Shannon Rogers, NUR ’24, White Plains, NY
This summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to work at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in the pediatric transplant center and pediatric intensive care unit as a summer nurse technician. MedStar Georgetown takes students from all across the country every year and places them in various units full time throughout the hospital to be immersed in the nursing profession.
I am currently entering the final year of my BSN degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. I have had the privilege of completing clinical experiences in the Penn Medicine system and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Throughout these experiences, I have found my true passion in pediatric care, specifically critical care, and this incredible summer experience secured my goal of becoming an excellent pediatric ICU nurse.
This summer, I was able to further my nursing education as a summer nurse technician. The MedStar Georgetown program involves being a nurse technician, shadowing registered nurses, and visiting other units throughout the hospital (emergency department and medical/ surgical adult intensive care unit). My daily responsibilities varied, but I was generally responsible for taking patient vital signs and keeping track of Is/Os, assisting in daily cares, completing a physical assessment for each patient, administering medications with RN supervision, aiding in providing patient and family education, and documenting appropriately. Throughout my experience at MedStar Georgetown, I have developed a strong set of both interpersonal skills and clinical judgment, reinforcing my ability to provide safe patient-centered care. Without this experience, I would be far less confident in my ability to provide exceptional care to the patients and families I have the privilege of caring for.
I am thankful to have received such a generous grant from Career Services. I utilized this grant for transportation and living expenses, which allowed me to maximize my experience at MedStar Georgetown and explore all of Washington DC. While I am originally from New York, I was able to explore much of DC. One of the days in our program involved a scavenger hunt in which we visited museums, monuments, and bonded with fellow nursing students from all over the country!
To conclude, this summer has been a life changing experience. With the help of Career Services, I was able to care for children and their families, explore a new city, and truly develop my nursing skills. Thank you MedStar Georgetown, The Pediatric Transplant Unit, Pediatric ICU, and Career Services for a memorable and educational summer!
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2023 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
