05/02 Assignment

From my mentorship, I gained experience in the realm of a hospital and what a Emergency Room environment is like. I gained communication skills by interacting with other students, nurses, patients, and doctors. Through my mentorship, I realized that the Emergency Room is not where I want to spend the rest of my life, meaning that I want to be a different type of nurse: a nurse anesthetist. I took the action of trying my best while interning at the E.R. I put effort into learning the different types of medicines, how to prepare IV bags, and how pull the medicines. I worked hard at my mentorship, and by doing that, I learned a lot about taking care of patients.

My mentorship helped prepare me for the future by (1) increasing my communication skills, (2) being somewhat like a job to me meaning that I now have an internship to add to any job resume, (3) showing me what kind of nurse I want to become. The E.R. let me know what it is like to work as well as what it is like to work in a professional setting. Rather than being employed at a fast food restaurant where the setting is less professional, I gained experience in a more grown-up setting where work was more serious. This prepared me for future jobs more so than a normal teenage job would have.

After mentoring at the E.R. since the end of August, I am still learning new things, like how to find veins using new technology and how to remove IVs. I realize now that I want to become a nurse and then go on to become a nurse anesthetist. I would love to have this job because of the way in which everyday will be an adventure full of new patients to interact with. For students who plan to participate in the Honors Mentorship Program in the near future, I suggest that you take the opportunity seriously and respect it completely. Respect your mentor for his or her success and for allowing you to come forth and observe him or her. Do not expect to be put on a pedestal; work hard to make your mark at your mentorship.

"An Average Day In The Life of Nursing" via Jacksonville University's School of Nursing

The infographic above neatly describes what a nurse typically does and what levels of education they obtain By doing this, the infographic informs people about nurses. This infographic is not mine; I do not own it. Its source is cited below.

An Average Day In The Life of Nursing. Digital image. DailyInfographic.com. Jacksonville University School of Nursing, Web. 08 May 2016.

03/14 Assignment

By watching the WellCast video about public speaking, I learned that the essence of my performance in my presentation all goes back to three main things: The Three P's. By preparing myself for the presentation, I will already know exactly what I want to say to my audience. By controlling my position and posture throughout the presentation, I will not look discouraged or timid; I will look confident in what I'm saying. By pandering my audience, I will keep them interested in my topic and the information I share with them. I plan on following the guidelines of The Three P's. By doing this, my presentation will be well-developed and clean cut for my audience. 

I want to appear confident when presenting to the audience attending my presentation of my final project for the Honors Mentorship Program. WellCast's video will help me do just this. It will also help me improve my overall public speaking techniques with its easy-to-remember tips and tricks which keep me looking spiffy and keep the audience on edge. I plan to fully take advantage of this video regarding public speaking and apply its techniques to myself, particularly in my Honors Mentorship Presentation. I will remember The Three P's and be successful and confident.

Watch Video

02/01 Assignment

This week, I've been working on finding another source contributed directly from nurses regarding what they do on a day to day basis in comparison to what the general public thinks they do. It would be extremely helpful to find a general survey regarding what people think that nurses do regularly, but I have not been able to find one yet. I am also working on creating brochures to hand out to those who come see my final project containing all of the information regarding the differences between what people think nurses do and what they actually do.

01/25 Assignment

To view my annotated bibliography, click HERE.

01/19 Assignment

To view my graphic organizer, click HERE.

01/11 Assignment

Primary Research for project:
You will be interviewing someone who has knowledge regarding the topic you will be researching for your project. This person can be your mentor or someone else in the field who has the knowledge you are seeking for the interview. You will post, on your blog, the following 3 items for each question you ask the person you interview. 
1. The Question. 
2. The Answer given by the person being interviewed. 
3. Your Reflection and Response to the answer given during the interview (to be done after the interview is complete). 
You will need to generate a list of 10 questions minimum before you conduct the interview. 

1. What do you believe the general public fails to understand about a nurse's duties?
- Answer: The general public does not consider that nurses are constantly consulting with doctors. When a patient asks the nurse for something to eat or tells the nurse that his or her stomach hurts, the nurse has to get directions or confirmation from the doctor before he or she can do anything about it.
- Reflection: This is true from what I can tell. While I am shadowing, Mr. Julio continuously has to ask the doctor whether he can or cannot give a patient something to eat or drink, for example.

