Pelton (back right) Working Closely with KCON Faculty and Students
For Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) students, clinical experiences provide impactful learning opportunities that serve as the building blocks for nursing education. KCON faculty will tell you much of the credit for the impact goes to those who welcome students into their care environments.
In the case of Joanne Pelton, Nurse Manager with Spectrum Health’s Blodgett Orthopedics and Joint Replacement Unit, she describes the synergy among their staff and KCON’s nursing faculty and students as “beyond positive”.
“We purposely create an environment where students can establish the confidence to provide safe, quality and compassionate patient care. Regardless of what area of nursing the students decide to pursue, they walk away from this experience prepared to model the behaviors needed to meet and exceed even their own expectations,” shared Pelton.
During the six weeks in Pelton’s unit, KCON students work with unit nursing staff and KCON faculty to learn nursing assessment skills, writing and implementing care plans, administering medication, sterile techniques, and documenting within electronic health records. They also learn critical soft skills such as connecting with patients, building rapport, and communicating and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
KCON Faculty and Students on Blodgett Hospital Unit
When asked why she puts so much into helping KCON’s students, Pelton said, “Passion. I want our nurses to invest into the nursing students learning and I want to pass my passion on to our nurses who will carry on this work so that they can influence and support the next student or new nurse. We receive many comments from our students who feel that the environment is supportive and welcoming. That tells me our process is working.”
Megan Wieland is one of eight KCON BSN students who recently finished a clinical rotation with Pelton and her team.
“It is easy to ask questions as they come up when you are working right alongside professional nurses. As students, we could not ask for a better experience. For me, I know learning in such a supportive environment will make me a better nurse in the end,” said Wieland.