The quality of education and training that MCN students receive prepares them for dealing with the unexpected—and many of our alumni have had to put that to the test.
Right now, whether it’s their first year out in the field or whether they have ten years of nursing experience behind them, our MCN alumni are on the front lines of fighting COVID-19. This is the first in a series of stories highlighting the incredible work they are doing.
If you’re an MCN student or alum interested in sharing your story, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach out to us here.
Caitlin Sims, BSN class of 2019
Caitlin Sims ’19
I never thought I’d be a first-year nurse in the middle of a global pandemic.
I started my job as an ICU RN in July 2019. By the middle of October, I was done with orientation and running my own show. The transition was fast and challenging. Growing as a nurse is a continuous process—one that I’ve found difficult at times. It took some time to find my groove in my new position.
By January, I really started to find what worked well for me and was feeling more confident in my decision making and nursing skills. It felt really good. Then, all of a sudden, COVID-19 hit the United States in mid-March, and my foothold was undone.
Over the next few weeks, the hospital became empty of visitors. We had to wear masks in all patient rooms. I’ve had to be very flexible, too, as policy and procedure has been changing frequently.
Now that we are further into things, I have started to find a routine again. I’ve gotten very good at donning and doffing a PAPR hood and isolation gown.
I would not change my hospital or unit for anything, though—especially in these times. We are all learning to adjust to a new normal. Just like everyone else, I am hoping for things to be back to how they were soon within the hospital. For now, I hold out hope and hold onto what is good. With each shift, I keep working to be the best nurse that MCN taught me to be!
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