1. Whilewritingyourpaper,whatdidyoulearnabouttheresearchprocess?

Ilearnedthatinordertohaveenoughcredibleinformation,Ineededmuchmoreresearch
thanIthoughtIneeded.Whiledoingresearch,itwashardtofindinformationthat
specificallyrelatedtomytopic,sotheinterviewwastheholygrailforme.Mymentor,
SusieCrump,wassoknowledgeableinherfield,givingmeavividpictureofwhatit
wouldbeliketobeanurse.Also,upuntilthePridePaper,Iwasnevertaughthowtouse
MLAformatandcitemyworkbecauseatmypreviousschool,citingworkwasnot
requiredyet.

2. Howwastheresearchrelatedtoyourmentorhours?
Throughmyresearch,Ifoundthatthetypicalworkshiftwasalmostidentical.Isawthe
amountofworktheydoforthepatientsandthecharacteristicsneededtobeasuccessful
nurse.Ialsofoundthatthephysicalaspectofnursingwasverysimilartomyresearch,
beingastheyareontheirfeetforalmosttheirwhole12hourshift.

3. Summarizethementorhoursthatyoucompleted.
IworkedatCharlottePresbyterianHospitalfrom7pmto7am.Whenwegotthere,we
didareviewwithanothernursewhowasjustfinishinghershift.Shetoldusallofthe
importantinformationaboutthepatientthatmightnotbeinherfileyet,andher
progressionoflabor.Thenwewentintotheroomandmetthepatient,herfamily,and
herinterpreterbecauseshedidnotspeakanyEnglish.Mymentordidherown
determinationofthepatientslaborandgaveheranupdate.Thepatientwasaskingfor
anepiduralsomymentorcalledthedoctoruptotalktoheraboutit,buttheyallknew
thatshewastoofarintolaborforit.By7:45thepatientwasstartingtodeliver,by8:15
wecalledthedoctorintheactuallydeliverthebaby,andby8:30thebabywasborn.The
doctorthatdeliveredthebaby,Dr.Floodwasreallyexcitedaboutmebeingtherewanting
tolearnsohewasgivingmeanatomylessonsoftheumbilicalcord,theplacenta,and
wherethemothertoreduringbirth.Themotherwasstillinourcareforabouttwohours
afterdeliverysothatwecouldcleanupherandthebaby,andthenwemoveherintoa
bigger,morecomfortableroominanotherwingofthefloor.Bythistimeiswhatabout
11:00pmandtherewerenonewpatientsforustotake,soitwastheperfecttimetogoget

dinnerfromthecafeteriadownstairs.Atabout12:30am,anothernursesshiftwasover,
sowetookherpatient.Thenextpatienthadbeeninlaborforalmost32hoursbythe
timeshewasinourcare,andherlaborwasnolongerprogressing.Afterseveral
discussionswithherhusbandandthedoctor,theydecidedthatitwasnolongerworth
waitingforlabortostartprogressingagainsotheyoptedforaCSection.Sincethe
motherwasalreadyonanepidural,allwehadtodotogetherreadywastoshaveher
bikiniarea/stomachandputahairnetonher.Herhusbandhowever,hadtoputonafull
bodysanitarysuittobeabletogointotheOperatingRoomwithher.Oncethedoctors
weresetupintheOR,webroughtherinandmovedherfromherresidencebedtothe
operatingtable.Oncetheystartedtheprocedure,Istoodattheendofthebedbyherfeet,
sothatIcouldwatchwithoutgettinginanyonesway.Itwasamazinghowfastthe
doctorscouldwork,at2:00amshewasjustgettingintotheOR,andby2:32amthebaby
wasborn.Everyoneknewthatthebabywasgoingtobeverybig,sorightbeforethey
placedheronthescale,allthedoctorsandnursesandthefatherwereguessinghowmuch
shewasgoingtoweigh.Myguesswas10lbs5ozandshewas10lbs6oz,theclosestin
theroom!ThewholeORstartedlaughingbecausethehighschoolstudentwasmore
accuratethantheprofessionals.Thebabynurse,father,andbabywentintotherecovery
roomwhilethedoctorsstitchedupthemotherandmadesurenothingwasleftinthebody
cavity.Oncetheentireprocedurewasfinished,wemovedthemotherintotherecovery
roomwithherfamily.Forthenextthreeandahalfhoursweworkedonfeedingthe
baby,givingherabath,cleaningupthemother,andmakingsurethebabywasnotborn
diabetic,sincethemotherwasatype1.Duringthistime,anothernursetookmedownto
theNICUandtookatour.WhileIwasdownthere,thenursesweredoinganinbed
procedurefortheirsickestbabiesandIgottowatch.WhenIgotback,mymentorwasin
theprocessofmovingthepatientsfromtheORrecoveryroomtotheresidentialroom
wheretheywouldstayforthenext23days.Bythetimeshewasmovedintotheroom,
andwehaddoneourreviewwiththenextnurse,itwas6:45am,sowesatinthegrease
boardroomandwaitedtoourshifttobeover.

