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Post Practicum Reflection

Deisy Herrera

Dr. Daniels

NUR 4116P

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

April 3, 2019

“I Pledge”

Post-Practicum Reflection
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I began this practicum experience with my own biases. I was expecting it to be like every

other long term care facility I have been to, which has never been a pleasant experience. I let

these thoughts get to my head and truthfully was not looking forward to going to Little Sisters of

the Poor (LSP). I was immediately taken aback by how clean and well maintained the facility

was. There was always cleaning staff on the floor and it was very well kept. It definitely set itself

apart from all other similar facilities I have been to. Week after week my goal was to have a

positive interaction with at least one resident, I wanted to make them feel happy that we were

there and to show them that we sincerely cared about them. My experience here surpassed any

expectations I had in the beginning. It shifted from a feeling of obligation to being a refreshing

event especially after stressful weeks in school.

I definitely have a greater appreciation and new outlook for this population. Again, from

previous occasions my interaction with this population has been pretty negative and it instilled a

bias that for the most part an elderly person is rude and doesn’t want to be bothered. After such a

pleasant time with these residents my values have fully extended to this population and have

allowed me to put my biases aside. From the time we spent here, there were rarely any problems.

Afternoon activities always went very smoothly and participation was never an issue. Morning

activities were just a bit less coordinated and the same game cart with the same activities was

provided week after week, where it became a bit too repetitive for the residents. On special days,

morning activities were led by Alex or Kim and that seemed to grab the resident’s attention more

than just coloring or playing dominos over and over again. Overall, the residents were very

pleasant and in the event that we saw a resident become difficult or defiant, staff (Kim, Alex and

Brenda) reacted quickly and with compassion to make the resident feel better.
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I admit to being ill-informed in thinking this community lost interest in things that are

considered “fun”. I quickly learned that this need required to be continuously fulfilled. Most of

them love music and sing along when songs are played. I believe as a group we offered them the

gift of nostalgia. They were so entertained when we played music of their era. Even the

residents who would be quiet the entire day would light up when hearing their favorite songs. It

was so heartwarming to see the residents share their most memorable memories of their life

when hearing their favorite songs or watching a clip of an old T.V show.

I do not believe that this practicum dramatically impacted my academic life. It did

however end my week in a very light and enjoyable manner. Even though it was required this

experience ended up being very enjoyable and it did not feel like course work at all. In regard to

my personal life, it was very eye opening. I have a new appreciation for this population and all

that they offer. I grew close to the residents and it didn’t take long to remember their names and

know their likes and dislikes. I will truly miss this place and am grateful I got to spend time with

the kind and loving residents of LSP.