By Ashley Saenz
When I first began my externship at Mayo, I was scared and had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know what my responsibilities were going to be or if I would like my random roommates. But my biggest fear was working on an orthopedic post-surgical floor. My previous clinical experiences were on an orthopedic floor and I had already decided that I was not going to work on an orthopedic floor. My plans for my future included working in pediatrics, specifically pediatric oncology. Therefore, when I found out that I would be working with the adult population in a specialty that I did not like, I was devastated. Truthfully, I was hesitant on accepting the position because I was determined to work in pediatrics. After speaking with many of my family members, friends, and professors, I accepted the position and started to prepare for one of the best summers of my life.
My time on an elective orthopedic floor has been amazing. The nurses that I work with are some of the greatest nurses and are always searching for ways to help me learn. I absolutely love everybody that I work with and know that I will always stay in touch with them. I have seen some of the greatest advances in healthcare as well. For example, I helped care for a patient that underwent an internal hemipelvectomy. In this procedure, half of the patient’s pelvis was internally removed secondary to chondrosarcoma. The patient’s leg was not connected to the body by bone, but instead held by skin and muscle and could not be moved by the patient. Helping to care for this patient was a once in a lifetime experience. There have been numerous other unique cases that I have had the opportunity to see, such as wound and bone infections that other medical professionals have refused treat due to complexity of the cases.
Mayo Clinic has also provided the chance for nursing externs to observe in other specialties and to float to other floors for work. I have been to the PICU and also observed pediatric procedures in the OR. The things that I have observed in these two places have been amazing experiences. While in the PICU I worked with a child diagnosed with tetanus, as well as observed the healthcare process provided in preparation for organ donation. While in the OR I observed a cholecystectomy and the removal of a tumor from the side of a child’s neck. These experiences have been once in a lifetime opportunities and I cannot wait to begin my work in healthcare.
Aside from the great times I have had at work, I have also had the opportunity to explore the Midwest. Mayo Clinic provides externs days off, as well as weekends off. With this free time, my roommates and I have taken many road trips to explore the areas surrounding Rochester. We have taken trips to Chicago, Minneapolis and Duluth, MN.
There are only three weeks left of my time at Mayo Clinic and although I cannot wait to go back to Texas and see my family, I am sad to be leaving one of the greatest hospitals that I have had the opportunity to work and learn in. These last three weeks will be bittersweet, but I am excited for my final experiences here and to see if I have a future here at Mayo Clinic.