There is no doubt in Sydne Evans’ mind about her future—she wants to be a neonatal nurse. And the Keuka College junior had the opportunity to get a peek into just what that career could look like during her summer Field Period® experience at F. F. Thompson Hospital’s Birthing Center in Canandaigua.
Synde says what interests her in this branch of nursing is the chance to be a unique part of someone’s life. She wants to help make labor and delivery the best experiences a mother can have. Thanks to this Field Period® placement, Sydne says, she collected insights and skills that will help her meet that goal.
“A skill set that I developed more would be sensitivity and awareness of people’s needs,” says Sydne. “One thing I learned is how quickly I am able to read people, and how they might prefer to be interacted with. The interactions I have with the patients are very important because they all have an impact on how that patient perceives their quality of care.”
It’s those interactions which Sydne enjoys about her chosen profession.
“The exciting part about the nursing field is that every day is different, because every patient is different,” she says. “While my tasks may be similar, the way I perform them may be completely different from the last, based on the personal preferences of that patient.”
Some of those preferences saw Sydne supporting the leg of a mother during delivery, or grabbing a cup of ice for a laboring mom. Over the course of her month-long Field Period®, she became more familiar with the unit, where things are stored in the rooms, and what equipment is necessary for a variety of procedures. In this way, she was able to help the staff be more prepared and efficient.
While it would seem natural for Sydne to be a nursing major, she is actually pursuing a student-initiated major (SIM) that blends biology and psychology.
“The purpose of the SIM was to alter the bio-medical path I was on to one that would alleviate a chemistry-heavy schedule, as well as allow me to take some additional courses that interested me,” she says.
Among Sydne’s Field Period® highlights was being able to hold some of the babies.
“Ultimately, my favorite part would have to be when the babies came into the nursery while the moms were sleeping or just needed a break, and I got to cuddle with them,” says Sydne.
One of the babies she met was Kira Bloom, daughter of Tara Bloom, director of Keuka College’s Field Period® and Internship Program.
“Once Sydne graduates, she plans to go to nursing school, and the other nurses on staff said she’s practically one of them already,” says Tara.
