Mercy

Volunteer Coordinator

May - July 2022 • St. Louis, MO

What I liked

Management is wonderful and it was a great exposure to the healthcare field and what working in a hospital looks like. I had 5 floors that I coordinated and worked on and it was such a phenomenal experience.

What I wish was different

The hours were a little bit long and I was hard working for that long and not getting paid.

Advice

Ask as many questions as possible but understand and respect the teams boundaries. Always be trying to help, don't just wait to be told to do something.

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Nurse Technician

May - August 2022 • Springfield, MO

What I liked

I enjoyed the opportunities to enhance my clinical skills as well as apply those skills to actual patients. My preceptors were patient with me. They let me observe the first few days, and when I was comfortable enough, they let me perform skills. I enjoyed it a lot. The nurses on my floor supported each other.

What I wish was different

There were many things I could do as a nursing student with my faculty, but as a nurse tech, I was limited in what I can actually do. I could not give medications or patient teach.

Advice

Do not merely stand there and watch. I did so for the first few days to get an idea of how things are done on my floor. After I got the basics down, I was taking initiatives by asking the right questions, assessing, interacting with patients and families, documenting, and giving my observations to my preceptor.

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Nurse Intern

May - August 2020 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

It was amazing to be hands on with patients and to follow a nurses work schedule. Gave me a great idea of what working a 40 hour week as a nurse could look like.

What I wish was different

There were times when the unit that I worked on wasn't as busy. It would have been fun to float to other units when this happened.

Advice

Ask questions always! Now is the time to learn and make mistakes. So don't be afraid to say you need help.

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Physical Therapy Technician

August 2020 • St. Louis, MO

What I liked

I love that I have the opportunity to learn more about my future career. It is so exciting being at work and seeing the things I am learning in the classroom in real life. Every work day is like a shadowing experience for me. The staff is all super friendly as well!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Nurse Extern

May - July 2019 • Oklahoma City, OK

What I liked

The experience

What I wish was different

Make it longer

Advice

Highly recommend

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Emergency Room Technician

June - September 2019 • St. Louis, MO

What I liked

So much hands on experience and exposure to various trauma emergencies. Kept the work fun and just never knew what you would see every shift. The nurses, doctors and other staff worked like a great team.

What I wish was different

More flexibility for full time students to work some hours (even if part time). Makes it hard to plan for school schedule around their shifts. That’s a big difference from internship to an actual job.

Advice

Pick a summer job more around the career path you intend on following. This way you learn early whether it’s the right fit prior to getting to far down that path. Entry jobs are always a little “grunt work”, but that appreciation for that work makes you respect all levels later in your career. Don’t just pick a random job to be paid for no value to you. Make it a win win by pushing yourself.

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Patient Care Associate

January 2019 • Springfield, MO

What I liked

I really enjoyed my experience at Mercy. I worked with some amazing coworkers, including other patient care associates, nurses and doctors. I had so many amazing experiences and gained so much information in the health care field.

What I wish was different

Sometimes, the job was extremely challenging and even heartbreaking at times. I work in a pediatric ICU, so when we lose patients, it's especially hard. When we lost a kiddo, it was hard to continue working and to manage all the emotions that came with that grief, even if the child wasn't part of my family or someone I knew well.

Advice

I would share that experiences in a hospital setting, especially in an ICU setting, can be extremely challenging and difficult. It is not a job for just anyone, and it is not for the faint of heart.

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Nurse Technician

June 2019 • Joplin, MO

What I liked

The teamwork on the floor-very good. A good environment to learn about patient care and practice hands-on.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Patient Transporter

May 2018 • Springfield, MO

What I liked

One-on-one contact with patients

What I wish was different

More time with patients

Advice

Learn as much as you can

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Student Nurse Extern

June - July 2019 • Joplin, MO

What I liked

It was a really good opportunity to practice my nursing skills and learn time management.

What I wish was different

Advice

It was a really good experience and definitely be yourself during the interview.

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EMT-B

November 2018 • Springfield, MO

What I liked

Great experience getting into the medical field

What I wish was different

Pay is not great and the job can be stressful

Advice

Definitely suggest it as a short-term job (<5 years) to get healthcare experience, but the pay is too low and the physical and mental stress is too high to be a lucrative career. Paramedic is better but not much.

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shadowing a general surgeon

July - August 2019 • Rogers, AR

What I liked

I liked getting to observe surgeries and seeing patient outcomes.

What I wish was different

I would have liked to see more than just generally surgeries.

Advice

I highly recommend it!

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Nursing Student Internship

June - August 2018 • Coon Rapids, MN

What I liked

I felt that I was able to gain more confidence in my nursing skills and knowledge. I learned a lot and feel more prepared going into my senior year.

What I wish was different

I wish that the internship was maybe another week or two longer, because it went by very quickly.

Advice

If you have the change to participate in a nursing internship even if it is not in the area or facility that you would like to be at take it. It was a great learning experience. Even if you are not sure if you want to participate in an internship apply because you can always say no to the position. I think that summer internships are a great way to further your education and learning experiences.

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