Rachel Hyzny is a first-year student from Kennett Square, Pa.
Hear what led her to Case Western Reserve University, and what she’s learned in her first semester of nursing school.
Why did you choose CWRU for nursing?
"I originally applied to CWRU because the nursing program is one of the best in the country. However, I didn't really consider going here until I attended an admitted students overnight. I felt so at home on the campus. It was the perfect combination of green space and the urban vibe. Once I started picturing myself in the white scrubs walking down Euclid, I couldn't imagine any other school."
With clinicals starting in the third week of the school year, can you tell me a bit about your real nursing experiences to this point?
"My clinical is at Judson Park. It was a little nerve-racking starting so quickly. On the first day I was making beds and feeding patients who couldn't do so themselves. Now I help get the patients up in the morning, giving bed-baths and dressing them, and I can even take vitals."
Any “wow… I’m really a nurse” moments you can share?
"I think it hit me that I am really a nurse when I walked into a room to take vitals on a patient for the first time. We had learned how to do it in the lab the week before, and another student and I were basically handed the machine and a list of rooms and sent on our way. It's a simple procedure, but a very important component of daily nursing care, one that we were doing within the first weeks of school."
Any surprises from your first few months?
"Everyone says that nursing takes up all of your time, but it really doesn't. I still feel like I have enough time to do everything I want to do."
Article Date
February 17, 2020
