Author: mcelwain.35

Statement of Action

VISION STATEMENT: To pursue an education that will lead me to enhance the healthcare community.

STATEMENT OF ACTION: My goal over the next two years is to continue pursuing an education that will allow me to become a well-rounded and contributing member of our society. I will continue to work towards this by taking a variety of courses while searching for a path that interests me most. I am a life long learner and will strive to learn more in order to become more aware of the society in which we currently live. I will pursue an education that will allow me to work in and improve our healthcare system.

Growing in my Knowledge of the French Language

This semester, I was enrolled in a French Literature course. I was beginning to doubt my French speaking skills. I know that I still struggle with listening to others speak French, but this project assured me that I am able to speak the language much better than I thought. I chose to do a presentation over gender roles in french cinema for my final oral project for the course. I was not sure that I would be able to create a 10-15 minute presentation in French. However, my peers and teachers were notably impressed by this presentation and I was given a 98% on the project.

I was hoping to study abroad this summer in France, before COVID-19 cancelled my plans. I was beginning to fear that I would be unable to speak and others would not understand me. This project gave me hope that I would be able to communicate well abroad, while improving my listening skills.

Second Year in Review

Unfortunately, my second year did not have the ending that I had hoped. I had hoped to be finishing up my medical school pre-requisites and continuing on in my major courses. SARS-CoV2 has thrown a wrench in my plan. The transition to online classes was not an easy one for me during the second semester. It has taught me to be much more self-disciplined and self-motivated.

I hoped that at this point in time, I would be solidified in my plans and have a clear path to my future. Unfortunately, I am still not there. This year I got involved in research because I had the intention of pursuing an MD/PhD post-undergrad. However, I was not a huge fan of this research and going to the lab seemed like a chore. The good thing about this is that I still have time to find something different that I enjoy. In fact, I have decided to take a couple classes over the summer as well to explore my interests further.

Luckily, a lot of good has come out of this year as well. I have become the Service Chair for the Biological Sciences Scholars Program and the Director of Volunteering for Doctors Without Borders. These are two positions that I am extremely proud of and am excited to work in in over the next year. I thoroughly enjoy volunteer work and am looking forward to showing others ways to give back as well.

Last summer, I started working as a Patient Care Associate at the Wexner Medical Center. I work in the Float Pool at University Hospitals, meaning that I get a lot of different experiences. I have worked in the Emergency Department, ICUs, Med-Surg Units, Rehabilitation Hospital and the Mental Health Hospital. This has allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation for everyone working within the hospital. This experience has done nothing but affirm my desire to work in healthcare. However, it has also opened my eyes to so many ways to get involved aside from being a physician. I am currently exploring my options of how I want to be involved in healthcare; but as of now, all I know is that I belong in a hospital actively caring for patients.

PCA – First Hospital Experience

Over the summer, I decided to get my STNA license so that I could begin working in a hospital setting. I took my STNA course through Alia Healthcare and then took the state test in early June. Luckily, I was able to find a job pretty quickly and started work at OSU Wexner Medical Center on July 8th, 2019 as a Float Pool PCA. My position is IRP, which allows me to work very flexible hours and has been extremely good with my school schedule.

You may be wondering what exactly do I do as a PCA at OSUWMC. The official job description is that I assist patients with their activities of daily living. However, I do much more than that. I am a Nurses “right-hand man” so to speak. I am able to assist the nursing staff with just about anything they need, within my scope of practice of course. I have been trained to perform blood draws for lab collection, complete bladder scans, as well as many other vital hospital duties. Often times I also sit 1:1 with patients having suicidal/homicidal ideations (SI/HI), patients with behavioral issues, patients who are on a med hold, and patients who may be confused or at risk for elopement. This is the aspect of my job which has helped me to improve my bedside manners and communication skills the most. At first, sitting 1:1 with a patient was very difficult for me; but now I am able to sit and talk with these patients for an entire 12 hour shift sometimes. I have learned how to pick up on nonverbal cues of agitation, pain, and discomfort much more easily. I can then report these to the nurse in order to improve patient care and comfort while in the hospital.

Of course, my job is not all roses and daisies either. Working as a PCA has required me to do a lot of the grunt work as well. I am usually the one who completes bed baths and cleans up patients after incidents of incontinence. I feel that as a PCA, I have been able to better appreciate all levels of the hospital care chain, from EVS to UCA to RN to MD and everyone in between. Every single person plays a vital role in keeping the hospital running and helping our patients to get better.

