Photos from Clay Patton and Rodolfo Martinez in News Photography, COMM 1316. Featured photo by Clay Patton.
First-semester SPC nursing students recently went from the classroom to the lab to practice the skill of medication administration.
“These are all first semester,” says Holly Scrivner, SPC ADN associate professor. “So this is their very first time ever holding a needle in their hand.”
She says about two years ago students started receiving lab kits that include practice pads so they can practice medication administration all semester.
“We used to use hot dogs and oranges,” she says.
As Scrivner points out, giving shots is a complex skill that takes time to practice.
“This is there very first time for preparing those medications,” Scriver says, “mixing those medications, getting the feel for administering those, just learning how to work the syringes, when to change the needles. All of those parts are important so that they don’t harm themselves or their patients.”
So with professors standing by to offer guidance, 50 first-semester students gathered up their supplies and their nerves to get the job done.
“It’s a little intimidating, yes, but it’s OK,” says student Georgia Taylor. “That’s why we’re here learning and practicing so we can be better at it on the field.”
Taylor called the experience “exciting”. So did two of her classmates.
Student Kristin Thomas says, “I’m excited to get the practice in and be able to use it out in the real world once we’re graduated and actually nurses.”
Standing next to Taylor and Thomas, Kayla Sanchez says she started the nursing program before, but had a baby and left. “But now I came back, so it’s exciting to get back into it,” she says.
The next step? Going from practice pads to real people.
Scrivner says students in the fall give each other flu vaccine injections. Students have to have them before they can do clinicals.
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