July 8, 2022
Flex Friday: Roni Dominguez
Welcome to another Flex Friday! This week I spoke with Roni, a direct-entry student entering her third year of nursing. Roni and I grabbed some bubble tea, and she told me about her student experience so far:
Why nursing?
鈥淚 have a few reasons,鈥 Roni explained. 鈥淚 have three younger siblings, and I grew up with the responsibility of taking care of them when my parents were at work. I think this is where I started enjoying the idea of taking care of people and helping them out.
鈥淎nother reason is that there are a lot of people who are placed in vulnerable situations,鈥 Roni added.
As a nurse, you鈥檙e the one who has the ability to make them still feel like a person, despite this state of vulnerability.
鈥淢y mom鈥檚 a nurse, and she always comes home and tells me stories about her interactions with patients.鈥 Roni explained how her mother鈥檚 stories inspired her to start nursing and how she鈥檚 been able to share her mother鈥檚 experiences after completing Term 4. 鈥淭he interactions I had with all the residents 鈥 that鈥檚 what I remember the most from clinical.鈥
What have you been up to during the summer?
Roni currently works at a bubble tea store. While looking for work, she was careful to find a job that prevented her from burning out before the upcoming semester. 鈥淚 think the customer service that I鈥檓 experiencing here can help me develop my interactions with patients in health care. It鈥檚 been helping my confidence,鈥 she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 also on my feet the whole time, I have to remember all my orders, and I have to be fast and work well under pressure.鈥
How was your clinical this year?
鈥淚t was actually good. A lot better than I expected,鈥 Roni said, describing Term 4. 鈥淏efore we started, I was worried because I was placed on a secure unit and I didn鈥檛 get much student nurse-to-client interaction in Term 3.鈥 Here, Roni was working with dementia patients who are prone to wandering and often uncooperative.
鈥淢y instructor knew that I wasn鈥檛 confident talking to patients with dementia or just patients in general,鈥 Roni added. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a job before clinical, so I wasn鈥檛 really used to customer interactions or anything.鈥 She said because she felt customer service and patient interactions in health care are related in certain aspects, it was helpful to improve those skills during her placement and through her current work. 鈥淚 think I鈥檓 way more confident going into clinical next term than I was in Term 4. I鈥檓 very excited for the upcoming year.鈥
When asked about her classmates, Roni said: 鈥淲e got to really help each other in certain strengths. The people I was with 鈥 Harrison and Jill 鈥 they were so good at interacting with patients. I would overhear what they said to their residents and tell myself, 鈥極kay, I should try doing that.鈥 I think looking back on our time at clinical, I realized I learned a lot from them.鈥
What were the best memories from Term 4?
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of memories that kind of connect,鈥 Roni commented. 鈥淭here was one resident who every time she saw me, she would say, 鈥極h, hello!鈥 and grab my hand. She would just hold my hand and say 鈥榊our hands are really warm.' It鈥檚 really nice, being a companion to residents. I would just stand there and talk to her. It was a good pastime when there was lots of down-time at clinical.
鈥淭here was another one who would see me all the time and she would say, 鈥極h there鈥檚 the little helper!鈥欌 Roni continues. 鈥淚鈥檓 short, so I didn鈥檛 know if I should be offended, but it was nice,鈥 she laughed. Roni really valued those patient interactions at work.
What were the biggest learning curves?
鈥淚 think the most important thing you have to learn is understanding how to interact with residents,鈥 Roni said. 鈥淭here was one resident and if she didn鈥檛 have her stuffed animal, she would become really aggressive. That鈥檚 why I loved the HCAs (health-care aides), because they really knew the patients.鈥
Reflecting on her first days of Term 4, Roni remembered feeling like she was working super slowly. 鈥淢y HCA told me I could go a little faster, but I didn鈥檛 want to hurt my resident.鈥 Over time, she got to know her residents quite well, but she explained feeling intimidated by many of them at first.
Recalling another experience with a resident, Roni said: 鈥淪he would swear a lot and insult you. I had to help her every morning. At first, I was so scared. But I learned that she鈥檚 just aggressive with speaking in general 鈥 it鈥檚 just the way she talks. You have to work with them in a way that works for them. That鈥檚 something I had a hard time learning."
It just goes to show how important it really is, understanding patients.
What was Term 3 like?
Roni worked with an organization called COLO Families. 鈥淢y clinical group was online, while a lot of people had in-person placements,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was different. Other groups got to work on nursing interventions, but we ended up doing a lot of research.鈥
When asked about online learning, Roni remarked: 鈥淚t was hard to find motivation and pay attention during lectures. You鈥檙e in the same environment the entire time.
鈥淪tarting second year, any chance I got to be with my friends, we would just book a room and stay there and work. I was like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to be at home. I鈥檓 so sick and tired of being in my room all day.鈥欌 Roni explained that it was really important to find a different environment to study in throughout the year.
Where do you want to work long-term?
鈥淚 want to do paediatrics or labour and delivery,鈥 Roni said. She鈥檚 hoping to be placed in either department for her final focus. 鈥淚 also don鈥檛 know if adults would take me seriously. I look like a kid,鈥 she smiled.
鈥淚鈥檓 not closed off to anything, though,鈥 Roni shared. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 another reason I went into nursing. You can do a lot of things within one occupation.鈥
Any advice to incoming students?
鈥淭his is kind of hard, but don鈥檛 procrastinate,鈥 Roni said. 鈥淲hat I do 鈥 even though I still procrastinate 鈥 is just scope out my assignments and approach it from there. If I can, I鈥檒l work on it little by little. Know what you鈥檙e going into so you鈥檙e not blinded.鈥
Another thing she would recommend is an app called Notion. 鈥淚t helps keep everything organized 鈥 like an agenda. It鈥檚 a place to put everything, and you can personalize it, so it鈥檚 pretty fun.
鈥淛ust push through,鈥 Roni added, 鈥渂ut don鈥檛 be afraid to take breaks. I would work for long hours, but it wasn鈥檛 great for my mental health. I think that鈥檚 why I got burnout halfway through the term." Roni also shared that plenty of nursing students are open to sharing their learning experiences and answering questions. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to ask!
鈥'Slow down sometimes, but never stop!' 鈥 Terry Crews. I just recently heard this quote and it has been motivating me ever since."
Rapid fire
Best place to study on campus? 鈥淭he engineering building and the atrium.鈥
Plans for the summer? 鈥淛ust working, but I鈥檓 also hoping to get motivated and study. Maybe some travel with family!鈥
Self-care? 鈥淭he main one is music. I listen to basically everything. And just watching something that makes me happy, like Youtube. I like baking and trying things with my hands. Also dance workouts. Anything that gives me serotonin.鈥 Listen to one of Roni鈥檚 playlists
Roni鈥檚 final words 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of cheesy, but there鈥檚 always a good side to everything. You just have to get through it. That鈥檚 what keeps me going. When you want something, you work for it.鈥
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