This week I had the opportunity to spend some time in both the OR and Endoscopy unit. Going into the practice days I was excited and optimistic about what I was going to take away from the experience, as I considered my possible future in working in the operative setting. However, by the second day of practice, I realized that I wasn’t overly excited about either of the units and that the expectations I had set out, didn’t quite match up like I had hoped. Even though I don’t feel as though nursing in either of the units is for me, I was able to take away new knowledge that I believe has enhanced my overall nursing practice. For instance, it was interesting to be able to see and work within the different dynamics of the nursing profession. In the OR and endoscopy unit I noticed that the nurses seemed much more relaxed than those on the medical or surgical floor. I felt as though they had copious amounts of time to educate on the different procedures and different pieces of the specialty areas, while allowing me plenty of time to ask questions to broaden my knowledge. In the endoscopy unit, the RN that I shadowed was very involved in my learning and made me feel as if I were a part of the team and not just a …show more content…
Through both learning experiences, the clients were sedated, therefore minimizing the interactions that I was able to have with them. In saying this, the main reason that I went into the nursing profession was because I love working with individuals and their families and improving their day-to-day lives. I found that in both of these areas you don’t necessarily get to do that in the same context as you would on some of the other units. This was a positive and eye opening experience for me, as it reinforced my “why” in coming into the nursing program and also allowed me insight into areas that might be more of interest to