Tierra Thompson: An Unexpected Network
I walked along the dimly lit pathway of my summer home to my parked car then proceeded to drive twenty minutes away to Greenville Memorial Hospital. It was finally May 24th, the first day of my nurse externship, and I was nervous yet excited not knowing what to expect. I knew that with this position, I would be following and assisting a registered nurse during a full twelve-hour shift. I was eager to have the chance to practice clinical skills and improve my competence. I would have the opportunity to attend classes and complete a research project which would overall improve my own nursing practice.
I arrived 15 minutes early and entered the classroom for orientation. I observed the people around me and was relieved to see the familiar faces of three other Lander nursing students. The clock read 8:30 A.M. and a woman immediately jumped into her formal introduction before starting the agenda for the day. She stated that she graduated from Lander University in 2012 which was comforting to hear. This connection between our education felt like a sign that everything would turn out okay. In fact it did, and this was the first connection of many throughout my experience.
Me and other Lander nursing students after the extern graduation
About midway through the externship, I met a patient I will never forget. She was a woman in her eighties who was admitted to our floor with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This disease process affects the nervous system and manifests in a variety of ways because the brain controls a variety of bodily functions. She lived with the illness for years and was currently experiencing a worsening of her symptoms. It was primarily affecting her balance and coordination which is why she was being observed in the hospital.
At first sight, I did not expect to bond with her as much as I did. She was tiny, probably around 4’10, with short hair that was dyed maroon. She had thick black eyeliner surrounding her piercing green eyes. Her eyes seemed to stare right into your soul and unearth your true intentions. She fixed her intense gaze on me as I went through my usual routine for an initial patient interaction. I introduced myself and made small talk while I took her vital signs to make the interaction pleasant for us both.
After the formalities, she revealed that she worked as a nurse for decades. She said she used to primarily work in critical care, which coincidentally is the area I am interested in. I learned about her training and how she actually was a graduate of a diploma program and lived at the hospital where she was trained. I was in awe because I remember learning about this in a nursing history course, but I never met a nurse who was trained in this way.
We continued to bond and exchange stories, and our relationship reached a point where every time I entered her I would expect to learn something new. I looked forward to having free time where I could sit with her and just talk. I was not the only person involved in her care, so eventually some of the nurse techs and nurses would drop in to say hello and hear what she had to say. She had the best stories, and one of the techs told her that she should write a novel about her life experiences. We all agreed. She told us engaging tales about the time her neighbor accidentally ran over his sister, her courtship with her deceased husband who battled prostate cancer, and being solely responsible for the care of a patient who weighed over 600 pounds during her nursing training.
While she was telling the story of her neighbor’s unfortunate incident, I was in the room along with my nurse preceptor and a nurse tech who was also in nursing school. I did not realize it then but the generational connection between us all was amazing to witness. There were a few of us who were just beginning our nursing journeys, a practicing nurse who witnessed first-hand the tragedies and strain of COVID, and a veteran nurse who did not experience all of the technology and improved training that we have today but was still wise and competent. We bonded over our experiences and shared advice. We realized there was more in common between us than we originally thought. The struggle and challenges we faced as nurses were still the same although it presented differently across generations.
I went into this experience only focusing on the practical benefits I would receive such as learning new tricks for starting IVs, inserting Foley catheters, and how to prioritize patient care throughout the day. I knew that I would gain confidence and knowledge in that aspect from the start. I had no idea that I would gain much more simply by interacting with the people around me who had unique nursing journeys with a wealth of knowledge in different areas of expertise.
In fact, fears from what I have heard about the nursing profession completely negated the idea that this network would be possible. You may have heard that “nurses eat their young” meaning that the more experienced nurses tend to give newer ones a hard time and may even go as far as to bully them. Because of this, I did not expect any of the nursing staff or educators that I met with to do anything more than what was required. I did not know they would go above and beyond to share their knowledge with me.
The networking between nurses is really what it is all about. We have to lean on each other during difficult moments so that we can show up properly for patients. It is no secret that nursing is hard, so the value of mentorship and friendship between nurses is priceless. It is refreshing to know that there are people out there who are willing to share what they experienced so that others can learn from it and prevent mistakes. I know that I will not ever know it all, and may feel lost and unprepared at first. Yet knowing that I am entering a profession with people who remain compassionate and helpful is beyond reassuring.
Me with two friends I made along the way
The entire group of 2021 Prisma Health nurse externs along with program coordinator
Tierra Thompson is a senior nursing major from York, SC. Over the summer of 2021, she completed a nurse externship on a neuroscience and stroke unit at Greenville Memorial Hospital. She will graduate in May 2022 and plans to work on a progressive care unit after graduation.