YOU ’ RE NOT ALONE !
Read some of the pandemic stories nursing students shared with NSNA . All submissions are anonymous .
This semester has truly impacted my learning especially with clinical . We ’ re doing ATI clinical simulation between two nurses and have to also write a care plan about it . It doesn ’ t make sense and I ’ m missing out on my clinical experience while in a med-surg class .
I started as a nurse intern the week my hospital got its first COVID-19 patient . That same week , my school moved online and my first round of clinicals got moved online too . I ’ m really thankful for the opportunity to keep learning as an intern and for all the nurses who have taken time to teach me new skills .
We had to leave campus very suddenly after spring break . My textbooks and notes for all my classes are still in my dorm because we thought we would be coming back after break . Then , classes moved online . Our clinicals are moved to the fall on top of our regularly scheduled fall clinicals . It is going to be really stressful , but it is the only option if I want to graduate on time .
My school has been closed and school has gone online . Since then , I ’ ve returned home to California , and I might start working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic if I ’ m needed since students can work now .
My school cancelled school for a few days and then went completely online . Instead of clinical rotations , we were given case studies and paperwork to fill out . We were encouraged to return home , and shortly after returning to my home in California , the governor announced the CA Health Corps . If COVID-19 gets worse and everyone is needed , the governor stated nursing students may be able to work . I ’ ve been continuing my schooling , and I ’ ve signed up for the CA Health Corps while trying to contribute what I can to SNA and other nursing students .
In many ways I ’ m very pleased and proud of my professors — many of who are older , and you would expect to struggle with moving everything online , but they ’ ve put in real effort , and forgiven minor things that seemed less important . I was disappointed in my online class — a class that was already online before the pandemic — it was terribly run . That was a surprise . Many of our clinical instructors and lecturers are still in clinical practice so they had an extra burden . I enjoyed having recorded lectures because I could replay what I missed , and it was lined up with the PowerPoints . I pay attention in class but sometimes it feels like I missed something for a second and then
36 NSNA IMPRINT n SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020 n www . nsna . org