The COVID-19 pandemic upended a lot of traditional learning methods and disrupted hands-on opportunities, but perhaps no group of students at Behrend was in a more unusual position than upper-level Nursing students, like this group who were photographed in a nursing lab at Behrend before the pandemic.
COVID-19 upended traditional learning methods and disrupted hands-on experiences, but perhaps no group of Behrend students found themselves in a more unusual position than upper-level Nursing students. Their skills were in great demand and yet they were still trying to cross the finish line.
“Obviously, nurses are in high demand right now so there are a lot of jobs available and incentives to work, but as a student, it has been challenging to find opportunities to do job shadowing, clinicals, practicums, and more,” said Kaitlynn Rorer, a senior Nursing major. “We are desperately wanted when we graduate in a few months, but not so much as students hanging around trying to learn.”
Despite the challenges, Rorer said Behrend Nursing faculty members have worked hard to place students in clinical settings. Rorer was able to get experience in a local hospital as an aide on the surgical floor, then did an externship as a nurse aide in the mother/baby postpartum unit.
“I love working in maternity and newborn nursing, whether it’s labor and delivery, postpartum, or even the newborn intensive care unit,” Rorer said. “I like the educational aspect of caring for those patients.”
Fortunately, she will be able to continue working there. She recently accepted an offer for a nursing position once she graduates in May. Rorer’s clinical experiences confirmed her career choice.
“I learned that what I do makes a big difference in my patients’ lives,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to be able to help, especially in these unprecedented times.”
One thing she said she learned, without question, in the past year is the importance of being flexible and staying calm, valuable skills for a future nurse.
“Academics have been harder this year,” Rorer said. “I missed seeing our faculty members and my fellow students in person, having close relationships with them and doing homework together, but the instructors did a great job with online instruction and keeping us all on track.”