Hello everyone! My name is Alexa Orduna. My STEP project was completing an STNA certification at ALIA Healthcare. This was a blended course, meaning I had online lectures as well as many assignments to complete while attending lab twice a week from 9am-2:30pm. It was very fast paced, as it was only two weeks, by the end of week one we took our midterm and a few days later the final. After the final, we received our clinical days and location. During labs, we learned things from changing the sheets on an occupied bed, to mouth and haircare. I was able to go work at a nursing home, to get hands-on experience and see what a day working as an STNA would be like. 

I believe the most impactful part of my project was having the opportunity to gain first hand experience in a nursing home. From my cultural background, it is not common to have our elderly family members in nursing homes so it was my first time ever being somewhere like that. I did not really know what to expect because of the reasons mentioned before, so I tried to walk in with an open mind. Interacting with staff and residents, helping wherever we could, while also using what we learned in the lab to take care of residents. Walking out of there, it made me realize that we needed to do better in the nursing home aspect of healthcare.

It was a really eye-opening experience on how understaffed and overworked nursing homes are. As a pre-PA student, I was already aware that many healthcare facilities were understaffed, but to experience it firsthand and see how grateful they were to have a few extra hands to be able to care for the residents. Of course we were there to get hands-on experience and use what we learned in the lab, but we were truly helping residents, even if we saw it as a small thing, it was something. 

I was able to interact with many of the people living there, some with different conditions and abilities, and hearing them talk about whatever it was that they wanted. They just wanted someone to talk to because their families are not always able to be there with them. While I was only there for two days, I learned a lot about the residents living there. One gentleman was in the war, stationed in Japan, and he would tell us stories of his time there. He would talk about it in great detail as if it was just last week. Another one spoke to me about his daughter, how proud he was of everything she was doing with her life, while also asking me if I was Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and continuously thanking us for changing his bed sheets. I have interacted with patients before at the James, but this was an extremely different environment and an each interaction was an equally wonderful experience.

 It was heart wrenching to see the conditions that they had to make due with, such as having one shower/bath area for about 40 residents. Thankfully, while we were doing clinicals, we were able to give a handful of residents showers, which does not always happen often. We also had to use things like socks as bath towels. It was startling to see how much was not available and how grateful they were with what little we could do. 

As someone studying to enter the healthcare field, this has given me a new point of view for one part of it. This significant learning experience is valuable, because it broadened my views of a different cultural norm as well as my views on the healthcare field. While I still have to take the state exam to be officially certified, I completed the course with an A and came out with a newer perspective. It relates to both my personal and professional goals/aspirations, because it made my view on taking care of my parents when they are older become more firm while also understanding that these facilities need to be better equipped and more funded. It better set my career aspirations to enter the healthcare field to help people, in a big or small way. 

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

For my STEP Signature Project, I participated in a Wilderness First Responder training. During this course, I learned how to treat injuries in the wilderness, environmental injuries, and survival skills if medical assistance is not available in a timely manner. Upon completion, I am able to create different splints with improvised materials, assess vitals, recognize different signs/symptoms of medical emergencies, treat wounds, and provide long term care if necessary. 

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

After participating in this course, I feel as though I am much more capable and confident in my outdoor skills. Now, I understand that I can be a valuable asset to a group if someone endured an injury in a remote location. I can adequately treat them with materials I would have in my pack. Additionally, I can recognize the difference between an immediate stop and fix situation and one that is not. Also, I now understand ways in which I can alleviate pain the patient is feeling and assist emergency services by creating SOAP notes compiled with the patients information. Furthermore, my view of the world changed because I now understand that I can take control of my own safety and not rely on others. There are a lot of risks associated with outdoor activities, but if I can go into activities prepared and aware that risk can be minimized. 

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

The structure of this course really aided my learning. It was a mix of classroom instruction and then applying the information in hands-on scenario training. For example, we would learn about more serious injuries like broken arms and legs, and then learn how to splint them with minimal tools. At first, we were told that the patient had a broken arm or leg, and then we moved into patient assessments where we would have to determine the injury ourselves. Scenarios were realistic and our instructor would dress the “patients” in fake gore to make it as realistic as possible. In addition to arm and leg splints, we learned about pelvis splints, ankle splints, hip splints, head splints, and tooth splints. 

