For my first placement I went to the Family Birth Center at Resurrection Hospital. Before I arrived, I was nervous about finding where I was supposed to go in the hospital and the things I was going to be doing. When I arrived there, I began working with Caitlin and Myra, two nurses who worked in the special care section for babies. In the special care room, nurses examine new babies as well as take care of babies with health problems or babies that a premature. I was able to observe the nurse as she examined a new born. I was able to see her measure his height and weight, take his temperature, and give him his first bath. I also observed two parents as they fed their premature son. I also saw a premature baby who was born nine weeks early and had to be kept in an incubator. In the incubator, the baby’s temperature and heart rate was constantly monitored.
Also, this week while in the classroom, we researched jobs in engineering. I learned a lot from this because I learned the specific jobs they have to do as well as the many different types of engineers there are. I most enjoyed observing the nurse as she examined the new born. I was able to learn about the process of examining a new born and the steps the nurses take to be sure the baby is in good health. I least enjoyed the research about engineering occupations. Although I learned many new things, I feel it was not important to me because I don’t have an interest in that specific field.
This experience helped me grow as a student nearing the end high school. I learned about the specific work nurses have to do in the family birth center and I was able to ask questions about their specific duties, shifts, opportunities, and schooling. Reflecting on the past week, I feel like I have gained more knowledge about different occupations, both ones I may or may not be interested in. This week I learned a lot about careers and myself. This week definitely made me think more about my future career and provided me with a great opportunity to see, first hand, a career I am interested in.
