Connections Career Center
Mount Saint Mary College • 330 Powell Avenue, Newburgh, NY 12550 NYSCEEA
Veterans Administration
Student of the Year
Alexander Peguero Medrano
Alexander Peguero Medrano
Veronica Devers
Amber McCafferty
2011
www.msmc.edu
Nursing students learn while caring for veterans In the Bronx at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center
“I
’m loving every moment of my experience at the VA in the Bronx,” says Alexander Peguero Medrano. I get to work in every unit and with two or three different BSN preceptors a week. And some are MSMC alumni.” Alex, along with fellow senior nursing majors, Veronica Devers and Amber McCafferty, worked at area Veterans Administration Medical Centers in the Summer Veterans Administration Learning Opportunity Residency (VALOR) Program. Competition for the few positions was stiff, with each student meeting the requirements with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0, “B’s” or better in each nursing course, nomination by the chairperson of the nursing division and successful completion of a rigorous interview. He continues, “Being a VALOR student is a highly rewarding position at the VA. Everyone is eager to teach me and expose me to various cases and patient diagnoses. Even the attending MDs are eager to teach me. As a VALOR student I’m part of the nursing team in which I’m able to listen to patient status reports, focus on the patients assigned to my preceptor, and initiate nursing care.” “I didn’t fully appreciate the nursing education I received at Mount Saint Mary College until I began working at the VA. Everything I learned, from anatomy and physiology to med-surg, I have been able to incorporate into my nursing care.”
In Manhattan at the VA New York Harbor Health Care System
V
eronica Devers agrees, “Working at the VA has been an exhilarating experience. I feel so overwhelmed, but at the same time extremely fortunate to have this position. After finishing med-surg nursing classes I didn’t know how I would remember everything. I feel much more confident going into my senior year of nursing knowing I have learned so much this summer. From an academic knowledge base, I was very prepared for the position. I have sharpened and gained new clinical skills. At the VA, I get to see a lot of different procedures and I can bring out what I learned in class and apply it here. The MSMC nursing program requires courses in pathophysiology and critical care. It is very advanced and prepares us well.”
In the Hudson Valley at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
A
mber McCafferty says, “Working for the VA and shadowing the daily tasks of a nurse has helped enhance my ability to prioritize patient care. Spending ten weeks in various departments showed me how each specialty has a different priority focus. I specifically wanted to be a part of the VALOR program at the VA Hudson Valley because of the mental health component. However, I am glad that the program included rotation to a med-surg unit. After this experience I feel more comfortable with medications, IV lines, time management and prioritizing various aspects of patient care. I highly recommend the VALOR program because it allows a nursing student to be a part of the patient’s treatment team.” Veronica’s advice to nursing students: “Get an externship because the clinical experience is very valuable.” Alex recommends, “Get involved in co-ops/internships early. Not only do you enhance your nursing skills and education, but you also become more confident with your nursing career.”