COVID-19: Just an “Added Layer” for UNB Nursing Students

FREDERICTON- Two UNB nursing students, Sydney Lohnes and Nikol Solovey Postnik, never imagined their second year to be like it was – in a pandemic.

Due to COVID-19, all labs were online via Teams, taking away their hands-on experience. This included the main lab components, such as learning the clinical skills: catheterization, injections, oral medications, glucose testing, and wound-care dressing.

Each student was provided with a lab kit and was taught these skills virtually while using various objects from home.

“We had to take a piece of paper and draw a red line to simulate a wound and then put a band-aid on it, and we had to inject a jelly pad or inject and catheterize citrus fruits,” said Lohnes.

Although the bulk of their courses were online, clinical was still a go, which meant it was their first time using their skills in a medical environment. Both Lohnes and Solovey Postnik felt this was a challenge at first, specifically the slightness of them getting to perform these skills in a real-life situation.

“The amount of times that you’re in a clinical setting, and you’re actually presented with the opportunity to catheterize or give an injection is slim, that’s not something that comes up every shift,” said Lohnes, “so now, the first time that opportunity arises, your clinical instructor is asked to come with you and show you how to do it in person for the first time, which cuts into what we actually get to experience.”

They also had to speak up when individuals broke health guidelines.

“It’s hard being the bad-guy, especially when you’re just a student,” said Solovey Postnik.

But, they began to view their struggles and challenges as positives and as a space to grow.

While wearing a mask, they learned to communicate more expressively, louder, and in ways that patients could understand clearly.

“It [the pandemic] forced us to learn to communicate better… As a nurse in general, you need to learn to communicate, but when a pandemic is going on, you need to up your game.”

 

They are more aware of their surroundings– in and out of clinical– and valued the importance of their role as developing medical professionals. They see the seriousness of COVID-19 and how their everyday choices can affect their clinical group, hospital environment, and their patients.

Although they haven’t seen their professors in person since winter term last year, they feel their connection with them has grown.

“I felt the relationship was a little more personnel because they were so understanding with us,” said Lohnes, “and we were just as understanding with them.”

When the vaccine comes to Canada, the likelihood of second and third-year nursing students getting asked to help with immunizations is very high. Both Lohnes and Solovey Postnik look forward to this learning opportunity.

They viewed the pandemic as an “added layer”, testing their critical thinking and devotion to this profession.

“I think this is what nursing is about, right? You’re just rolling with the punches, and you’re kind of figuring things out as you go. You need to be creative, and you need to figure things out, and that’s what COVID was for us, just another thing that we needed to figure out, an added layer,” said Solovey Postnik.

“I do think it will make us better nurses.”