In addition to learning about various splints, we learned how to recognize different illnesses/injuries and reactions that are likely to occur and how to treat them. For example, severe allergic reactions, asthma, heat exhaustion, strokes, acute mountain sickness, diabetes, seizures, cardiac arrest, CPR, hypothermia, hyperthermia, electrocution, blisters, and burns. We also touched on how to care for patients in different environments. This was done by engaging in a night scenario, a rainy scenario, and a mock scenario with “patients” that were different from my classmates. The mock scenario was the most challenging as we had to work together as a team and treat six patients all with different injuries and get them to the start of a trailhead so emergency situations could access them. 

These events that took place during my training made me realize how possible these injuries are to happen. It taught me to be thorough in my assessments so I can appropriately treat someone. Above all, it helped me to be more prepared and tap into my creativity when it came to improvising shelters and splints. Also, I learned the importance of listening and working towards a common goal with a group of people. The relationships I formed through the training are a large contributor to the enjoyment of the course. Being surrounded by like-minded people in a community that wants to help each other is truly special. My peers and instructors pushed me and taught me new ways of doing things that will benefit me in my personal life. 

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

This transformation is significant in my life because it has provided me with a new perspective on how to minimize risk in the backcountry and confidently lead a group of people. This development matters because exploring the outdoors is one of my passions and I want to continue to pursue it as safely as possible. I also have a desire to help people and now I have the skillset to do so if something were to occur. At The Ohio State University I am an officer for the  Mountaineers club which sets up outings for students. As an officer, I want to be a resource and leader to people in the club, and I can pass down the knowledge I have gained to people in the club so they can have it in their tool kit too. In my professional life, I am an outdoor instructor and lead teens through rigorous backpacking, biking, hiking, and climbing trails. The skills I learned are vital for programs like these as I am responsible for the teens in my group and their safety. Overall, STEP gave me the opportunity to be a better leader and safer in the outdoors, and now with my gained knowledge I can share it to others so they can be more informed and confident as well.

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

For my STEP Signature Project, I attended the NEW Women’s Leadership Conference.  Over the course of a week, I had the opportunity to create a political action project, enhance my communication and networking skills, and create meaningful connections with other women who are passionate about creating positive change for Ohio.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

Personally speaking, I learned how to create better boundaries for myself so that I am less likely to experience burn out.  I am endlessly grateful for all of the people who I met over that week.  That being said, I learned that in order for me to be my best and most effective self, I need to spend some time alone at the end of the day.  This was a difficult realization to come to because I do not like feeling that I am missing out or letting people down by not attending extra-curricular events.  However, I learned that taking the night to go for a walk outside by myself rather than go for ice cream with a large group was exactly what I needed to recharge and be prepared for the next day.

Professionally speaking, I came to a deeper and more wholistic understanding about why creating authentic connections with others, even those I do not agree with, is vitally important.  This is important in government particularly because there are countless assumptions made about politicians and their political parties.  If elected people leaned into those stereotypes and assumptions and projected them on one another, nothing would ever be done.  Rather, if you can build trust and repour, people will be more willing to compromise with you to achieve a goal.  I learned that even though it may not seem like it in today’s political climate, I can find something in common with anyone.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

Firstly, my roommate for the week also needed to take the nights to herself.  Being able to have someone who related to what I was feeling was immensely helpful.  It helped me to feel seen, not judged, and not “abnormal” for not wanting to be constantly with a group of people.  I also connected with someone who I had crossed paths with before, but never really gotten the chance to know.  We shared stories, and she showed me true kindness and thoughtfulness that impacted how I view the world of politics.  Even since the conference, she has reached out to me and wants to help me succeed professionally.

The activity that helped lead to the transformation I discussed was what was called our Political Action Project.  At the beginning of the week, the participants broke into groups and came up with an issue that we see in our community that can be solved with policy.  The topic we chose is controversial, but very important to me.  Though we all agreed on what we wanted the end goal to be, the way in which we wanted to get there was debated.  As an overall passionate person, I became frustrated when it felt like people were not listening to what I had to say and were not taking into consideration how I wanted to solve the problem.  Ultimately, we came up with a compromise that worked very well.  This was one of the activities that emphasized the importance of putting aside differences to get a job done.

Finally, the biggest aspect of the week that allowed me to undergo a transformation was the fact that it was all done in a non-partisan space.  Taking away the pressure of partisanship and political parties allowed me to be able to soak up all of the stories, advice, and wisdom that everyone was sharing.  It made me less fearful to approach the speakers and panelists to introduce myself and ask questions.  Also, again, it allowed me the opportunity to find something in common with people, regardless of the letter than appears next to their name, and if it is different than mine.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

This change matters because it enhanced skills that are critical to my success in the future academically, personally, and professionally.  No matter what setting I am in, the ability to communicate effectively, problem solve and compromise, and create authentic connections to curate relationships will serve me well.  Academically, for the rest of my time at Ohio State, and if I decide to get a graduate degree, being able to meet deadlines and finish assignments thoroughly and well will aid me in getting good grades.  Personally, it is important to me to maintain meaningful relationships with people who support me, and who I can support. I do not know exactly what I want to do professionally, but I know that being able to work well together with people regardless of their background will be important to doing the job well.  This conference was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I feel honored to have been able to attend.  I recommend it highly to any women who are interested in government, advocacy, and policy!

