This picture was taken at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. Last April, as IA Scholars, we were offered the opportunity to travel to Toronto, Canada for the weekend in order to experience a global city. A global city is a city that is important in regards to the global economy. Aside from being considered a global city, Toronto was also a very ethnically diverse city. Upon arriving in Toronto I was astounded by how large it was, and by the variety of people around every corner. While in Toronto, we visited the Aga Khan Museum; a museum filled Islamic and Iranian art that celebrated Muslim culture. We also visited Ryerson University and had graduate students studying Immigration and Settlement talk to us about the immigration policies in Canada, and how they differed from those in America. During the three days we were in Toronto we had plenty of time to explore the city on our own and absorb the vibrant atmosphere and culture of the city.

This picture was taken on my first day of clinical lab for Nursing 2410: Health Assessment. To me, this signified the true beginning of my nursing education. It was the first time I got to put on my scrubs, use my reflex hammer, and take vitals. It was the first time I could really envision myself being a nurse, and doing this for the rest of my life. Nurses have the most direct contact with a patient in the hospital, and this direct contact starts with basic assessment of the patient. Assessment is arguably the most important skill a nurse will learn. It’s the beginning of everything. Without assessment there can be no evaluation of the symptoms, diagnosis, debate over the pros and cons of each plan of care, or evaluation of the final patient outcome. Because this assessment is something a nurse does everyday our instructors made it look simple. However, I quickly learned that while tasks may look simple, they don’t always come easy. In order to become a pro at anything it is integral to study and to practice over and over again. In this class I learned skills that I will use for the rest of my career. I also made friends and study partners that will stay with me for the rest of my Ohio State nursing career.

This is a picture taken at a Columbus Crew game with the Ohio State Women’s Club water polo team. This year I decided to join the water polo team after seeing a booth at the involvement fair. I’ve been a swimmer all my life, and have always wanted to try playing water polo because it combined swimming with elements of other sports like basketball and soccer. I was interested in joining the team my freshman year, but was unsure of myself and unsure of how to do college in general. Even though it took me a year to join, I am glad that I did.  Water polo is a sport in which the team atmosphere is an integral component; it is a team sport in the truest sense of the words. You play as a team, you win as a team, and you lose as a team. Although practice can sometimes be hard to fit in around classes, studying, and other extracurricular activities, it is something I always look forward to going to. Being on the water polo team has made me feel even more a part of the Ohio State community, as we are representing Ohio State every time we get in the water at a tournament. It’s taught me a lot about being a team player. depending on others, and being there when others need to depend on you.

This semester I got a job at the OSU Wexner Medical Center as an SNA/PCA. This stands for student nurse assistant/patient care assistant. As an SNA/PCA I spend a majority of my time as a “sitter”. This means that I sit in patient’s rooms that need the extra assistance or the rooms of patient’s that may be extra confused. While I originally thought this job was boring and could not wait to cross train for the floors (this means I would be able to work the entire floor as a patient care assistant), I realize now that working as a sitter has provided me with the opportunity to work on an incredibly important skill involved in patient care: communication. Sitting in a patient’s room for 4 to 8 hours shifts leaves plenty of time for talking. Before this job I always felt a bit unsure walking into a patient’s room; you never know what type of patient you are walking in on and what mood they may be in on that particular day. However, after working these past few months as a sitter I feel like I am now able to read people better and see what type of communication they are willing to partake in, and what type of communication may serve as a form of therapy for them. This will be an integral skill to have in my future career as a nurse.

At the beginning of this year I was admitted into the OSU College of Nursing Honors program. This program is comprised of about 25 students within each class in the college of nursing and is heavily research oriented. Each student is paired with a PhD. research faculty member and a mentor-mentee relationship if formed. We, as students, have the opportunity to participate in the mentor’s research and then formulate a shoot off study using their research as a basis, and develop our own thesis to present at the Denman undergraduate research forum. This past year has been focused on getting to know our mentor and their research and deciding what we would like to focus on in order to develop a thesis of our own. My mentor is Dr. Michele Balas; her research is centered on prevention of the onset of delirium in the critically ill elderly population. After years of research she has helped to develop a bundle of patient care practices called the ABCDE bundle. Her current research project is focused on the implementation of the ABCDE bundle into long term acute care hospitals. My own part in the study will focus on the functionality of the patients when they enter the facility versus the functionality of the patients when they are discharged from the facility after implementation of the ABCDE bundle. Getting the opportunity to explore this often forgotten branch of nursing has really changed how I see the field of nursing. Nursing is a very patient care focused field, but we often fall into old routines that have been implemented for years and years even if there is no evidence to back up these practices. Nursing research helps create evidence based practice that leads to improved patient care. It is a field that I am excited to be a part of.

I have been a volunteer with the TOPS program for the past two semesters. The TOPS program is run through the Center as a part of the OSU Wexner Medical Center. TOPS stands for Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings (for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities). As a volunteer intern with the TOPS program I have worked in the academic center as a tutor. Volunteering as a tutor I have helped the TOPS students with a variety of tasks, depending on each individual student’s coursework, strengths, and weaknesses. Although each student is in a different class and comes with a different set of strengths and weaknesses one thing that has been extremely important while working in the academic center is organization. Just helping them lay out their week and when they need to turn in certain assignments goes a long way. Working with this population of students has been very eye-opening. They are presented with a different set of challenges that most of us don’t have to think about and I’ve learned a lot seeing how they deal with these challenges.