2. As a nurse, what were the things that you had to do for each patient?
- Answer: Each patient required recording vital signs.
- Reflection: This is true; this is one of the first things we do when we get new patients and one of the last things we do before the patient leaves.

3. Would you say that nursing is a difficult profession to maintain?
- Answer: Yes. It takes a certain breed to be able to be a good nurse.
- Reflection: I agree with this, too, because seeing the things that nurses see and having to deal with and clean up after people for a living is difficult, but it is worth it.

4. What did you have to do as a nurse that you did not expect to have to do?
- Answer: I did not expect to have to lift patients so often. It really took a toll on my back.
- Reflection: Mr. Julio does not have to lift people very often, but he does have to roll some patients on their sides to clean them sometimes. Or, we might have to bend their legs and hold them there when inserting urinary catheters.

5. Do you think that the general public respects nurses as much as it should?
- Answer: No, I think that the general public does not respect nurses to the extent that it respects doctors even though it should. Yes, doctors decide which medicines are put into the body, but the nurse is the one who physically administers the medicine and keeps track of what is going on with each patient while managing to report these things to the doctors.
- Reflection: I fully agree with this statement. Being a nurse if hard work, and they do not get enough credit.

6. What percentage of the general public would you say truly understands what nurses actually do on a day to day on the job basis?
- Answer: Maybe 10% of the general public truly understand a nurse's daily tasks.
- Reflection:I think that this number may be somewhat higher, maybe around 30%, because of the numerous people who work in the healthcare field.

7. Is there a certain experience you remember from when you were a nurse that you were not prepared for?
- Answer: A few things come to mind, but I'll tell you about the time I was the nurse assisting a doctor during surgery for a patient from a car accident. It was traumatic for me because I was so nervous and inexperienced at the time. I didn't feel ready to take on such a large responsibility, but I did and it turned out fine.
- Reflection: People do not realize what a large responsibility nurses uphold.

8. Why did you decide to become a nurse?
- Answer: I became a nurse because my mother was a nurse and I needed a job. I was older than most people in nursing school when I went, but I did it.
- Reflection: Women often become nurses because of the idea that lots of women do it, but it is not that simple.

9. If you could do it all over again, would you still chose to become a nurse?
- Answer: Yes, 100%. I loved my job and I still miss it today.
- Reflection: Wow, I hope that I love my job that much one day.

10. Is there anything else you would like to share about nursing for the purpose of this interview?
- Answer: Sure, remember this: There will always be jobs available in the healthcare field. Get a job that you can count on for the rest of your life.
- Reflection: That's the plan!

01/05 Assignment

For this week's blog assignment, draft a written proposal in paragraph form answering the following: 

• I need and want to know this: (what is driving your research?) 

I need and want to know what people think that nurses do when they are at work. I want to know if people understand how significant nurses are and how hard they work.

• What is your current essential question (has it changed from when you wrote it earlier in the school year? If it is the same, use that question for this portion of your proposal). 

My question, which has not changed, is: How do the actual duties of a nurse compare and contrast with my and the general public's expectations of what nurses do?

• Other than the required website, what other tools do you envision to best showcase your project (Components of Final Project handout below - in #3)? 

Aside from the required website, I will create a brochure/pamphlet to showcase my project and the research I will conduct.

• What will you do for your "real inquiry" (Components of Final Project handout below - in #5)?

I will interview random people at school in order to determine what they think nurses do. 

This will not be set in stone. As you conduct research and put together a plan, the direction you take may differ slightly than what you envision right now.

12/07 Assignment

"What assumptions or conceptions (about yourself or the career area in which you are mentoring) have been confirmed or contradicted by your experience?"

Although I am a communicative person, I am usually slow to initiate conversation with adults. I know that I am a good communicator, I just had to find a way to open up and become comfortable. This assumption about myself has been confirmed through my mentorship, because I have to opportunity to initiate conversation with multiple people of all different ages and backgrounds. My conception of the things that nurses do has been somewhat contradicted, because I did not know how much paperwork nurses have to keep up with.

