Sanford Health

Nurse Intern

June - August 2019 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Great opportunity to practice your nursing skills and become familiar with the flow of a typical hospital day. I became much more confident in patient care settings and gained an extreme amount of experience that puts me at ease to being out in the real world in a couple months.

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IT-QA and Testing Intern

May - August 2019 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I liked how each day felt different and I was always learning something new. I also liked that I felt like I was an important part of the team despite being only an intern.

What I wish was different

I wish that I would have looked into the internship more before signing up or even signing up for a different position as QA and Testing turned out to not be for me. I wish that I would have connected with other departments to shadows some things that would be more up my alley.

Advice

Even though QA and Testing turned out to not be my thing, I still gained a lot of experience out of it and was still determined to do my best even when things were difficult. So my advice is, every moment matters, even this one.

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Registered Nurse Intern

June - August 2018 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

I loved getting to work in the ER with all types of patients and different acuities. The ER is the best place to learn nursing skills!

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten to work into the school year, however Sanford is going to accommodate this request starting in 2019!

Advice

This experience allows you to learn so much, approach it with an open mind and compassionate heart and you will be able to serve the patients to the best of your abilities!

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Sanford POWER Intern

May - August 2018 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

I like having the ability of helping other people who are trying to better themselves and also prepare myself for my future profession

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Be competent with creating personal relationships and weighttrainng techniques

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Research Intern

June - August 2018 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I enjoyed the level of growth I achieved in terms of confidence and independence in the lab. This was my second summer at Sanford (and in the particular lab I was in), and I could see the growth I made as a researcher when comparing these two experiences. Part of this was due to the amazing mentors I had, who encouraged me to branch out, ask questions, and be confident in my lab experience.

What I wish was different

I always feel back when I'm at work and not constantly working. The nature of biochemical research means that there is usually time sitting around waiting for incubation or cell growth. I tried to take on extra projects, update my lab notebook, and do lab chores, but there's only so much to do when you're an intern and not a full-time employee.

Advice

I would say that you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions. It may feel uncomfortable or bothersome at first, but your peers and superiors will appreciate your thoroughness. It is better to ask questions and do the job right than do a job you're unsure about and end up with an incorrect product. Accidents happen, but many mistakes can be prevented by double checking and asking clarifying questions.

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Nursing Intern

June - August 2018 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the floor. The team worked well together and I felt comfortable asking questions to anyone on the floor. They were always willing to help each other and wanted to provide the best care for their patients. They set you up with another nurse on the floor who guide you through the summer helping to answer any questions, challenge you to grow in your nursing skills and knowledge, and develop a relationship with you as a fellow nurse. I grew in my nursing skills and knowledge throughout the summer and feel very confident in becoming a nurse and providing wholistic care for my patients with the experience I had at Sanford. The program set me up for what to expect on the floor and wanted me to get the most out of the summer as possible. They provided observation experiences in other departments and other ways to get to know the nursing interns from the various schools.

What I wish was different

One of the loose ends was finding housing. The white scrub tops was not ideal due to all the stains I developed throughout the summer. Overall, it was a good experience.

Advice

Ask lots of questions and get into as many experiences as possible. Take advantages of all the opportunities they provide.

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LPN

July 2019 • Bemidji, MN

What I liked

A lot of different nursing skills

What I wish was different

better pay

Advice

It's a great opportunity to start a nursing career.

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Nursing Intern

June - August 2019 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

The experience was amazing. I learned so much in my short 10-weeks there and it helped build my confidence up as a future nurse so much. I got to practice so many different skills and also try so many new things. By the end of the summer I was basically handling 4 patients by myself, and my preceptor simply was at the nurses station for if I needed help.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have experienced a few more different floors. I mainly worked on the cardiology/heart hospital floor. I got to do one shift in the E.R and one in the NICU, along with several shifts in the ICU. But I would have loved to get to explore and experience other areas as well.