The objective of my signature project was to obtain a State-Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) certification through Premier Choice Health Services. I attended classes consisting of a lecture portion and a lab portion for two weeks, then took a standardized exam to become state certified. I learned fundamental nursing skills, what to observe for in specific patient populations, classifying vital signs, and common procedures expected in care facilities. The state exam consisted of a knowledge portion and a skills portion where procedures learned during lab were scored by a registered nurse. 

My view of myself and the nursing assistants changed the most while completing my signature project. Prior to beginning the project, I was unsure of what the course’s content would consist of and was very intimidated by the speed of the course (this same STNA course at Columbus State College spans three months while this one was only two weeks). As I got into a steady routine and made progress in the course, my mastery of the content increased because I was already familiar with many topics from health classes taken at Ohio State or my shadowing experiences. Realizing this made the course much more manageable and made me eager to be able to apply what I learn in real-world healthcare settings. Completing this project has also allowed me to better understand my true interests in the healthcare field. I became conscious of my desire to understand the biochemical processes and etiology of diseases and conditions rather than just how to care for them. Additionally, the signature project transformed my previous view of the responsibilities of an STNA. Before taking this class, I had very little knowledge of what an STNA does, aside from assisting nurses with their tasks. After this project, I have a much clearer conception of an STNA’s role on a care team. 

Many events during my STEP signature project led to the transformation and realizations previously mentioned. Both the lecture and lab portions of this class transformed me in many ways; the lectures made me more confident in my competency regarding the medical sciences. It can be quite daunting to ponder the amount of knowledge one must have to successfully treat a patient, regardless of your title, and I constantly feel that I am not adequately prepared to begin a clinical job. Those worries were eased once I grew more comfortable with the course schedule because I realized that I was already familiar with many things discussed in lectures and even made me excited to officially enter the healthcare field.

Being in lecture assured me that pursuing physician assistant school would suit my aspirations because I felt a burning curiosity to learn beyond what was presented in class. Given that the class only spanned two weeks, I understand that we couldn’t go in-depth on too many topics, but I found myself constantly asking questions and yearning for more information regarding etiology. The content in class consisted of knowing what signs to observe for in certain patient populations and conditions, and what is in the scope of practice of an STNA to treat such conditions. This makes sense as an STNA’s main responsibility is to observe and report to their nurse—not to provide advanced care or diagnose. I was often disappointed when we couldn’t learn about what causes such conditions like I was able to in medical terminology or biochemistry. There is no denying the imperative role STNAs possess, and I am enthused to begin practicing as an STNA, but I feel that being a healthcare provider would allow me to go deeper with such content and gratify my inquisitiveness. I hope that I can achieve such goals in my future education.

The last activity that led to me solidifying my notion of what an STNA does was the clinical experience we gained during the course. The last day of class was clinical, which consisted of a 16-hour day at a long-term care facility to practice the skills we had learned during lab in a real-world setting. This experience was incredibly beneficial as that was my first patient care experience, and it significantly increased my appreciation for STNAs and nurses. I was admittedly very nervous before the shift because I didn’t know what to expect from the residents or how much guidance we as students were going to receive. All of these anxieties disappeared the moment I was introduced to my resident for the day. There was simply no time to second-guess or dwell over my worries as this was someone’s family member depending on my care, and that thought oddly made me more confident and step up to the plate. I was also able to see what STNAs do on a daily basis throughout the whole day, not just know that they help nurses. It was a very authentic experience that I will always cherish.

These changes are consequential for my life because they refined my academic and professional goals. I had always struggled with the question, “Why do you want to be a doctor/physician assistant? Why not a nurse?” Although this question is a gross oversimplification of the variety of occupations in the healthcare field, it’s one I have been bombarded with by friends and family members. I never had an adequate answer to this question; I knew I loved learning about health and the human body, but many other careers would allow me to do so. Taking this STNA course has given me the answer to this question and I couldn’t be more grateful; I now know that I want to be a healthcare provider to be able to learn about complex disease processes and diagnose, in addition to treating and managing symptoms. I also loved interacting with different patients and would love to continue such relational aspects in my future plans. Lastly, obtaining this certification allowed me to gain invaluable clinical experience, which makes my goal of attending physician assistant school much more attainable. 

