A Day in the Life of a Nursing Student

On Monday, October 10th, the MSNA held a job fair in the WI Rapids Campus Gymnasium. I had the opportunity to not only win an awesome door prize (hooray!) but to discuss with potential employers what it is they look for in a potential employee during the interview, as well as next year’s job outlook.
A common theme mentioned was finding the right person for that specific job. You could have all kinds of experience, but if you do not work well with dementia patients, they would not want to hire you for a position on a dementia wing.
Another common theme was lookin for stories on how you handled certain situations such as conflict, and customer service. They want you to tell them of a time when you: went the extra mile for someone, made a tough decision, were not afraid to ask for help, made a mistake, what you did about it and what you learned from that mistake. They suggest practicing answering these questions to prepare for the interview.
Internships, working as a CNA, or other health care background also increase your chances. Anything that shows that extra initiative. Getting involved (as my last few blogs discussed) was also mentioned as a possible determining factor between two applicants.
One employer said they expect job availability to rise as their census continues to rise. Another employee mentioned to keep an open mind when considering long term facilities as an employer. As the health care system changes, more patients are being transfered to long term care facilites for short term care before being discharged home. “You won’t lose your nursing skills,” one representative said.
They are looking for someone who fits that specific job, hands in a professional application and resume, and conducts themselves in a professional manner. Grades were not mentioned initially by most employers. So it seemed like you need to do as well as you can in your courses but personality, skills, and professionalism seemed like the most important factors related to being selected for a job.
~Amanda

The Academic Support Center (ASC) is an invaluable resource to those who need help with: the English language, math, reading, science, writing, and study skills. Many nursing students, including myself, have taken advantage of the ASC as a resource.
Many nursing students go to the ASC to get help with APA format, as well as how to summarize without plagarizing. At the Wisconsin Rapids Campus Joanne and Mary help nursing students with summarizing journal articles and usuing APA format. Monica and Teri help nursing students with dosage calculations and metric conversions.
Every MSTC campus has an Academic Support Center available to you. For more information and ASC hours at a campus near you please visit http://www.mstc.edu/academics/asc.htm.
~Amanda

A cause close to my heart is suicide prevention. This year I participated in 2 “Out of the Darkness” community walks organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Wisconsin Rapids had their first Out of the Darkness walk September 30th, which included free QRR training sessions by Healthy People Wood County Mental Health Implementation Team.
QPR is an acronym for question, persuade, and refer. This one hour, free, training session teaches individuals how to question a person about suicide, persuade them to get help, and refer them to appropriate resources. So as CPR trains individuals to recognize and respond to a physical health crisis, QPR trains individuals to recognize and respond to a mental health crisis.
The AFSP states that every 15 minutes someone in America dies by suicide. In class last week we learned 2 out of 3 people who die by suicide saw a primary care provider within a month before their death. This suggests that providers, including nurses, are missing opportunities to prevent suicide. I highly reccomend all nursing students get QPR training. If you are interested call the Wood County Health Department at 715-421-8911.
~Amanda

It is hard to get involved in organizations once you become a nursing student. Our time is very limited. But there is a major benefit in joining an organization. Whether you join a school organization such as MSNA or a community volunteer program such as Meals On Wheels you are making ties to people in the community. You may have heard the saying “It isn’t all about what you know, but who you know.” Sometimes who you know can make a world of difference.

The beauty of it is that you don’t have to dedicate tons of time. An hour here and there makes all the difference. Also, if you join an organization along the lines of health care or health promotion, you can learn in the process. MSNA is a great example.

MSNA meets once a month and they often have speakers come in and talk. So not only do you get extra credit for going, but something positive to put on your resume and you learn in the process! A lot to gain for only 1 hour a month!

If you think you would like to work at one of the hospitals, volunteer there. You will become familiar with the facility, meet employees you could possibly end up working with, and maybe even get to meet the person who would be interviewing you!
~Amanda

Sometimes anxiety can be overwhelming. One thing that helps me is something called biofeedback. Biofeedback teaches you how to have conscious control over physiological functions such as heart rate.

Anxiety and stress initiates the fight-or-flight part of our nervous system. This causes many changes in our bodies, including increased heart rate. When we recognize this occuring, we can learn how to reverse it.

MSTC has a room in the Student Affairs Office called the renewal room. This room has a biofeedback program on the computer. If you would like to use it you can make an appointment with Brian Sadler, Counselor and he will show you how it works. You can then use it whenever you would like.

If you just need someone to talk to, you can make an appointment with Brian Sadler. Sometimes there is nothing more helpful than a third party perspective. Also if you need to let off some steam, MSTC has an exercise room near the gym/ASC on the Wisconsin Rapids campus.
~Amanda