"Based on your experience, what are the most important skills needed for an individual to be a success working in this career field?"

Important skills needed to be successful in the field of nursing include scientific and mathematic capability, communicative properties, and the ability to constantly keep moving and keep thinking in order to take care of as many patients as possible.

11/30 Assignment

Essential question: How do the actual duties of a nurse compare and contrast with my and the general public's expectations of what nurses do?

"Why did you select this as your essential question?"

I selected this as my essential question because even though many of the duties are already known, many of them are not as well-known in terms of the amount of paperwork they do and the hardships that are associated with communication, both with doctors, other nurses, and the patients themselves.

"What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question?"

Researching and finding the answer to this question excites me because even though I shadow a nurse, I do not know everything (or even close to everything) that nurses have to do. I only see what Mr. Julio does for 4 hours a week.

"Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic?"

Yes, I feel that this question reflects something that I would like to find out more about, because I want to become a nurse. Nursing is what I want to go to college to study, so finding out as much as I can about the nursing career is very important to me. I also feel that it is important to research this topic and expose it to the general public because of the important information that it will contain considering the intelligence and hard work that is required of a nurse.

11/16 Assignment

"Instead of writing specifically about your mentorship this week, let’s look at an interesting article that may help you be more productive in your mentorship. Please read the article at the link below. Carefully think about what you are doing in your mentorship…

After reading the article, write a brief reflection on your blog. Make sure you:

• Provide the link (below) to the article in your reflection. 
• Discuss several challenges youth may face in the workplace. 
• Discuss social intelligence. 
• Why is social intelligence important? 
• Name one thing that spoke to you personally about the article."

Link to article: <http://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/>

Students fresh out of college applying for jobs are often too loud, too full of themselves, too forward, and lack self awareness. These problems lead to poor work ethic. Social intelligence begins with making a remarkable first impression. Daniel Goleman's book regarding social intelligence says that the topic includes empathy, atonement, social cognition, concern, self-presentation, and influence. The deeper social relationships are, the more people's physical health is affected; for example, social relationships affect blood flow, breathing, moods, and immune systems. Because of the effects that come along with social influence and the way that it makes a mark on people's personal judgments of others, social influence is extremely valuable and important. Personally, I had never read or heard anything about social intelligence before reading this article. I knew that first impressions were very crucial in the work place, but I did not retain a deeper insight as to why that is other than people always judge others based on what they see and feel. Because I was uninformed, Daniel Goleman's thoughts and research regarding social influence really interested me. Also, it made me realize that I am getting a touch of social influence in the work place through Honors Mentorship, which seems to be beneficial in consideration of my future.

11/09 Assignment

"Please write a reflection on your mentorship, specifically things that have happened in the last month. Make sure you are writing a reflection that is through and gives the reader a glimpse into what you are doing for your mentor. This should be at least a well developed paragraph.

Additionally, please pick ONE class you have had at any point in high school and be specific on how that class has helped you while you have been at your mentorship. This can be an academic class or an elective class. Only choose one class however and write another well developed paragraph, with details, on how that class has helped prepare you for what you are doing now."

When I go to my mentorship, I often help my mentor, Julio, by preparing IV bags for him and mixing basic medicines when he asks me to do so. We have the opportunity to help many people, and we do the best that we can--especially Julio, of course. I fetch blankets, pillows, and water on occasion for the patients, as well, which is what I feel I can do to help them the most with my minimal credentials. Helping the little, elderly women is my favorite activity when I shadow Julio.

In all honesty, taking Honors Mentorship last year has helped me the most with my mentorship this year. This is because last year, I was a mentee at The Longstreet Clinic Pharmacy. By doing this, I learned what a portion of medicines do or what they are prescribed for. I also learned the "language" of prescriptions, meaning the basic abbreviations used by doctors when prescribing them. Because of this, I can read some prescriptions in the E.R. with ease and I know what a small number of the medicines are prescribed for.

11/2 Assignment

Required Question: In regards to your internship site, explain how you feel they are a “partner in your education”.
My mentor is a partner in my education because he teaches me about a career choice that I may be interested in pursuing. Rather than merely teaching me the basics about nursing, he allows me to do things like prepare IV fluids and mix medicine under his supervision, which is something taking a health class in high school would not allow me to do. He teaches me more, in a way, than school can. Also, I get to interact with sick people and learn from them what the particular condition/sickness is like rather than reading about it in a textbook.