During my STEP Project I attended Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. three day national convention. I had the opportunity to hear from keynote speakers, attend a professional networking event with Sisters, and participate in workshops that focus on leadership and teamwork skills. I also gave a presentation to highlight the accomplishments and goals of my chapter during the State of the Sorority Address to apply for Active Letter Status.

Through this project, I experienced a significant personal transformation. Initially shy and introverted, I expressed a desire to become more extroverted and open myself up to others. Attending this convention through STEP has helped me break out of my shell and build meaningful relationships. The project presented me with an opportunity to further develop my extroversion, expand my network, and foster connections with people from all over the country. 

Also, the project had an impact on my academic and professional growth. Recently, I have been feeling very burnt out and have lost motivation to pursue my major. After being surrounded by motivated college students and alumni, I have found a renewed passion for success and a drive to excel academically. This newfound motivation is particularly important as I begin a new internship this summer and will be looking for a full-time job in the future. 

One of the most impactful experiences that aided in my personal transformation was giving our Active Letter Presentation in front of 100+ people. The format of the presentation was a 10 minute powerpoint portion and a 10 minute Q&A portion. Previously, I had very low confidence and would shy away from drawing attention to myself so giving a presentation was very challenging for me. After representing my chapter on a national level, it has empowered me and made me more confident in my public speaking and leadership abilities. It gave me the opportunity to showcase all the accomplishments my chapter has made collectively but also individually.

In an academic and professional sense, the networking event I attended was very informative and transformational. On the second day of the convention, we were broken up into small groups that were led by a Sister in a specific profession. I was able to learn about their personal and professional background, job responsibilities, and goals. Hearing from women about their life was really intriguing and  inspirational. Some of these women have careers similar to the one I’m currently pursuing and some had very different careers but we   were still able to connect and relate on topics that are universal for all. Through this networking event, I gained a new perspective on life and encouraged me to think of new goals.

Overall, I was able to transform by actively participating in discussions and engaging with numerous individuals at the convention. I was able to overcome the challenge of putting myself out there and fully immerse myself in the experience. All aspects of this project allowed me to embrace new experiences with enthusiasm and determination. 

Change and personal transformation are highly significant and valuable for life. By actively engaging with others, I expanded my network, fostered relationships, and gained diverse perspectives. This social development not only enhanced my personal life but also equipped me with essential skills for future endeavors.

My renewed passion for success and academic motivation are crucial for my academic and professional goals. Burnout and a lack of motivation can prevent progress and stop my ability to excel. This newfound passion will propel me forward in my academic pursuits, ensuring I make the most of my educational opportunities and positioning myself for future internships, jobs, and career success.

Additionally, my experience with public speaking and leadership during the Active Letter Presentation has had a profound impact on my self-confidence and professional growth. As I  enter the workforce, effective communication and leadership skills are highly valued and sought after. By pushing myself out of my comfort zone and successfully delivering a presentation to a large audience, I have proven to myself and others that I possess the ability to articulate my ideas and take charge. This newfound confidence will serve me well in future professional endeavors and open doors for career advancement.

     For my STEP Leadership Project, I completed a Phlebotomy training class to become a certified Phlebotomy Technician. It was  40 hours of in-class training which involved bookwork, hands-on training, and practical examination. 

     During my three weeks of class, I learned that I am a lot more willing to take more risks than I previously thought. I was so nervous to draw blood and on my first day of class, my teacher had us do our first “sticks” at the end of the day. I did not think I was capable of doing it as I had just learned how to only a few hours prior. However, I took the chance and got it nearly perfect on my first draw. I was incredibly nervous but it all worked out and I did great. I even let others draw my blood on the first day so that we could all learn from each other. 

     The relationship of our class led to the transformation I previously discussed. We got extremely close-knit in only three short weeks. We all thought it was crazy that we were going to be practicing on each other even though we had just met. However, towards the end of the class, we easily trusted each other and were all supporting each other during our practical exams and even just class. 

    My teacher was also another reason why I was more willing to take risks in this project. She made the learning environment super conductive and was very helpful to each of us. She believed in us from the very beginning and constantly rooted for us. She even let us practice on her many times. It was really nice to have someone to lean on for help and encourage me to take these risks and not be scared. 

