Since the last time I wrote, I have had some really busy days. This past week, I worked 40 hours! Now I know what it is truly like to have a full-time job and other responsibilities (like classes!). It kind of puts things into perspective as to what I am going to be doing as a real adult. I was tired! Twelve-hour shifts make for long days, especially when you have to wake up and do it all again the next day.

Let me tell you a bit more about my week:

I had two patients of my own with whom I became really close. It was a new feeling to be their care provider and not just be a CNA (certified nurse assistant) who gets them water. I was the person they called to talk, the person who answered their questions, the person who got them medication. This is what I am going to be doing in only four months! These past couple of weeks have been so fulfilling that I can’t wait to start.

My favorite day of work so far (in case you forgot, I work on the maternity floor at a hospital in Boston) would have to be the day I spent in the newborn nursery. At first, it was kind of boring because I didn’t really feel all that comfortable seeing as I hadn’t been in there yet. But as the day went on, I became very relaxed and I was admitting babies and doing their newborn assessments. This is the first thing they do to newborns. I got to give the newborn medications, such as erythromycin for their eyes and vitamin K for clotting.

It was really scary to have to give a newborn baby an IM (intramuscular) injection. I was lucky though, as the first baby I did it on didn’t even really cry. Before the day was done, we had admitted three new babies and I had done most of the work. It was a great day.

Later that week, I had one challenging day where I wasn’t really sure how to respond to a situation. My nurse and I were taking care of this woman who was 24 weeks pregnant and had found out two days prior that she had severe intrauterine growth retardation. This meant that the baby was not growing the way it should. Normal babies at this point are about 50% growth and hers was at only 2%. We had to talk to her about resuscitation or comfort measures for when the baby was born.

Throughout this whole process, she was crying a lot. As a nursing student, I feel all right when a patient cries because I understand this is a normal process for people, even me. As a nurse, I was uncomfortable because I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better or how to ease her pain. Then, it dawned on me that I don’t have the answers to these questions yet; I will only learn through experience how to deal with these issues.

I really think I am gaining so much from doing this practicum. I feel smarter and like I am actually making a difference. I am about halfway through my 160 hours right now and it’s almost done. It has gone by so quickly, and I think I am going to miss it when it’s over. But I’m hoping for a job offer so I won’t have to leave it! Talk to you soon

Editor’s note: Chelsea is a senior nursing student at small liberal arts college 20 miles outside of Boston. Her column “Last Semester” appears weekly, exclusively on StressedOutNurses.com.