Student Clinicals & Internships
CLINICAL EXPERIENCES HELP NURSING STUDENT CHOOSE A CAREER PATH
For junior nursing student Evan Theis, a vocation in healthcare is “all in the family.” While his twin brother followed in their father’s footsteps toward a business career, Evan is taking the path of his mother and grandmother. “My mom is an occupational therapist and my grandma was a nurse for over 40 years. My grandma loved what she did, and my mom is passionate about working with patients in vulnerable situations.” Evan has long been told by his family that he has a caring heart and is a good communicator with a healing presence. Around his senior year of high school, he had made up his mind about becoming a nurse. “I realized that God had blessed me with an interest in healthcare and skills that lent themselves to a patientoriented career like nursing.” His other great talent and passion is baseball. Evan played for the Warriors during his freshman and sophomore years, but had to step down after injuring his rotator cuff. There’s no doubt in his mind that his experiences on the field will help him be a better nurse. “I know the leadership and teamwork skills that I gained in baseball will translate to role on a future medical team.” The nursing program’s reputation for excellence and its extensive partnerships with area hospitals are what led Evan to WLC. “Other colleges will send you to just one hospital for clinicals, whereas WLC gives you a variety of experiences at different facilities.” The program pushes Evan and other students to be the very best in their field. “Our professors
8 Spring 2022
push us to the next level. It’s a rigorous program, but we rely on each other to succeed. There’s a special tight-knit camaraderie within my cohort.” Evan is currently participating in his second clinical rotation in the medical-surgical unit at Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – Elmbrook Campus, where he is exposed to a wide array of patients and medical diagnoses. Evan has had several opportunities to communicate with patients in vulnerable situations. “I try to be reassuring without giving false hope. Last semester, I worked with an elderly patient who faced a long road to recovery after an invasive back surgery. She was, understandably, very discouraged. I provided her with ways to cope with her situation, especially encouraging her to look to her spiritual and family support systems.” Prior to the Elmbrook clinical, Evan was assigned to the post-spinal cord trauma unit at Froedtert Hospital. “During my first clinical at Froedtert, I was able to transfer my skills from the classroom and simulator labs to real life. The doctors and nurses on my unit included me in team discussions and treated me like a professional.” Evan is using his clinical experiences to identify the specific type of nursing he will pursue upon graduation. “I would love to become a nurse anesthetist or do something in orthopedics. I want to be bedside, working one-on-one with patients.”
