Liberty University Career Center Resume Services

My exhortation to participate in a nursing externship would be only partly helpful if I did not also tell you about the tools at your disposal to aid you in your efforts to secure your dream summer job.

In today's world, numerous resumes come across a manager's desk and only a couple of the applicants are selected for the limited number of positions available. That being the case, it is imperative that you make an exceptional first impression by putting together a resume that is clearly laid out and succinct while displaying the great individual that you are. I do not claim to be an expert in the art of resume building, but Liberty University's Career Center offers many resources that will aid you in your efforts to write an outstanding resume and cover letter.

One resource that I have found particularly helpful is their sample resume for nurses. Another is their resume critique option. There tends to be a bit of a time lag between submission and the feedback you receive from the Career Center, so be sure to submit your resume for critiquing well in advance so that you do not miss any important deadlines. I have also learned from my nursing friends that the Career Center also offers opportunities to meet with their staff. To set up an appointment, you can follow this link to the appointment request form. Happy resume writing!

The Call to Care for the Lost and Lonely Around the World

Recently I've been reading Rolland and Heidi Baker's book Always Enough: God's Miraculous Provision Among the Poorest Children on Earth. While reading this book, my heart has been impacted by the great need for missionary nurses around the world. As the Bakers tell of their experience in Mozambique, Africa, my heart ached every time I read of them coming to yet another village filled with men, women, and children all without medical care or knowledge of the Gospel. A few times they told of a doctor and a nurse who came with them on the trips to the remotest parts of Mozambique, but the need was always overwhelming, more than could be met by a single doctor or nurse.

My question to myself and to you, is “Will you have compassion on these broken and forsaken people who are dying without hope of life after death?” Will we—can we—stay aloof from their needs in good conscience? Or will we say "Yes" to the call of God to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel? Will we live our lives as though they were not our own but Christ’s? Will we go, saying “Thy will be done, Lord, not mine”?

Here we are. We are going to be nurses. No matter where we are—whether we’re in the remotest part of Africa or the biggest city in America—we have an opportunity. We are surrounded by people—people who don’t know the Lord—people like those Mozambicans the Bakers met who need someone to share with them the TRUTH. God’s TRUTH. His Word is TRUTH. Let us be ready, wherever we are—in season and out of season—to be witnesses for Christ, in the way we live, in what we say, and in who we are.

May we not live for our own comfort but for much greater aim—Christ’s glory. May we be willing to pour out our lives that the lost might be saved. May we be willing to do whatever it takes—even to the point of laying down our lives—for the sake of Jesus Christ’s precious Gospel. I pray that God would give us the opportunity to share Him this summer with the people we encounter and that we would be unashamed as Paul was, for the Gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Externship Opportunities for BSN Students in VA and NC

The UNC Health Sciences Library provides a wonderful list of externship opportunities for nursing students. Follow the link above to find your state and see a list of Nursing Externships in your area. 

Since numerous nursing students attending Liberty University are from Virginia or North Carolina, I have chosen these two states as a sample to show the externships available in the area surrounding Lynchburg. 

Opportunities in Virginia

• VALOR (Veterans Affairs Learning Opportunity Residency) program
• Bon Secours Summer Nurse Externship Program (this one would be great for anyone who participates in the Richmond Program since this is the hospital system with which St. Mary’s Hospital is affiliated)
• Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Student Nurse Externship
• UVA's Summer Nurse Extern Program
• Inova Fairfax Hospital Nurse Externship

Opportunities in North Carolina

• Cone Health Summer Nurse Extern Program
• Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Nurse Extern Program 
• Duke Professional Nursing Assistant (PNA) Program
• REX UNC Health Care Nursing Externship Program
• Mission Hospital Nursing Externship

Please note that the above lists for VA and NC are not exhaustive and instead are a launching pad for your searches. I wish you all the best as you seek out opportunities and fulfill your role as the hands and feet of Christ as you serve in your community hospitals! 

Externships: A Great Opportunity to Hone Skills & Gain Experience

I recently discovered while talking with one of my best friends in the nursing program that not all nursing students are aware of the wonderful opportunities provided by externships at their local hospitals. Unfortunately, in my friend's case she found out about them too late when all the deadlines were past. I was fortunate to find out about the externships in my area a year before I could actually participate, so I was able to research the requirements and gain the necessary qualifications in advance. 

There are many benefits to participating in a nursing externship. For one, you will gain valuable experience as you practice the skills you've learned in your nursing classes. Repetition will help to solidify your knowledge and give you the ability to perform tasks quickly and efficiently. Another benefit is that you will be able to apply theoretical knowledge you learn in nursing school in real-life situations in a hospital setting. Also, you will be able to make connections in the institution at which you work and may even be able to work there when you graduate!   

Most of the externships I have found have been for rising seniors. That being the case, this is the year for you,  rising juniors, to find out what opportunities are offered in your community and prepare yourself by collecting the instructor references you'll need as well as gaining the certifications required by the institution to which you are applying. Make sure to pay close attention to the deadlines for the externships you are interested in because the deadlines will likely fall during the heat of your first semester as a junior, making it easy to forget and miss a deadline. 

The externship I will be participating in this summer required both Nurse Aid level I and II certifications. I was able to become Nurse Aid I certified in the state of North Carolina by "challenging" the exam during the summer before my junior year. In Virginia I think you must acquire a letter from your Nursing Fundamentals instructor stating that you are qualified to take the exam before you can take the skills and written tests. In the state of North Carolina, I had to wait to become Nurse Aid II certified until I was a junior. Policies will likely vary by state.  

Some of you might be wondering, "Just how do I find out about externships in my area?" I found out about the externships in my area by doing internet searches using the key terms "nursing", "externship", and "internship". 

