By: Kalyn Jackson
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Frontline health care workers have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic working to combat this virus.
This also includes nursing students who are having to navigate differently in this time. Senior nursing student Avery McCutcheon says her curriculum has been affected greatly.
“I’m not retaining as well as I would if I was in the hospital setting,” said McCutcheon. “Our clinicals are now a mix of virtual and in hospital setting and some of our clinicals went completely virtual. I think this semester I have a total of four days in the hospital setting which is tragic but it is what it is.”
Even though COVID-19 is present, senior nursing student Natalie Kuzniar said it hasn’t entirely changed a routine she knew before.
“When I would get home I would strip down, take off my shoes,” said Kuzniar, “I would sometimes keep Lysol in my car and that was even before COVID took over. I would do the same thing a year ago because you never know what you are going to have on your scrubs or your shoes” Kuzniar said, “It is always better to be safe than sorry.”
With graduation ahead this spring Kuzniar thinks about what her future in this field will look like.
“I don’t feel like I have as many of the skills I would have if COVID was not a thing.”
Kuznair said she feels like she is not getting as much hands on experience. One thing Kuznair will get to experience is administering COVID-19 vaccinations.
“For nursing students after you get your two doses then we qualify to administer shots to the students.”
“I got the Pfizer vaccine and I’ve only had one of the two,” said McCutcheon, “I actually did it here at the nursing clinic that the nursing school is putting on.”
Faculty and staff at the University of Arkansas are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.