1. Balancing coursework, clinical rotations, and personal life:
a. Describe how you managed to balance your academic responsibilities, clinical rotations, and personal life during the first semester. What strategies did you use to prioritize your time and stay organized?
b. Were there any challenges you faced in achieving this. balance? If so, what were they, and how did you address them?
c. Are there any adjustments you plan to make in the future to ensure success? If so, what are they, and how do you plan to implement them? (need help with especially answering this part)
A little information to help with part 1 of this. I would stay organized by setting what days I will study for exams by each class without overwhelming myself with too much at once so I would break it up and pick days that I will focus on assignments/discussions posts. I faced many challenges with staying focused or noticed some days I feel down and cant retain anything from being so distracted with everything going on outside of school. I noticed myself pushing off doing school work when I feel anxious or stressed about it. notice when I. need a break I like to spend time with family and friends and go to the gym and schedule breaks helped me manage stress and maintain physical health. but some days it was hard for me to do that so then i can see myself breaking down when I cant find that balance and will lose track of making sure I eat espeically working on the weekends can be overwhelming. Trying to find a balance in the summer when Ill be going to clinical 4 days a week instead of 2. Very self aware now with what works for me and what doesn’t. I struggle addressing it still something I am trying to figure out.
2. Clinical rotation experience:
a. Outline your first clinical rotation experience in detail. What were your responsibilities, and what did you learn from the experience?
b. What aspects of the rotation went well, and why? What aspects could have gone better, and how would you address them in the future?
c. How much support did you receive from the clinical staff during the rotation? Were there any particularly positive or negative interactions that stood out to you?
d. What did you learn from this experience that you will bring into the summer semester? How will you apply this knowledge to your future clinical rotations?
I wrote a paper reflection on this (below this). that I will upload to see if it helps with how my journey was. I had a. very positve experience at my location. The technologists were great made me comfortable to ask questions. I learned to advocate for myself during this journey and learned to be more confident in this setting especially going to my next location being familiar with what to expect. I also scanned more and did an IV.
Reflecting on my recent clinical experience, I realized it has been a dive into hands-on learning, covering metal screening, tech assistance, and scanning. So far, this experience has been a blend of successes and challenges, teaching me lessons about patient care and the importance of self-growth. Through these experiences, I have discovered areas where I shine and others that highlight the need for further development, specifically in self-advocacy and boosting my self-confidence. This reflection summarizes my clinical experience up to this point, identifying areas for self-improvement and outlining a strategy for personal and professional growth.
Since beginning my clinical education, I have consistently handled metal screening, either independently or with a technologist supervising nearby. However, there have been times when they would proceed without me while I was setting up for the next patient. This multi-step process starts with a pre-screening questionnaire to confirm the safety of no metal implants or objects. Patients will then be scanned with a metal detector as an additional precaution. This protocol is important for both patient safety and the quality of the MRI images. In terms of tech assisting, I have prepared and cleaned up after patients. I normally handle these tasks independently, without needing direction from the technologists, except when I need clarification on specific equipment, such as coils or immobilization pads.
This week, I took the initiative to advocate for myself, asking the technologist if I could try scanning, and as a result, I scanned a C-spine! As I was scanning, I was happy to see that I knew my anatomy. I struggled with the scanner’s console, and it amazes me how effortlessly the technologists do it. However, I understand adjusting parameters and familiarization with the console comes with time. This experience of advocating for myself to try scanning was a significant personal milestone. Usually, I am too shy or hesitant to advocate for myself, often waiting for opportunities to be presented to me instead. However, taking the initiative this time taught me the importance of being ambitious and pushing for my goals. The initial moment of asking the technologist was nerve-wracking, but ended up being such a rewarding decision as it boosted my confidence not only in my ability, but also in seeking out learning opportunities.
Moving forward, I will continue pushing myself out of my comfort zone and am committed to developing a detailed plan for improvement. To improve my self-advocacy and increase my confidence, I will set clear, attainable goals, like asking to scan or always saying yes when they ask me to try, even if I am nervous about messing up. The only way I will learn is by doing it. I will dedicate time each week to self-reflect, evaluating both my successes and moments of hesitation, to understand my areas for improvement. I will also seek feedback from the technologist, who might point out details I may not notice, to further my learning. After applying these changes and completing the final two weeks of my clinical rotation, I hope to see improvements in the areas I have struggled with.
