself.
I would encourage any student with any major to participate in experiential learning. I was grateful to be a part of a degree program that already incorporates experiential learning into its curriculum. Having the experience in the hospital and community has allowed me to feel more comfortable in the workplace as a recent graduate and given me the time to perfect my skills before starting my first job. I plan on starting graduate school ext semester and I am looking forward to continuing my participation in experiential learning through my clinical experiences. Learning through doing is one of the best ways to become a better student and nurse. I believe that through my experiences in nursing school I have become well-rounded in most areas of nursing. It was through my clinical experiences that I have gained the knowledge and skill needed to further my education and eventually become a excellent nurse practitioner.
