Internship

Workplace

Communication: Effective verbal and written communication is key in any professional setting. Clearly expressing ideas, sharing updates, and actively listening will ensure smooth teamwork and project progress. I learned this skill in a home environment due to my mother being a psychotherapist. Clear and concise communication will be needed in my career as a nurse when charting/documenting information about my patients.

Team Collaboration: Teamwork is essential in internships, especially when collaborating with diverse teams. My ability to work well with others, respect different perspectives, and contribute to team efforts makes me an asset. In nursing, this is crucial because we must work alongside other healthcare professionals i.e. doctors, CNAs, physical therapists, etc.

Time Management: Prioritizing tasks and managing time efficiently is essential in balancing responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and delivering quality work. I have been developing this skill while juggling nursing school, an internship, my social life, and many other things. Time management will be important when I am tasked with having multiple patients in one night and prioritizing their importance.

What kind of team member am I?

Throughout my internship with iCARES, I have strived to be an engaged and reliable team member. My communication skills, honed through growing up in a household with a psychotherapist, have enabled me to effectively convey ideas and listen actively to others. This has been especially important in collaborating with my team, as clear communication ensures that all members are aligned and working toward the same goals. I have been able to contribute meaningfully by summarizing research articles, helping conduct VR presentations, and analyzing data, all while ensuring that I stay on top of deadlines and responsibilities.

As the internship progressed, my role evolved from primarily observing and assisting to taking on more responsibility, such as independently analyzing data and helping run research studies. I became more confident in my ability to communicate findings clearly and contribute to larger discussions within the team. My contributions, no matter how small, were crucial in ensuring that the data we collected was accurate and reliable, ultimately supporting the broader mission of iCARES to eliminate sexual and racial mistreatment in STEM environments.

My efforts, such as facilitating participant sessions or analyzing research outcomes, mattered because they helped the team make informed decisions about interventions and surveys. These routine tasks contributed directly to the larger project and mission of the internship, reinforcing the importance of every role in reaching our collective goal of creating safer, more inclusive spaces in STEM.

Successes and Challenges

Success #1: One success has been diving into research articles on sexual and racial mistreatment in STEM. I wasn’t familiar with some of the frameworks used, so I dedicated extra time to understanding them, which helped me grasp key concepts faster and feel more confident discussing them with the team.

Success #2: Another success was running a participant session for our study. It was my first time managing a session alone, so I prepared by reviewing protocols and familiarizing myself with potential questions. The session went smoothly, and the participant feedback showed that they felt comfortable, which was rewarding.

Success #3: I participated in a peer-reviewed article for the first time. It was broken down into different segments. I was able to complete my part as well as assist a peer with their notes and formatting onto our shared document.

Success #4: My most recent and largest accomplishment is beginning to create my own literature review. This will further my skill of synthesizing scientific research with a purpose and for an audience.

Challenge #1: A challenge has been keeping up with the volume of dense reading material while balancing other responsibilities. To manage this, I plan to ask for time management tips from my mentor and possibly break readings into more manageable sections.

Challenge #2: Another challenge has been adjusting to the varied needs of participants in sessions, as each individual’s experience and comfort level with the subject matter can differ. To improve, I plan to seek advice from experienced team members on managing sensitive discussions in a research setting.

Challenge #3: While working on the peer-reviewed article with my group, I often felt out of place. Not because of their actions but simply due to our different titles. I worked alongside a post-doctoral fellow and an undergraduate studying biology in her 3rd year. I often felt as if they were talking in circles around me. I managed this by asking questions when needed and also doing my own research outside of our meetings in order to gain a better understanding of our overall article.

Throughout my internship, I faced challenges managing dense reading material, adjusting to the varied needs of participants, and feeling out of place while working on a peer-reviewed article with more experienced colleagues. My team was incredibly supportive in helping me navigate these obstacles. They offered time management tips, guided handling of sensitive participant discussions, and encouraged me to ask questions when I felt lost. Their willingness to share insights and offer support not only helped me overcome these challenges but also allowed me to grow in confidence and become a more effective contributor to the team’s goals.