“You’re leaving next week? But you just got here!”

Doesn’t it feel like that? It’s true what the saying says – time flies when you’re having fun! Time also flies when you are kept incredibly busy and everyday is filled with numerous learning opportunities and personal and professional challenges.

 

As my summer at The Village at Rockville (TVAR) in Maryland wraps up I can’t help but reflect on the time I have had here. From the people I have met, the meetings I have sat in on, the responsibilities I have been given and the times I’ve spent exploring the area – I look back and wonder how it all managed to happen during one CAPS Fellowship. I can honestly say that everything that happened was unexpected, challenging at times but so worth it. So worth the occasional discomfort, confusion, exhaustion, and hours of meetings.

To give you a better idea of what my summer looked like I will explain it this way. I worked 9-5, except Fridays which were 7:30AM-5PM so I could participate on wound-rounds.  There were occasional evenings during the summer that I would stay late or go in and talk with night shift staff but other than that my evening and weekends were available for endless adventure and exploring the Maryland, Virginia, D.C. area.

When we weren’t experiencing the numerous restaurants, hiking trails or activities people had encouraged us to visit, we were in the office working on our individual projects. Other times we were attending meetings both at TVAR and at the corporate office – National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS).

 

A huge part of making this CAPS Fellowship what it has been, are the people I have encountered both at TVAR and also beyond at other NLCS entities. Every person I met has encouraged me to reach out to them and to let them know if I ever have any further questions or need professional guidance. It has amazed me to experience the compassion and desire other people have had to see me grow. I know many times it is said that words cannot fully describe something ­- in this case that saying can’t be truer. Words truly cannot describe the appreciation I have for the amount of wisdom, guidance, and support I have received the past 8 weeks. I have received many notes with words of advice, wisdom, various contacts, and many other little tidbits that I will be reflecting on and incorporating into further development, especially, in the coming years as I continue to pursue my passion of becoming a nurse.

 

Now comes a bittersweet time of saying goodbye to such an influential group of people I have had the honor of working with this summer. It will be the people of National Lutheran Communities and Services, especially The Village at Rockville, that I will miss greatly.

But as this journey comes to a close I walk away a determined and more knowledgeable nurse and professional. I also leave reflecting on the word “change”. A goal in my life is to create change somewhere, somehow. I don’t know yet if that change will come in the form of a medical mission trip, a pediatric hospital, a church, or with family or friends, but I have been made to realize that change won’t always be seen with my own eyes. Maybe the change I create in the world will happen years after I have an idea or begin to create something. Maybe this change in the world happens within my own heart, creating a domino effect. In addition to having a passion to serve in a pediatric hospital I now add a passion of working with dementia patients. It is hard to imagine how much an entire perspective and desire can change in a few weeks time.

 

A few things I have learned as I start my CAPS Fellowship in Maryland:

1. I am capable of driving 13 hours straight.

2. Being a tourist in Washington, D.C. for a day and a half is exhausting. There is simply just too much to see and do that you ultimately cannot fit it into that kind of time frame. Good thing I have all summer to metro down to D.C. and explore!

3. Moving into a cottage provided by The Village at Rockville (TVAR) is exciting! You also get very creative when 3 girls get ready in a home with ONE bathroom.

4. Sometimes starting the washing machine is not as easy as pushing a button and you have to get creative with that as well (had to let the washer figure out its attitude first….).

5. When 3 girls walk into a restaurant looking utterly confused and clearly are first timers you just might get free bagel bites and a big piece of chocolate cake.

6. Attending a Welcome Cookout at your supervisor’s house the night before orientation with 4 other interns really puts butterflies at ease and shows you just how gracious and kind the staff are that you will be working with and for throughout the summer.

 
 
While some of those things are comical, moving out East for the summer has really allowed me to grow as a young adult (and that’s just been in the first week of living out here) and also excites me for my future professional career and the opportunities I have and will be given.

 
 

I started working in the office at TVAR on June 5^th so I have officially been in Maryland for one week. In this first week I have had the opportunity to attend two full days of orientation, learning much more about National Lutheran Communities and Services and the mission and values the organization functions by. NLCS’s mission of customer service focused care for residents at the community and constantly exploring new ways of further impacting and improving the surrounding community is inspiring. It motivates me to jump into projects and use my skills and knowledge to help them reach the goals they have set.

 
 
This past week, I have met numerous members of the leadership team both from corporate and also internally at The Village at Rockville. They are all so wonderful and so eager to assist me with projects and show me the ropes of the organization. I am starting to meet many of the residents who live in the community.

 
 
The favorite part of my day is walking upstairs and visiting with the residents on the memory care floor. There is so much history, wisdom, and stories that I lookforward to hearing from all the residents while I am here.

 

This summer I will have many opportunities both in nursing administration and in nursing care that each day will be full of learning and growing, and I am eager to reflect on those opportunities at the end of these 8 weeks in MD.