N479 Professional Activity Evaluation Form

Your Name: Troy Schmidt Date of Activity: 8/22/19 and 10/11/19 Faculty name: Linda
Perez

Describe the community service/professional activity/s you attended or participated with (be
specific about the purpose and your role):

I volunteered twice in the SILC lab in the College of Nursing. The first time I

volunteered was in August before classes started and I was tasked with helping second and third

semester students learn new lab policies and procedures as well as put together lab kits. In

addition to helping the students gather the right supplies for their lab kits, I used the time to

educate them on how the items in their lab kits would be used and answered questions they had

about what to expect in the second and third semesters. The second time I volunteered in the

SILC lab was for Family Weekend. I used this time to educate pre-nursing students and families

of nursing students on central lines, Foley catheters, and the use of high-fidelity mannequins for

simulations and testing scenarios. I also talked with the pre-nursing students about the

admissions process for entering the College of Nursing and answered questions about clinical

sites, classes, and life as a nursing student.

Where was this held and what was was program/activity length?

Both volunteer experiences were held in the SILC lab in the College of Nursing. I

volunteered for four hours each time I came in.

Discuss the value of this experience to you (be specific).

It was rewarding to share my excitement and passion about nursing with prospective

students who wanted to hear more about the college and nursing profession. I remember being

in their place prior to starting in the program and it made me happy that I could provide them

with information about what to expect in nursing school as well as the admission process for
gaining entry to the college. With my graduation approaching in December it felt like I was

passing the baton on to the next group of students who would take my place in the program. I

equally enjoyed talking to parents who visited the lab for Family Weekend as I was able to

showcase the equipment we use for practice and appreciated their eagerness to hear about how

the lab is used.

How would you continue to use this experience throughout your nursing career?

Education is an important part of nursing care and is an intervention that I will perform

with my patients. Having the opportunity to practice with students and families will help me to

feel more confident in educating patients when I am working as a nurse. This experience also

helped me to realize that I enjoy educating students and I look forward to having nursing

students shadow with me in the future. I would consider taking the shadowing a step further and

work with a student as part of a preceptorship program. I find value in using my time for

educating others and it would be rewarding to watch a student progress and gain confidence in

their work.

Would you recommend this specific community/professional experience in the future; why or
why not? (Describe)
I would recommend this experience to future nursing students so long as an education

component is included as part of the time spent helping in the lab. This is easier to do during

Family Weekend than at the beginning of the semester although I think that there is opportunity

for education during both volunteer events. I think that education is an important part of nursing

and it is difficult to practice education skills outside of clinical. Taking the time to educate

students and families in the SILC lab is therefore an excellent use of volunteer time.

Brochure or proof of attendance obtained if applicable? Lab volunteer form Signature on

validation of clinical hours form obtained? Yes