4. Howdidworkingwithyourmentoraffectyourunderstandingofthetopicandyour
developmentoftheproduct?
WorkingwithmymentorgavemeabetterunderstandingofthetopicbecauseIreallygot
toseewhatanursedoeswhileworking,andalsothedifferentcharacteristicsthatnurses
havethatmakethemsogoodattheirjob.Forexample,oneofthenurseswas
softspokenandsweetsoshewasverygoodatworkingwithpatientswhohadbeenin
laborforalongtimebecauseshewasencouragingontheotherhand,therewasanurse
whowasverycleananddowntobusinesssoshewasbetterwiththepatientswhowere
makingalotofdramabecauseshecouldtalksomesenseintothem.Mymentorhadno
handinthedevelopmentofmyproduct.
5. Howdidcreatingaproductandcompletingthehourschallengeyoupersonally?
Creatingaproductwasextremelyhardformebecausemyprofessionisverygraphic.
BecauseIwasshadowinginthemedicalfield,therewasnohandsonexperienceinmy
mentorhours,thereforemakingitmoredifficulttocomeupwithaneffectiveproduct.
OnceIfiguredoutwhatmyproductwasgoingtobe,Ihadtostartworkingoutallthe
planningsinceitrevolvesaroundtown10,000+milesaway.Priortomymentorhours,I
wasnervousthatIwasnotgoingtobeabletohandleseeingalivebirth,needles,and
blood,butIwasactuallyoneofthemostamazingthingsIhaveeverseen.Allthe
doctorsandnurseskeptaskingmeifIwasfeelingok,especiallywhenwewereintheOR
andweallhadtowearmasks.Oneofthenursessaidthatwhentheyputmasksonthe
dads,sometimestheydontknowhowtocirculateairinthemandbreatheffectivelyand
sotheypassout.
6. Doyoufeelpreparedacademicallyandemotionallyforthepresentation?
Yes,academicallyIfeelverypreparedforthepresentation.IhavealloftheresearchI
needforanaccurate,informing,andinterestingpresentation.Ithinkthatpublicspeaking
hastremendouslyhelpedmewithgeneralskillsforgivingapresentation.Emotionally,I
amstillnervousaboutpresentinginfrontofthejudges.Also,Iamsopassionateabout
theprofessionandtheproductthatIthinkImightgetreallyexcitedandtalktofast.

7. Howdidtheentireprocessstretchyouasalearnerandasanindividual?
ThePrideProjecthasstretchedmebypushingmetodothingsformyself.Whentrying
tobeapprovedbythehospitaltobeabletoshadow,therewasaridiculousamountof
paperworkandonlinetraininggoingthroughthisprocesstaughtmehowtotalkto
professionalindividuals,andnotjustmyteachers.Asanindividual,itstretchedmeby
forcingmetoreallythinkaboutthefutureandwhatIwanttodowithmylife.Ittaught
mehowtoberealisticinmyendeavors,butalwaysstrivetobegreat.
8. Describeanobstacleyouencounteredandhowyouovercameit.
OneofthegreatestobstaclesthatItackledinthisprojectwastheapprovalprocesstobe
abletodomentorhoursatthehospital.First,Ihadtogothrough27trainingmoduleson
theNovantwebsitethatalloftheiremployeesmustgothrough.Inmyopinion,aswell
asmymentorsopinion,themoduleswereoverkillandmostwereridiculousforahigh
schoolstudenttocomplete.Then,onceIfinishedallthemodulesandturnedinmy
paperworktomymentortotaketothehospital,IfoundoutthatIneededtwolettersfrom
schoolandthatallofmypaperworkhadtobefaxed.Then,Ihadtowaitfourweeksfor
thecommitteetoapprovemeforlessthan16hoursofobservation.

9. Whatlifeskillsdidyouacquireandhowwilltheyhelpyouinthefuture?
Ilearnhowtotalkwithprofessionalsintheworkforce.Thiswillhelpmeinthefuture
becauseIwillknowhowtotalkwithmyprofessorsatschoolandmybossesinthe
workforce,withoutsoundingunintelligent.Italsotaughtmehowtomanagemytime
wellandworkefficiently.
10. Ifyouhadtogobackanddopartsoftheprojectagain,whatwouldyoudo
differently?
IfIhadtogobackanddosomethingdifferently,Iwouldmakeadetailedscheduleabout
whenIneedtohaveacertainthingfinished,orwhenIneedtostartsomethingsothatI
wouldstayonscheduleandnotbestressingouttowardstheend.