Student Clinicals and 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 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.”

Mikaela Sullivan, a senior majoring in Spanish and psychology, interned in January at Iglesia Cruz de Cristo in Mahahual, Mexico, as part of her Spanish major. She worked with Rev. Martin Valesky, helping with Sunday School, tutoring,

and English as a “Second Language classes. Mikaela recalled: “In high school I visited Mahahual, and the experiences I had each day were so impactful. When I had an opportunity to return to Iglesia Cruz de Cristo this year, I was eager to go back and build relationships with families and grow in my faith with other believers while also enhancing my Spanish skills.” She said of the immersion experience: “My life has been greatly changed by the humble servant leadership I witnessed, the work I was able to do, and the people I grew to know. Although we come from such different backgrounds, communities, and cultures, and even speak different languages, we share the same faith.”

Things have changed for the better since her first trip to Mexico. Mikaela explained: “The most inspiring part of this experience was seeing the incredible ways God has richly blessed His ministry in Mahahual since I was last there. The beautiful “ new church building and servant leadership of additional staff members have been wonderful blessings in spreading God’s Word and sharing the Gospel message with many more people through classes and My life has been greatly changed by the humble servant leadership I witnessed, the work I was able to do, and the people I grew to know. outreach events.” After graduation, Mikaela plans to attend graduate school for counseling psychology to research the stigma of mental health among specific populations. “Being in a community with such limited resources for mental health care really opened my eyes and instilled a passion for raising awareness and providing access to mental health resources for underrepresented populations,” concluded Mikaela.

Senior Trey Gnewikow took on a business marketing internship at the Wetherby Cranberry Company as part of his marketing major. Following his internship, Trey reflected on the fact that WLC had prepared him for success, not only through knowledge gained from his business classes but in terms of holding himself to a high professional standard in the workplace. Senior Alex VanCrete has been interning at Schwaab, Inc., in Brookfield, Wisconsin, as he works toward a double major in accounting and finance. Since Alex is also a part of the WLC men’s basketball team, he has been learning valuable time management skills. “I was able to juggle my work responsibilities with my basketball obligations by managing my time, working hard, and communicating with my supervisor,” said Alex. “I had to make sure I wasn't wasting time on social media or other unproductive hobbies, and I focused on schoolwork, the internship, basketball, and getting enough sleep. Any schedule conflict that arose, I made sure to communicate that with my advisor.”

What Alex learned at WLC prepared him well for his internship. “Not only was I prepared academically, but also socially, and I was able to fit in well with everyone,” Alex said.

After graduation Alex plans to study for the CPA exam before starting a job with Baker Tilly in fall 2022.