What goals have you met so far? Have you changed any of your goals?
I have met my goal of being able to successfully prepare an IV bag quickly and efficiently for my mentor, Mr. Julio. In the long term, I am sure not sure whether ER nursing is the career that I want to pursue, but I definitely think some type of nursing is possible.

What have you done that has made your supervisor’s life easier?
Whenever my mentor needs an IV bag prepared while he is trying to find a vain and create an input for the fluids, I am now able to help him by preparing the IV bag and making the process quicker so he can move on to the next patient even quicker.

10/26 Assignment

My name is Madison, and I am a Senior at West Hall High School fully enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program. Aside from studying hard and earning good grades, I played Varsity softball for two years and, at the end of this school year, I will have played golf for two years. I am the National Beta Club Historian for West Hall and I am a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish National Honor Society. In addition, I participate in the Honors Mentorship Program, through which, I have the opportunity to shadow and learn from an Emergency Room nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center whose name is Mr. Julio Bimbela. I chose to shadow in the Emergency Room because I feel as though becoming a nurse could be my calling in life, and there is no better place--in my opinion--where I can learn about what nurses do for a living. Next year, I plan to attend a four-year university and earn a bachelor's degree in nursing and go on to either become a nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist. My top choices for college right now are Mercer, where I was recently notified that I have been accepted and offered a yearly $18,000 academic scholarship, and Georgia College & State University. Because of the Honors Mentorship Program, I have a better understanding of nursing and am able to further comprehend what I want to study in college.

10/19 Assignment

How has your perception of the internship/organization changed since you started the internship?

I now realize the amount of time that goes into the actual paperwork in nursing. You have to record all kinds of things about the patient, and a lot of the time, the nurses have to take some time to sit down and record this information.


What is surprising you about this internship?

The surprising thing about this internship is how many different career possibilities exist in the Emergency Room. Aside from those who work physically with the patients (nurses), prescribes medicine and treatment (doctors), physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, there are those who handle the financial situations and management.


What have you learned from the routine or boring parts of the internship?

The boring parts of the internship include sitting by Mr. Julio while he completes the necessary paperwork. During this time, I usually write out my hours sheet for the week. 

10/05 Assignment

"You will be completing Step 5 in the process…
5. Reflection

• How does the book or article fit into your potential research? What does it add to your paper or ideas? 
• Was the source helpful to you? Does the source relate to your potential topic? 
• How and where can you use this source in your potential research project? 
• Make as many notes as you can so that you can come back to the source much later in the process without having to reread the document in its entirety."

My source fits into my potential research because it explains what life is like for those who work in the Emergency Room. It adds to my paper because it provides a stated perspective of what my mentorship is like and what my possible future career will be like.
The source was helpful to me because it put words to what I experience at my mentorship. It is important to my potential topic because it explains one specific medical setting.
I can use this particular source when explaining this setting: the E.R. I can explain what it is like to work/intern there and all of the different professions/titles that work there.

9/28 Assignment

Graphic Organizer #1 is on Drive.

9/21 Assignment

"First Assignment for the Annotated Bibliography

1. Search for an article that relates to your career area and that might help to inform about your mentorship. Ask your media specialist if you need any guidance. We will be using Galileo to search for articles. 
1. Go to your Library website for Galileo Password 
1. Then go to: Articles and Magazines 
2. Then go to: Full Text Search 
3. Choose an Academic Journal article published between 2010 and 2015 
4. Search for your topic 
2. Galileo includes a citation tool that will provide the correct citation for your bibliography! 
3. Use correct parenthetical citation in your annotated bibliography (when we write the summary - Write the citation to have it on hand in the future). 
2. Read your article one time through just for understanding. Then read your article through a “lens,” where you look for certain themes or ideas. Highlight or mark ideas you think are important."

