On the Job: Katelynn Baker, BSN ’26

Katelynn Baker, BSN ’26, is in her final year of the three-year BSN program at Saint Joseph's University in Lancaster. This past summer, she had her internship in the labor and delivery unit at Women’s and Babies Hospital, LGH, where she learned how to manage critical patients, and gained experience with emergent situations and pediatric care.

The Role:

Student nurse on the labor and delivery unit at Women’s and Babies Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital (LGH)

Describe your internship in three emojis:

🧑‍🍼 (mother and baby)

🎈(balloon)

🧸 (stuffed bear)

The Day-to-Day:

Every day is different, ranging from smooth-sailing births to those that need more assistance or emergency management. Some days are spent in the labor unit, some are in the operating room or post-anesthesia care unit, and others are in the special care unit.

It’s 10 a.m. on a workday, what are you up to?

I am most likely coaching a mother through delivery, monitoring a mother's and baby's vital signs, or promoting bonding between a mother and baby in the first few hours after birth.

Go-to snack or drink that gets you through the day:

Iced chai latte with an extra shot of espresso for late nights.

My I “nailed it” moment:

I was put in my first emergent situation alone when I was helping a patient in the bath while my preceptor was preoccupied, and the baby started crowning, which is when I called for help from the charge nurse and the nearest physician to execute a safe birth where mother and baby were healthy.

Favorite part of your role:

Helping mothers through this difficult but beautiful part of life, and doing everything in my power to advocate for them and ensure their wishes are met, helping them have a good experience and bond with their new baby. 

Fit check:

Hospital-issued operating room scrubs to be prepared for when running to the operating room is necessary. (Always too big but very comfortable!)

Tips for the next intern:

Take every opportunity you can get, do everything within your scope, ask plenty of questions (there really is no such thing as a dumb question), and have fun! Although nursing can have its ups and downs, there are always chances to learn and make connections with patients, so make the most of every day and every situation, doing what you can to better the lives of others.