My First Patient Experience with Fast

This past March, I began volunteering with the Red Cross First Aid Service Team, or FAST for short. This is a team of individuals, both in and out of the medical field, who train to provide basic first aid to individuals at large events around Columbus. I received a certification in First Aid with BLS and Administration of Emergency Oxygen. FAST has become a home to me because everyone has been so welcoming and always willing to teach me new skills.

I was really excited to start this volunteer work because it would give me the opportunity to develop basic skills to working with patients. I was able to get my first experience of this nature on my third event, at the Ohio State Event. This event was quite full with about 60,000 people in attendance, so it was a pretty busy day. At halftime, a dad carried his child into the first aid room and claimed that she had fallen and possibly hit her head, and she was acting different. The mood in the room instantly shifted from a fun, relaxed zone to serious business once there was a suspected head injury. Along with the FAST responders, EMS is on scene if needed. My team member did an initial evaluation of the patient while I worked to comfort the dad and get the paperwork filled out with him. We decided at the end of the visit, that we should probably send the patient to the hospital for further treatment because of the severity of head injuries. This experience was very valuable to me, and showed that I can help even when my job is to get the paperwork filled out and comfort the family. After this experience, I have been even more motivated to get into the hospital work setting.

Artifact- FAST

This past March, I received my First Aid with BLS and Administration of Emergency Oxygen certification. I am working with the Red Cross as a part of the First Aid Service Team. This program has helped me to advance my career and begin to gain patient service skills. I have found more than a volunteer opportunity with this program, I have found a second family to whom I can reach out to for advice at any time.

Service at Wesley Glenn

The Biological Sciences Scholars Program organizes game night at Wesley Glenn once a month. Wesley Glenn is a nursing home north of campus, and we interact with the residents and play bingo. I have consistently gone to the Game Night throughout the year and actually developed relationships with some of the residents. The one resident in particular that I often think back to is gentleman named Keith. Keith is a retired pastor of the UMC and reminded me a lot of my own grandfather. Most of the residents prefer to play bingo, but Keith wanted to play cards. So my best friend, Haley, and I played a game he taught us called “OH”. Talking and playing with him was so much fun, learning about his experiences and getting to share our own. Service is more than the act of serving, it is about building these relationships with those that you serve.
After the event was over and the residents had left, the nursing home staff came up to us to thank us and tell us that Keith has not been that social since he broke his hip last year. Thinking about the impact we can have on others has motivated me to think about every interaction with people, and how I can make a difference.

Global Awareness

This semester in Italian 5101, we discussed Intercultural Competency. This discussion furthered my interest in studying language and studying other cultures. Before taking this course, my interest was solely in learning the language. I thought that learning the language was enough, but have since realized the cultural is a vital part of the language. Without understanding the culture, it is impossible to truly communicate with people across the world. Learning a language also throws people into a situation of cultural humility. I think that this humility is a great experience for everyone to go through to teach people to more understanding of non-native speakers.

I have decided to continue with Italian as my secondary language for my Romance Studies degree after this course. This decision was strongly rooted in the relationship I developed with my professor and the true passion for teaching that I have seen in every person in the Italian department. I hope to study abroad in France next summer and would then like to teach the language to young students.

Freshman Year in Review

Today marked the end of my freshman year of college. It was certainly not a walk in the park, but the challenges that I have faced have improved me as both a student and a person. My first semester was relatively light, and the adjustments that I made were more of a social adjustment. The second semester was very much an academic adjustment for me. My course load was much heavier and more challenging, and I really had to learn how to study more efficiently. The biggest thing that I learned over the past year has been time-management skills. I had to learn to prioritize and compartmentalize. Chemistry 1220 and Italian 5101 both required a lot of time and dedication to studying, but the feeling of accomplishment I have now was well worth the struggle.

Saying goodbye to my best friends over the past two days has been very difficult for me. I did not realize how close I have gotten to these people, the friendships that I have built have are forever bonds. It is so surreal to me that my freshman is over and I am moving onto my sophomore year of college next year. I am really excited to continue to grow throughout the next couple of years, and I can not wait to see what the next years have in store for me.

Bio-Sci Scholars Event

As a Bio-Sci Scholar, I have been given the opportunity to meet many different people with similar interests. On September 15th, I was able to attend the scholars tailgate  before going to the football game. This event allowed me to spend time with not only fellow Bio-Sci Scholars, but also to mingle with other scholars that live on north campus. As a scholar, I have gained a lot of communication skills and learned how to socialize with new people. Bio-Sci and my fellow scholars have brought me out of my comfort zone and forced me into new situations.