A clinical placement over Winter Term helped Rachael Nalunga understand why nursing is often considered the heart of health care.<\/p>\n
The third-year Brock University Nursing student spent weekends working at the St. Catharines hospital, building bonds with patients during the unprecedented circumstances presented by the global pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo say that it was different is an understatement,\u201d Nalunga, a first-generation immigrant from Entebbe, Uganda, said of the hospital experience during times of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Additional screening protocols and increased personal protective equipment such as face shields meant communicating with patients came with a unique set of challenges, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all experiencing COVID-19 for the first time, yet still trying to do our best to learn and help out where we could,\u201d Nalunga said. \u201cThere was this additional understanding and compassion everyone showed to one another that made the whole experience worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout Winter Term, from Jan. 11 to April 23, Brock had 275 Nursing students in clinical placements and long-term care homes across the province. Spring Term, which started May 3 and runs until June 4, has 172 Nursing students putting their skills to work in the community, including a select group at mass vaccination clinics in Niagara.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents have had the chance to experience nursing during an evolving pandemic and to learn from front-line workers. It has been a valuable learning opportunity,\u201d said Dawn Prentice, Professor and Interim Chair of Brock\u2019s Department of Nursing.<\/p>\n
Nalunga and her clinical group were on a mental health rotation at the St. Catharines hospital, practising examinations that required them to assess the state of a person’s mental health based on questionnaire results, body language and other cues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot of simply talking with people, but we also did things like colour together and even play basketball when it was OK to go out onto the patio,\u201d Nalunga said. \u201cA lot of rapport was developed, which is essential to a therapeutic relationship between patient and nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sense of pride she developed from helping patients who were disconnected from their friends and family allowed her to look past the added pressures created by the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt good to come into the hospital and interact with people who have been closed off from everyone outside,\u201d Nalunga said. \u201cIt was rewarding to be able to offer them support by listening, sharing my opinions and helping them to further understand their circumstances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the patients really appreciated the company, which boosted my confidence as a student nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nalunga attributes a great deal of her success in the Nursing program thus far to her Clinical Instructor, Frances Cortese, who created a space where students felt safe enough to ask questions and share their opinions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could comfortably and respectfully comment on what was working and what wasn\u2019t,\u201d Nalunga said. \u201cShe recognized and acknowledged when I did something well and likewise pointed out the areas that needed improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cortese also shared experiences about working in the field, which inspired Nalunga to have a greater appreciation for the important role nurses have in a patient\u2019s road to recovery.<\/p>\n
At Brock, knowledge learned in the classroom is integrated with clinical practice beginning in the Nursing program\u2019s first year. The University\u2019s recently renovated teaching facility provides students with an advantage in developing the necessary skills to be successful in their careers.<\/p>\n
While her focus more recently has been fixed on her placement, Nalunga took full advantage of the extracurricular activities offered on campus in her early years at Brock in order to broaden her horizons and meet new people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is so much creativity in the events offered outside of class,\u201d she said, \u201cand so many opportunities to meet new people if you are willing to put yourself out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Nalunga admits the transition to online learning came with its challenges, she felt supported by the programming Brock offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had trouble adjusting and adapting, but the supports were always there through student wellness and professors,\u201d she said. \u201cI was able to utilize these resources to support my education.\u201d<\/p>\n