Madison DeRosa

University of New England ABSN Student

Category: research

Attaining and Protecting Your Professional Nursing License 

April 3, 2022 /

After graduation I intend on taking my licensure exam here in the state of Maine. I’m so looking forward to my preceptorship up at Maine General this month and hope that maybe a job can come from it. I’m happy too that Maine is a part of the compact states. My boyfriend lives in Massachusetts and after discussing with him the legality of getting my license in the two states, we both agreed that Maine would be the best fit for my first year (at least). I also wanted to apply to the state of Maine because with all the stress of school it seems like it’s the least complicated. 

I’m fortunate that since our university is in Maine, they are well trained in helping students get their licensure. This past week we had a presentation that helped to spell out the application process and got to answer many questions my classmates and I had. Everything can be done online and I’m so happy that we can start our applications prior to finishing school, this helps to move things along much smoother! 

Not only am I nervous to be a novice nurse out there, but I’m also nervous about all the changes that have occurred in healthcare over the past 2 years. With recent court rulings, I am nervous to make a mistake, especially as a new nurse. Being a nurse can be very hectic at times. With the chaos that comes with the job, to protect myself and my license, I’ve been working on always double checking. At first, I would do this because I was always second guessing myself. Now I do this to help myself form a habit to help protect myself and my patients from mistakes. I always try to triple check my medications and take my time when scanning them. Before leaving a room I always try to think, “how could my patient hurt themselves or decline once I leave?”. I’ve also finally become more comfortable asking for help. I’ve realized that potentially annoying a co-worker is a better option than causing a mistake. With all the potential things I could worry about, I’m trying to look at the positives and think of all the good things I could bring into the healthcare world. I’m so excited to graduate, pass my NCLEX, and start my nursing career here in Maine. 

Final Paper with Brief Overview

August 2, 2021 /

EBP-SeaDogs-Final-DraftDownload

This paper looks at the influence that combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have on the formation of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Three scholarly articles were examined for any clinical significance regarding the relationship between VTEs and the use of COCs. The purpose of this paper was for four nursing students to gain a better insight on the relationship so we can provide more efficient care to our patients. This paper was used as a tool for learning more about the types of oral contraceptives and their effects on women’s vascular system. 

Final Reflection

August 1, 2021 /

Writing this essay taught me a lot throughout the semester. I’ve never done a project like this before and wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m glad I ended up working with a great group. Right away we all laid out our expectations and formulated a plan as to what we were going to write about. Fortunately, we all worked together very well so we didn’t have many bumps in the road. I’ve never worked on a group assignment where the whole group worked together as much. We had realized that to be most successful we had to do major parts together such as constructing the drafts and final essay. I think that doing group work like this helped me professionally in the nursing field because it taught me group skills that I can transfer over to working as a nurse. I learned that during times of difficulties I should speak up and tell my group members as to how I’m feeling. There were times where I had a hard time understanding the texts of the articles and my teammates did great with taking the time to pause and to help me. It made the process go much smoother and allowed us to move much faster in our progress. Through my clinical experiences, I’ve learned just how important teamwork is. I’m fortunate that both what I’m learning in the clinical field and in the class room are helping me to become a better nurse. 

Appraisal and Synthesis

July 19, 2021 /

Before starting our research, I knew that birth control was correlated with the formation of blood clots but I was unsure as to why or how. As 4 women in this class, we chose this topic because we felt like it effected all of us. When we began to dive into our PICOT question, looking at the research, we discovered that there was much about birth control that we didn’t know. Our research has thought us that the use of combined oral contraceptives increases someone’s risk in developing blood clots. This risk though is effected by what hormones are used, how many, pregnancy, and any history of developing clots (MI, stroke, PE). I guess I could say that my appraisal and synthesis has changed by assumptions, but I didn’t have many assumptions to begin with. I feel like my assumption is just reinforced. Through my appraisal and synthesis, I feel like I’ve learned a lot regarding hormonal birth control and it will positively impact my future role as a nurse. I can now educate patients more effectively about the negative effects of birth control. Specifically, I can provide better teaching for those with a history of blood clots, educating them on risks and which birth controls have the lowest risk. My team members and I have reached the same conclusion I believe. I say this based off our conversations about the topic and our new understanding of it. Team SeaDogs has worked well together so far. The biggest issue I’ve seen is finding the time and place to meet up together. Half the group lives in Portland, with one member not driving, another in Biddeford, and I live in Auburn. I’ve found that not having class during our schedule time helps with this as we all have that block of time free. Another challenge that we have faced is fully understanding what the assignment is asking of us. Some are stronger writers than others, so sometimes it takes us a moment to make sure we are all on the same page with an assignment. 

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