Hadley Cropsey on her time in Sturgis
Week One:
What an interesting first week! I had no idea what to expect going into this, but what I learned was there are many pieces that go into healthcare. It’s way more than just doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc. Every day this week we had the pleasure of meeting with all of the people who make the facility here in Sturgis run. We met with the Human Resources director, Admissions, Health Information Management, and so many others. I’ve learned about things I didn’t even know had any relation to healthcare, making this a very fun and fascinating week.
Week Two:
After spending week one meeting everyone at the hospital, week two was much more patient-oriented. I was able to spend a couple mornings learning how the hospital pharmacy runs, which was very interesting for me as I have never had experience in a hospital pharmacy before. I was also able to spend an afternoon in the ER where a man came in presenting with sores in his mouth and claiming he wasn’t able to eat because of them. This was very noticeable by the size of this man. When the nurse went to start an IV she had a tough time telling between his veins and his tendons. All-in-all, week two was yet another interesting week.
Week Three:
With week three being a short week, it came and went quickly. Have seen a lot of interesting cases with mental health issues, as well as patients being seen for detox. Got to spend an afternoon with the speech therapist in the nursing home and was able see his role in helping patients with their cognition. Each day we are able to add more pieces to this large puzzle of rural healthcare, can’t wait to see what the final week brings!
Week Four:
Last week, best week. I can’t believe I’m already done with my experience! Time flew by, but looking back on it, it was four of the most beneficial weeks of my schooling yet. This week, we were able to help with a code and got some last minute experience with our specialties. I just want to thank every person who took time out of their busy schedules to help us make our experience the best possible. I highly enjoyed the past four weeks!