Advice

Go into it ready to learn and don’t be afraid. Be open, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to fail. Everybody starts somewhere and nobody is perfect,

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ER Technician

August 2018 • Bemidji, MN

What I liked

Everything, hands on

What I wish was different

nothing

Advice

If you are going into the medical field I strongly recommend working in a CNA/Tech position while in school, if even only part time

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Pharmacy Intern

June 2018 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I love learning applicable information to my degree, on the job

What I wish was different

I wish I was more decentralized from the main pharmacy

Advice

Always go above and beyond, have a positive attitude while doing internships because you really can learn a lot.

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Certified Nursing Assistant

June 2020 • Waconia, MN

What I liked

The people, and the resident!

What I wish was different

I wish there was more staff so we weren’t so understaffed

Advice

It is hard work, but it is very rewarding.

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Student Nurse Intern

June 2020 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I liked being able to assume the role of a nurse and apply my nursing skills to real life patients.

What I wish was different

I wish that I could have been on more than one unit. I loved the experience, but it would have been nice to experience other departments to find my specialty!

Advice

Even if you dont get the unit you want, take the experience. It was incredible qnd was a major boost in my confidence.

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CNA

May 2020 • Bismarck, ND

What I liked

They have a friendly team on the floor and cares about each other and is willing to help out.

What I wish was different

Advice

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ICU Nurse Intern

June - August 2019 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

I loved that i was finally able to connect what I had been learning in class to real life scenarios. I felt like I learned more throughout the summer than i had in any of my classes. The nice thing about my internship was that I made connections with people that would eventually be helpful when needing references for future job experiences or even to solidify a job post graduation (this was the case for me). Nursing has many different specialities so it was nice to be able to see what it would be like working in the ICU and helped reassure my passion about working there.

What I wish was different

Honestly, NOTHING! I wouldn’t trade my internship experience for anything! The knowledge gained during this experience is irreplaceable.

Advice

DO IT, DO IT, DO IT! As I said above I don’t regret spending my summer completing an internship. I feel like I am better prepared for what my career will consist of and what my day to day will look like once I graduate. Even if you choose not to have an internship I suggest getting a job that will, in some way, help you excel in your career. I worked as a CNA for 5 years in nursing homes and then in the ER before I got my position as an intern. I know that at Sanford the internship application is extremely competitive and I believe that my work experience and connections made through other jobs are what put me in the position to get a job offer as an intern in my top choice department (ICU).

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Community Relations Intern

January - May 2020 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

Loved working for a healthcare system during the middle of a pandemic. Really cool to be at the table with the higher ups of Sanford. I enjoyed my co-workers and my supervisors. I enjoyed how much hands on work they let us do!

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

This will teach you more than a classroom ever has.

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CNA

August - December 2020 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

I loved being able to work in a healthcare setting as this is what I want to do in my future career. I enjoyed learning from all the nurses and physicians at Sanford.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have worked more during the semester!

Advice

I would advise anyone to jump at the opportunity if they could accept an internship. It shows you what you really could be doing one day - and if this is the right career path for you.

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Nurse Intern

June - August 2021 • Bismarck, ND

What I liked

I leaned a lot of skills and got to put them into practice.

What I wish was different

I wish the morale was better, there was a lot of negativity.

Advice

I would tell nursing students to do it because it puts what you learn in school into real patient experiences that you never forget.

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CNA

June 2020 • Mountain Lake, MN

What I liked

I loved being able to help others and learn skills that I will use in the future as a nurse.

What I wish was different

More staff to make the job less stressful

Advice

Get involved and push yourself otherwise you won’t learn as well!

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Student Nurse Intern

June - August 2021 • Fargo, ND

What I liked

Had a great experience with each member of the interdisciplinary team and learned a lot of valuable skills and lessons that will benefit me in my future career.

What I wish was different

I wish i would have been able to experience a larger variety of nursing specialties.

Advice

Say yes to everything, though you may be scared or nervous or haven't done it before. The staff are there for you to help and support your learning!

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volleyball instructor

May - August 2021 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I liked the experience of teaching to all ages of kids. I like the different opportunities that each day has. My boss was very understanding and helped me along in the process.