New grad finds her niche
The past few years have changed Rebecca Puddester, who recently graduated from the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program at Memorial's School of Nursing.
Does she look a little different?
Well, no.
Does she feel a little different?
Yes, absolutely!
"I've found my niche," she says. "The past few years with this group have changed my life. We've done so many things together!"
The latest adventure was a trip to the Dominican Republic with a large contingent of her classmates.
Over the past few years, as a busy member of Nursing Society, Ms. Puddester has helped plan, organize and host a regional conference, attended national conferences, helped put on successful nursing charity balls, and raised money and awareness for good causes.
"And not a week went by that we weren't holding a bake sale," she laughs. "I really felt like I was part of a team and that we really were accomplishing things."
Last fall, with 20 of her classmates, she helped run Get Swabbed, an event that recruited donors for OneMatch, the Canadian Blood Services' stem cell and marrow network.
The event was a huge success, attracting twice as many donors as students had expected.
And somehow this past year she managed to juggle school and clinical studies, her volunteer work, and win the Newfoundland and Labrador segment of Come Dine With Me Canada!
Not only was it a great experience, she walked away with a cash prize that came in handy!
She's philosophical about her career. Like many of her classmates, her experience in her third-year preceptorship course opened her eyes to the many possibilities in nursing.
"We've come a long way," she said. There will be a learning curve from being a nursing student, to being a nurse. And as a new grad I'm looking forward to getting out there and doing my best, and learning from those who have experience.
"And I've learned that sometimes you might even when you're feeling a little unsure of things, it's important to show initiative and be compassionate, and that counts for everything."