Stay tuned for future posts detailing the process of becoming Nurse Aid level I certified and a sample list of externship opportunities in the North Carolina and Virginia. 

Med Surg Tutoring

I know I've always thought tutoring was for students who were struggling, but our NURS 301/302 instructors highly recommend participating in Med Surg tutoring groups led by senior nursing students. During my junior year I participated in two different groups. (Because of the way my clinicals were with Richmond, my schedule varied so that I could only make one of them a week). All of my tutors were amazing! I loved each one of them. I learned a lot from them, and I believe that part of my success in Med Surg was due to the hour or two I spent with them each week going over the material.

With that in mind, I highly recommend signing up for a Med Surg tutoring group next semester. Your Med Surg instructors will likely post sign-up sheets outside of the nursing lounge at the beginning of the year. I would sign up as soon as you figure out what will work best with your schedule. It will be well worth your time!

Pressing on Toward the Goal

To all my peers in the nursing program who are (like me) growing weary in this last push before the end of the semester:

Keep pressing on! We are rounding the corner...we've almost reached the finish line. Keep up the pace. Don't lose heart. The race is almost over. The end is in sight. You can do it!

Keep up the good work! The reward is worth it :)

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).  

Study Methods for Junior Courses

Quite a few sophomores have asked how to study for junior-level courses. My advice is figure out what works for you and stick with that. Everyone learns differently. Some of my friends record the lectures and listen to them multiple times. I am more of a visual learner, so reading, looking at diagrams, and watching videos helps me the most.

My modus operandi has been to take very detailed notes in class. I bring my laptop in class and type information directly on the power point slides. Later, I print out the lectures in outline form. Then I take that print-out and go through the book with the power point and take notes in the margins. This helps me make connections as I relate the textbook information to what I learned in class.  

One nursing student asked whether I recommend relying more on the power point or the book. The answer is you definitely need to rely on both. I would recommend using the power point as a guide for your studies.  Take the information in the power point slides and go find it in the book. Our professors can only include so much information on a power point slide; it’s our responsibility to go to the book and learn the information they were unable to convey in class.

Don’t get bogged down in the details you find in your textbooks. Be sure to understand the nuances of the concepts, but pay special attention to the concepts that are covered in class. Those will be the most testable material as well the material you will be most likely to use in clinical practice.

The key to success in junior year is truly balance. Learn to manage your time, and your life will be a lot less stressful. Realize that it's important to study and get good grades, but it's also important to give yourself a break too. If you do, you will feel more refreshed and better able to tackle your studies. 

This post was a response to a comment on my blog. If any of you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment, and I will do my best to address any questions or concerns you may have. 

End of Semester Jitters

I know that as the end of the semester approaches, final exams begin to become less of a distant idea and more of a very present reality. I know that, for me at least, it’s easy to become overwhelmed as I focus on all the things I have to do before the semester ends. Focusing on uncompleted tasks is not helpful, though, if we allow it to consume us and take our focus off the Lord and Who He is.  Listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 103:11-21,

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on [his] children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are [but] dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!  Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.

Who are we that the Lord is mindful of us? We are mere men, yet the Lord is faithful and is abundant in lovingkindness toward us. He is compassionate with us like a father with his child. Therefore, we have no need to worry, for our God will take care of us (Matthew 6:25-34).

Books and DVDs to Keep from Sophomore Year

There are three books you definitely need to keep from sophomore year—your drug book, nursing diagnosis handbook, and clinical skills textbook. I am not sure which books the current sophomore class utilized, but the ones I used (and am still using as a junior) are Mosby’s Nursing Drug Reference, Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An evidence Based Guide to Planning Care, and Clinical Nursing Skill & Techniques.

During your junior year these books will serve you well as you write your nursing profiles. The drug book will aid you as you write the medication information as well as the patho portion of your profiles. Also, the Nursing Diagnosis Handbook will help you formulate cohesive careplans that are specific to the needs of your particular patient.

The Clinical Skills textbook will come in handy when you prepare for clinicals as well as serve as a study aid when you prepare for your junior-level Med Surg check-offs. I’m not sure if you received information about the clinical skills you will be checked off on during your first few weeks of Med Surg, but you will be checked off on various skills that you will be expected to perform during clinicals. These skills range from knowing how to set the flow rate on an IV pump to performing tracheostomy care. Unlike Health Assessment and Fundamentals, however, you will not have a lab portion to your classroom time. Instead, the burden will be upon you to learn the material and master it for your check-off with a senior.

The good news is that the nursing department has provided you with many resources to help you walk into your check-offs and, eventually, your clinicals competent and confident. One of the resources is the nursing lab coordinator who provides a once-a-week elective review of the skills on which you will be checked off. I highly recommend attending this informational session. I am a visual learner, and I understand processes much better if I am able to see them demonstrated rather than read a step-by-step guide to a skill.

Another suggestion I have in regards to preparing for check-offs is to keep your DVDs from Fundamentals (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Skills). I found watching the videos helped me review skills I learned in Fundies (such as inserting a foley) as well as learn new skills (such as providing trach care). 

Lessons from Psalm 27: Encouragement for the Discouraged

Feeling discouraged about all you left to do this semester and the little amount of time left to do it in...? Here's some encouragement from King David:

I would have despaired unless I had believed that

I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14, NASB

Today, the Lord has been using Psalm 27 to remind me that He is my light and my salvation (Ps. 27:1). When troubles surround me, He is the lifter of my head (Ps. 27:6). He is my fortress—my place of safety (Ps. 27:5). I have no need to fear or worry because the Lord’s plans for me are good, and He is faithful to accomplish them (Ps. 27:3; Jer. 29:11; Phil. 1:6).