     My first blood draws also led to my willingness to step outside of the box. As I previously stated, it was super nerve-wracking to do this without any experience. However, I eventually realized I had to take the risk and it ended up working out just fine. It might have been scary at first but eventually, I became a lot more comfortable and really enjoyed the class. 

     I believe this program was very beneficial to my life for many different reasons. It allowed me to gain a new skill that will significantly help me in my future career. I plan to be a nurse practitioner so knowing how to draw blood will be very helpful. I also plan to apply for a job working as a Phlebotomist and now that I am nationally certified I can do so. I also believe that being more confident and willing to take risks will help my future career plans. As a nurse practitioner, you need to know how to act on your feet and sometimes make fast decisions. This class helped me work towards making the changes and this will hopefully help me in the future.

For my STEP signature project, I completed a two day Wilderness First Aid course through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Bondi Outdoor Leadership. During this program, I learned how to assess an injured person in the outdoors, how to provide effective first aid for basic injuries that might occur in the outdoors, and how to make evacuation decisions. I also received my Epinephrine Auto-Injector Certification.

This program was transformational for me in a few aspects. First, I realized that I am able to work very well, perhaps even thrive, in chaotic scenarios. Knowing what to say or do next comes fairly naturally to me, and this was something that was actually quite unexpected. In my day-to-day life, I do not usually like unpredictability or chaos, but found that I enjoyed thinking on my feet during practical scenarios in the course. Additionally, I completed my project in Lakewood, Colorado, and most of my peers were from or resided there. After interacting with and talking to them, I found that I am much less knowledgeable than I thought about the outdoors. This was most likely due to the fact that I simply hadn’t spent as much time hiking, backpacking, and camping, as those activities are much more accessible, and more of a lifestyle, in a place like Colorado because of the natural landscape. I also learned the importance of flexibility and critical thinking, gained confidence in my ability to lead others well and compassionately, and simply felt more knowledgeable about injuries or illness common in the wilderness. 

I feel that one of the most important and beneficial activities my peers and I completed during this course were practical scenarios in which one group member acted as a fake “patient” with an illness or injury, and the two other group members acted as “rescuers” who had to diagnose and treat the “patient” appropriately. Not only did these scenarios allow us to constantly reinforce the factual information we had learned in the classroom, but the “patients” were also sometimes afflicted with severe illnesses, such as shock, which required the “rescuer” to act quickly while still making the correct steps to treat the condition. I found that staying calm in chaotic or severe situations was easy for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed acting quickly to treat a patient with a severe illness. 

Additionally, these scenarios allowed me to develop my skills as a leader. Usually, there were two “rescuers”: a lead and a secondary. As the lead, you performed a complete physical examination on the “patient”, let your secondary know exactly what they needed to do to help you, and made the final decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment. It required firm and clear direction, as well as critical thinking to determine what specific questions to ask your patient. One specific example of this can be illustrated by one scenario we did in which the patient had severe stomach pain. If you had only asked the patient the standard physical examination questions, you would not have found out that the patient’s pain was actually caused by a pregnancy! 

This program also allowed me to learn the importance of flexibility when caring for someone who is hurt in an unfamiliar outdoor environment. We used things like sweatshirts, sleeping mats, and winter coats to make slings and other medical equipment that you might not typically carry with you on a trip. I enjoyed learning to use critical thinking and creativity to find a necessary solution to an imminent problem. I also learned how to work well in a team and the importance of communicating clearly and effectively. After we learned how to improvise a type of medical device, such as a split, we practiced creating it using only materials we would have handy on a backpacking trip. One such example was a splint that stabilized the entire leg, using a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, the patient’s own hiking boot, a blanket, and straps from a backpack. There was a team of 5 “rescuers” splinting the injured “patient”, all of whom had to work together and communicate about what role they would take in helping the “patient” and how best to create the splint using the materials available. Our classroom learning sessions also helped me feel more knowledgeable about injuries or illnesses that I wouldn’t necessarily know how to treat on my own, such as blisters, road rash, heat exhaustion, or a heart attack.

I feel this experience was also extremely transformational in discovering and considering different career paths in my future. I originally took this class as I am working as the programming director for a summer camp at a non-profit this summer and wanted to be able to provide simple medical care in the outdoors for children that might need it. However, after experiencing this class, I’ve learned that I enjoy chaos and thrive under situations that require critical thinking and quick decision making. From this, I am now considering pursuing a career in medicine that requires these aspects, such as emergency medicine or intensive care. I am also considering pursuing my EMT license. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this experience and it has been extraordinarily transformative in both my personal and professional life.