Springfield, Mass. – October 10, 2025 – Sarah Falcone (Monroe, Conn.), a health science major and rising senior on the Springfield College softball team, serves as a Patient Care Technician 2 (PCT2) at Hartford Hospital in their Neuro-Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Read more about her experience below.

What does a typical day look like for you in this role?

During the school year, I typically work on Saturdays for 8-hour shifts or one to two weekdays for 4-hour shifts. Currently, I usually work on Monday afternoons and/or Saturdays. A typical Monday begins at 6:00 am with a morning lift for the Springfield College softball team, followed by breakfast with my teammates. From 8:00 to 10:30 am, I complete homework or other schoolwork, then attend my Sci-Fi in Literature class from 11:00 to 11:50 am. After grabbing lunch, I leave for work at Hartford Hospital around 1:50 pm, arriving at 2:30 pm for my 3:00–7:00 pm shift. I usually return to campus around 8:00 pm, eat a quick dinner, and finish more homework. On Saturdays, I have softball practice from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, leave Springfield at 1:50 pm, and arrive at work for a 3:00–11:00 pm shift, returning around midnight.

At work, I typically arrive 15–30 minutes early to receive a report from the coworker I'm relieving. In healthcare, a report involves a rundown of the patient assignment, including vitals that need to be manually taken and their timing, the patient's ability to perform daily activities such as eating or bathing, fall risk status, bathroom needs, and any special circumstances like medical devices, drains, or contact precautions. As a Patient Care Technician (PCT), my responsibilities include assisting nurses with turning and cleaning patients, measuring and charting intake and output, taking blood sugars and temperatures, performing EKGs when necessary, restocking patient rooms, and updating whiteboards in rooms and at the nurses' stations. I also assist with pharmacy and lab runs, transporting blood when needed, and helping with patient transfers or scans as required.

Is there a specific project or task from your experience that you're especially proud of?

There is so much that I am proud of from my work in Hartford over the past 15 months, but I am specifically proud of being upgraded from a PCT1 to a PCT2. I love getting to work with my C9i team and the many patients I come in contact with. Helping them and knowing that I am making a difference in their lives, no matter how big or small, is what it's really about and what I truly enjoy. In this time, I have also completed my NREMT certification, setting myself up to continue growing my career at Hartford Hospital as much as possible until I attend graduate school.

How has this internship influenced your future goals or career path?

This experience has influenced my future because I am currently completing the prerequisites to apply for Physician Assistant school after completing my undergraduate degree at Springfield. One of the prerequisites for applying to PA school is completing a minimum of 1,000 hours of Patient Care Experience (PCE) by the time I submit my application. This job has provided me with the opportunity to accrue over 600 PCE hours in the past 15 months, while also balancing full-time student and athlete responsibilities at Springfield College.

What advice would you give to a student interested in pursuing a similar internship?

Advice I would give to a student seeking a similar experience is to start looking for job openings early spring. Most hospitals hire new employees towards the end of spring, entering summer so that all training is done by the end of summer, and they can be fully functioning employees by fall (dependent on position). Also, have an idea of areas you are interested in. It may be self-explanatory, but if you have no interest in a specific field, such as pediatrics, then definitely don't apply for a job there. Lastly, cast a wide net. Don't apply to only one job; apply to as many as you can in as many different specialties you may have an interest in. Even if it isn't a "top" specialty, you may end up enjoying it more than you think you will. At the end of the day, no matter where you end up, you will gain endless experience, which will help set you up for your next steps after undergrad.

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