My experience in my first nursing co-op!

my first day of co-op

Hi Everyone!

As a rising third year on the fall co-op cycle, I recently started my very first nursing co-op. As a nursing major our co-op typically consists of working as a patient care technician on various hospital units. The co-op that I accepted is at Beth Israel on their Postpartum care unit. During my time on my co-op I have learned so much during my three week orientation and have gained a real appreciation for PCT's and how they keep the hospital running.

I am full time and required to work three 12 hour shifts a week and I rotate three weeks on days and three weeks on nights. My daily responsibilities during day shifts include vital signs on mom & baby, baby baths, baby bloodwork, blood sugar on mom & baby, and helping out the nurses in any tasks they may need. A typical night shift consists of vital signs, blood sugars on mom & baby, helping the nurses with their tasks, and then transitioning into the nursery after 11pm. In the nursery I get to help change babies diapers, weigh babies, do more baby bloodwork, & my personal favorite I get to feed and hold the babies.

The opportunities that I have had at my co-op have been endless already and it has only been three weeks. I have had the chance to pick the brain of many of the nurses on the units and gain helpful advice from them on how to hopefully end up working in maternity after I graduate from nursing school. I also have had the chance to learn from many of the current PCT's on the unit in order to help the unit as best I can and ensure that I am working efficiently.

In the future I hope to do my second co-op in the NICU and gain a better understanding on the care that goes on in these highly medically complex newborn cases. My dream is to hopefully work in maternal medicine in some capacity in the future and I am so beyond excited to see where my co-op journey goes from here. I hope that this experience can be a great stepping stone toward my future nursing career.

Until next time, Kaitlyn

Email: doughty.ka@northeastern.edu