Nursing graduate Teá Minor felt ready to start her career as a nurse after graduating in 2020, thanks to the education she received in the Department of Nursing at UL Lafayette.
Teá knew that she wanted to return home to Baton Rouge and work at Our Lady of the Lake once she had her degree. She applied for and was offered multiple jobs at the hospital, but she decided to become an RN on the surgery trauma unit.
"I havenСAPPt been anxious on any of my shifts. I feel well prepared and know what IСAPPm doing,СAPP she said. СAPPI hear a lot of new nurses are nervous and anxious for like their first six months to a year of working, but I had a good preceptor at my job, and I had a good education, so I havenСAPPt been very overwhelmed yet.СAPP
Hands-on experience in the nursing program
TeáСAPPs experiences as a nursing major prepared her for her first job out of school.
СAPPI really like the nursing program because itСAPPs very hands-on from such an early start,СAPP Teá said. СAPPYou start going to clinicals your second semester sophomore year. You immediately get to start going into the hospital and find out if youСAPPre actually going to like being a nurse.СAPP
All nursing majors at UL Lafayette take NURS 209: Health Assessment Skills during their first semester of clinicals. In that class, they learned the foundational skills they need for clinicals.
СAPPThat was a semester-long class breaking down the whole head-to-toe assessment you do every day on every patient. ThatСAPPs so you can fully grasp whatСAPPs wrong with them and how theyСAPPre doing,СAPP Teá said. СAPPThat was broken down over the whole semester, so we were learning a very in-depth head-to-toe assessment.СAPP
Alongside her experiences in real-world healthcare settings, Teá also had classes each semester.
СAPPWe practiced codes, like going into cardiac arrest, which was great because you rarely get those opportunities as a nurse,СAPP she said. СAPPAnd then we were going through the different phases of shock. It was great to see things that you donСAPPt normally get to see.СAPP
Preparation for a Career in Nursing
Her last semester, Teá took NURS 419: Contemporary Approaches to Nursing Leadership and Management, a big part of her training as a professional RN.
СAPPIt taught you the more business aspect of nursing and hospitals,СAPP Teá said. СAPPI really liked that class because youСAPPre about to go into the working field. It was good to see how you should try to work as a new nurse, how to be a professional, and how to be a leader.СAPP
Throughout the nursing program at UL Lafayette, Teá felt supported and prepared for her career as a nurse.
СAPPA lot of the clinical instructors are very helpful СAPP and nice СAPP and they want you to succeed,СAPP she said. СAPPI feel like lots of people are very encouraging in the program, which was great.СAPP
Her advice for other nursing majors? DonСAPPt get discouraged.
СAPPI absolutely love my job, and IСAPPm so glad I never gave up along the way,СAPP she said. СAPPYou have to study every day СAPP literally every single day. That was my recipe to success: DonСAPPt give up, and study and try every day.
СAPPKeep trying if you know that you really want to do nursing,СAPP she said. СAPPNursing school is really hard СAPP thatСAPPs not a lie. Everyone says it. But itСAPPs totally worth it.СAPP
