Emma Dahl’s capstone project is not your average clinical training. Most students work with major hospital networks in larger settings working in one unit for the duration of their final or 6th semester.
But not Emma. She is working in a rural community hospital in Blanding, a remote town in the southeast corner of Utah with a population of about 3,200 people.
Before accepting a clinical placement assignment in Blanding, she initially wanted to be placed in an obstetrics (OB) ward. However, the introductory meeting changed her mind. She craved the opportunity to work with a more diverse group of patients with a broader range of experiences in order to be more well-rounded before graduating and joining the work force.
Because she is in a rural hospital, she has the opportunity to work in more than one unit of the hospital: ER, Med-Surg, and OB (her initial dream). She also found that the nurses were very receptive to having students take more active roles beyond just shadowing.
“I've learned more about what the nursing process looks like, especially at a rural hospital that doesn't have as many resources,” said Emma. “They've let me do pretty much everything in caring for patients: from admission to discharge. They let me do the charting, the interventions, everything. I think my confidence really grew in my abilities as a nurse, and that I'm more capable than I thought I was beforehand.”
She has also found that there are some different procedures than she has been used to at her other clinicals in more urban settings. Similarly, there is limited access to care in the Blanding area because there are fewer providers or doctors available. “The nurses have to be a lot more responsible for the patient,” reflected Emma.
Getting to Blanding does take some extra planning on Emma’s part. All of the dates were meticulously mapped out to account for a 5-hour drive and hotel reservations (as Emma works some shifts on back-to-back days). A generous donor endowment provides the funding for the capstone clinical experience.
Emma manages the capstone hours while still taking several other classes. The BYU faculty have been very accommodating to Emma’s unique schedule.
One of Emma’s most memorable experiences in Blanding was when she aided in the care of a patient with pancreatic cancer, which is often thought of as one of the most painful forms of cancer. This patient did not have much social support and felt alone. “It was one of the first experiences as a nurse that I have had to truly comfort someone in the way Christ did,” said Emma. “Although we provided pharmacologic pain management, I was able to practice the Healer's art by being a comforter to her at a time she was alone and in significant pain.”
A unique aspect of her capstone is the interaction with Native American tribes in the region due to the hospital's proximity to the Navajo Nation. Emma has learned how to meet the needs of a very unique cultural demographic.
Being such a small town, many of the Blanding doctors knew their patients personally which surprised Emma. “That brought a new level of caring,” she said. “It’s a deeper sense of really wanting the best for your patient because you know them outside of the hospital.”
Emma’s time in Blanding has taught her a lot about nursing. As she prepares for graduation in April, she is grateful that this experience has allowed her to grow in ways she never thought possible.