Website: http://www.gapmedics.com/blog/2014/02/08/working-in-the-emergency-room/

Reina, Veronica. "Working in the Emergency Room." GapMedics.com. Gap Medics US, 08 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. Reina's article provides insight as to how the Emergency Room works and who works there. She provides information regarding what an employee might see or experience while working in the Emergency Room. She also discusses what types of people work in the Emergency Room, which refers to the types of people who should aim to work there and which types should not.

The most important areas include . . . 

• Difference between real ER and ER on television/in movies
• Different kinds of employees in the ER (nurses, professionals, etc.)
• Intense working hours and the anxiety they cause 
• Description of how one should be characterized in order to work comfortably in the ER

9/14 Assignment

List and reflect on the following points on your blog, after writing a brief introduction to the assignment: 

1. List 3 colleges you would apply for with the degree program you will need to enter the field you are studying in HMP. Please provide the college's name, location, and link to their website. 

- Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA <GCSU.edu>

- Georgia Regents University in Augusta, GA <GRU.edu>

- Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA <GeorgiaSouthern.edu>

2. What will be your criteria for a quality program of study? 

- I want to gain a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) in state. 

3. Which universities would have the criteria you came up with? 

- All of them qualify. 

4. Is there additional entrance requirements for your field of study? 

- Yes, after completing 4 semesters of core classes, one must apply for entrance into the nursing program. 

5. What is your criteria for a "quality" ranking and educational program (size, location, sports, diversity, funding)? 

- I would like to go to a medium-large sized college within the state. A football team would be a plus but is not completely necessary. The college needs to be public so that it accepts Zell Miller. 

6. What is the ranking for this program nation-wide and what criteria is used to determine that ranking? 

- #268 in the United States and #10 in Georgia

- At a glance they allow you to compare the relative quality of the most reputable nursing schools based on generally accepted indicators of quality such as graduation rates, student retention, NCLEX pass rates, tuition, employment rates, and faculty credentials and reputation.

7. List 3-4 potential scholarships for which you are eligible and can apply for. Please check on scholarships that may be specific to your school, church, clubs or organizations you may be involved in and the North Georgia Community Foundation's website: 

http://www.ngcf.org/page.aspx?pid=396

- Zell Miller Scholarship

- Tommy Aaron/Charlie Aaron Foundation Scholarship

- Jenny Melton Scholarship

- Northeast Georgia School Superintendent's Scholarship

9/8 Assignment

"Consider the multiple responsibilities you are all juggling at the present time (i.e. high school coursework, college applications, extracurricular activities, your internship, family life, friends, etc.). Answer the following briefly (one paragraph is plenty):

- Describe how you use time-management to fulfill all of your responsibilities. 

- Describe how you perceive time-management is necessary in your internship career field."

I use time management to fulfill all of your responsibilities everyday. When I get home from school, I usually chill out for about an hour by watching TV or eating a snack before I start on homework. After I start on homework, I go subject by subject based on the importance of the assignment. If I have a test or reading lens due the next day, those are my first priority. If I have both the next day, it is a rough night. By planning my study tactics and knowing everything that I have to do that night, I manage my time wisely. I realize how much time I can take to relax/sleep and how much I need to use for working. 

In terms of my mentorship, I will have to set Thursdays aside in terms of homework, or I will have to start later than usual. Generally, I will attempt to complete all of my homework before Thursday night unless absolutely impossible. By doing this, I will not be stressed out and remorseful about attending my mentorship. 

8/31 Assignment

Tim Elmore's blog post, Growing Leaders <http://growingleaders.com/>, explains the expected work ethic and attitude of student interns. Elmore says that an internship is "a twelve-week interview," meaning that during the time that students are interning, they are trying to show that they are worth giving a job to. While learning from mentors, students should also allow the mentors to see their admirable qualities; i.e., hunger for learning, initiative for work, responsibility of tasks, and passion for what they do.

In the hospital this year, I will have the opportunity to learn from my mentor, Mr. Julio Bimbela. While I learn from him, he will learn what kind of student I am based on my work ethic and enthusiasm for learning about his work. I plan to impress my mentor as much as he will impress me.

While reading Elmore's post, it really pulled me in when I read, "It's a simulation of the job you'll have one day." For me, the Honors Mentorship Program is about finding who I want to be in life. For this reason, I will pay close attention to every aspect of learning available to me at my mentorship.