Day in the Life: Beth Kirch
JSU Nursing Student
Toni Merriss
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Features
"My professors were really encouraging during that time. Actually, it was Dr. Latham who suggested that I take the time off because it would be a lot to deal with all at one time," said Kirch.
Although still dealing with the cancer, over spring break she will have a total body scan done to check her recovery progress. If that scan comes back cancer free, she will need another in six months. If all tests point to positive results, then she will only require a scan annually for five years.
Kirch started back to class this spring and is thoroughly enjoying her classes.
Well, when she has time to enjoy them since the nursing classes sometimes cover an entire unit in only two days, and in all her classes she has a test every other week. Oh, and nursing classes last around three hours each.
Then there are clinicals two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Students attend clinicals at two different facilities during their senior year, switching back and forth each week where they go. Kirch currently has her clinicals at Gadsden Regional with the OB ward and Mountain View with the psychiatric ward.
At Gadsden Regional, Kirch begins her shift at 2 p.m. with a pre-conference with the other students and the professor. During pre-conference, they are given a briefing on their assigned areas for the day and are split up into groups. About 30 minutes later, students are given their patient assignments and then they head off into their designated areas, ranging from post-partum to nursery to labor and delivery.
"Last week I got to work in the nursery, and it was so much fun! Of course, most people enjoy working with all the babies but I had such a positive experience there. I actually got the chance to help one of the babies," said Kirch. "It would probably be a normal occurrence for nurses that usually work there, but he was having a hard time breathing, and I figured out he was choking on mucus, so I removed it for him and he was fine. It sort of hit me then, 'wow, I might have just saved that baby' and it made me feel really good about my chosen profession."
Although still dealing with the cancer, over spring break she will have a total body scan done to check her recovery progress. If that scan comes back cancer free, she will need another in six months. If all tests point to positive results, then she will only require a scan annually for five years.
Kirch started back to class this spring and is thoroughly enjoying her classes.
Well, when she has time to enjoy them since the nursing classes sometimes cover an entire unit in only two days, and in all her classes she has a test every other week. Oh, and nursing classes last around three hours each.
Then there are clinicals two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Students attend clinicals at two different facilities during their senior year, switching back and forth each week where they go. Kirch currently has her clinicals at Gadsden Regional with the OB ward and Mountain View with the psychiatric ward.
At Gadsden Regional, Kirch begins her shift at 2 p.m. with a pre-conference with the other students and the professor. During pre-conference, they are given a briefing on their assigned areas for the day and are split up into groups. About 30 minutes later, students are given their patient assignments and then they head off into their designated areas, ranging from post-partum to nursery to labor and delivery.
"Last week I got to work in the nursery, and it was so much fun! Of course, most people enjoy working with all the babies but I had such a positive experience there. I actually got the chance to help one of the babies," said Kirch. "It would probably be a normal occurrence for nurses that usually work there, but he was having a hard time breathing, and I figured out he was choking on mucus, so I removed it for him and he was fine. It sort of hit me then, 'wow, I might have just saved that baby' and it made me feel really good about my chosen profession."
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