Emma Tesman ’13

Major(s): Women's and Gender Studies
Internship Site: Sadler Health Center - Carlisle, PA

The Internship:   
I heard about Sadler and Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) in my Intro to Health Studies class.  The director of Sadler Health Center, Elaine, came to our classroom and said that the center is always looking for people to either volunteer or intern.  After that class I contacted Elaine and she referred me to Melissa Manning, director of NFP.

I went on over 10 home visits, at least one with each nurse.  Through these home visits I was able to experience what type of information and guidance that the nurses give their clients and how they adapt their information.  The adaptation changes depending on the type of client they are visiting.  I created mood charts and also worked on compiling an information sheet from the home visit charts that are completed upon each visit.  Also, due to the changing immunization requirements, I created packets of current patient and healthcare provider immunization charts. 

The Preparation:   
Both my “Intro to Health Studies” class and “Health, Illness, and Narrative” class taught me about illnesses that I commonly saw during my home visits.  Many of the mothers that NFP visited experienced post-partum depression.  Depression was often discussed in my health narrative class due to it often being stigmatized by society.  In my Health Studies class, we also learned about motivational interviewing, which is used on a daily by NFP nurses.

Making Connections:   
All 6 of the nurses of NFP were incredibly helpful to my internship.  Due to going on visits with all of the nurses, I was able to see which techniques worked best for each nurse.  Also, many of the nurses are mothers and commonly share stories about their own pregnancies and children.  Similarly, all of the nurses were incredibly personable and worked with me to understand what they do in their home visits.  Before the home visits, I commonly spoke with the nurse to obtain basic information of the patient we were going to see.  Then after the visits, we discussed what had occurred. 

The Future: (goals or next career steps)
Through this internship, I have confirmed my career goal of becoming a registered nurse.  I have realized that I would enjoy personal relationships within the work force. 

Tips from Emma: 
I would recommend that students start their search for an internship as soon as possible.  It often takes longer than expected to begin an internship.  I began my internship with HIPAA videos and paperwork.  I then had to get clearance from the administration to ride in the cars of the nurses.  It also took a week or two before I was able to go on a home visit.  I would also suggest that students keep an open mind when looking for internships.  Web searches are also incredibly helpful and make the process of finding a suitable internship much easier!


*To find out more about how to get an internship, make an appointment with a career counselor. Just call the Career Center at 717-245-1740 or stop by Biddle House.