Having Ken as a student has been an incredible experience. He has made a huge impact in his short time on the unit, to the point of many of the staff mention his willingness to learn, professionalism, and upbeat attitude. He has a solid foundation in critical care nursing from this experience, which was evident to me and others by the end of his preceptorship. Ken was able to handle many different types of patients and encountered various learning opportunities throughout his time. He has grown exponentially with each day on the unit and has been a joy to teach, as he is always asking questions, looking for answers, and trying to challenge himself.

Many of the other nurses also share this sentiment. He is exactly what we are looking for in a new graduate nurse. It is not often that we hear from our clinical partners regarding a student that left such a positive impression in their Med/Surg clinical that they personally request to have that student on their unit for preceptorship. It is even less often that the student made this outstanding impression while solely shadowing a nurse in a critical care setting.

Ken’s clinical faculty shared with me that the unit manager sought her out on a different unit just to tell her how impressed she was with Ken. The unit manager stated that it wasn’t only his aptitude to understand complex concepts, but his natural instinct to see where help was needed and his willingness to go above and beyond to help others. The ease of communication and collaboration with others had the other nurses and hospital staff shocked that he was just a nursing student as he seemed like he was already a member of the team. The unit manager said that Ken was an excellent example of exactly the type of nurse they wanted on their unit.

From lab instructors to didactic faculty, Ken is known to have a strong character and natural leadership qualities. He is respected by his peers and faculty alike. Not only does Ken exude a positive attitude and a strong interest in understanding the nurse’s immense role, but he also demonstrates kindness and compassion to others around him. Even in Simulation, he made a lasting impression with faculty and colleagues alike through his compassion and thoughtfulness with each role he assumed.