When Hampton resident Sarah Walsh first learned in 2022 about the Healthcare Career Exploration internship program at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, she was still trying to decide which path in healthcare would be right for her.
The email, which came through the University of New Hampshire pre-med community, described an opportunity to shadow clinical and ancillary healthcare professionals throughout the hospital.
It sounded perfect.
“I was still debating between pre-med and PA (physician assistant) school,” Sarah said. “I wasn’t even thinking about nursing. But the chance to shadow everyone in the hospital sounded amazing.”
That summer experience would ultimately help shape the direction of her career.
Seeing the full healthcare team in action
During the internship, Sarah had the opportunity to shadow a wide range of healthcare professionals, including physician assistants in cardiovascular care, certified registered nurse anesthetists, floor nurses, X-ray technologists, interventional radiology nurses, and many others.
One of the most impactful parts of the program, she said, was gaining a deeper understanding of how many people and departments contribute to patient care.
“My favorite part of the program was the opportunity to see so many aspects of the healthcare world,” Sarah said. “From the sterile processing department to surgeons, you really get to see how important each role is.”
The program also included regular presentations from different departments and specialties, including stroke care and dietetics, giving interns an even broader look at hospital operations and patient care.
For Sarah, shadowing a certified registered nurse anesthetist was especially memorable.
“That really piqued my interest,” she said.
Finding her path in nursing
After the internship, Sarah went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing. While in school, she served as an extern on Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s Interventional Care Unit, continuing to build her hands-on experience in the hospital setting.
Today, Sarah is an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse, a role she says feels perfect for her.
“I love being an ICU nurse,” she said. “It is the most fitting role for me.”
What she enjoys most is the combination of autonomy, teamwork and the deep involvement ICU nurses have in their patients’ care. ICU nurses typically care for two patients at a time, allowing them to understand each patient’s condition, needs and family dynamics in great detail.
“We know our two patients like the back of our hand,” Sarah said. “I feel like I’m making a difference. Patients are very vulnerable, and you really feel like you’re making an impact.”
She also values the relationships she builds with families, especially when caring for patients over a longer period of time.
“Seeing the start and finish, seeing someone at discharge or later on a different floor, is so amazing to me,” she said.
Although the work is challenging, Sarah says it is even more meaningful than she expected.
“I had an understanding of it from the internship, but being in it now is better than I could have imagined,” she said. “It’s difficult, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Sarah credits her ICU team as one of the best parts of her job.
“The team in the ICU is amazing,” she said. “All the nurses are so supportive, and the mid- and upper-level providers are amazing, too. The community is great.”
As she continues to learn and grow in the ICU, Sarah is also thinking about what may come next. She is considering becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist in the future, a path that typically requires at least two years of ICU experience before applying. She is also interested in the possibility of becoming a nurse practitioner, potentially in behavioral health.
For now, she is focused on learning everything she can as an ICU nurse.
Advice for future interns
For students considering the Healthcare Internship Program, Sarah’s advice is simple: do it.
“It will give you all the resources you need,” she said. “For me, it helped me so much.”
She also encourages interns to be open-minded and ready to take advantage of every opportunity, even if it is not exactly what they expected.
“It is a huge commitment,” Sarah said. “You need to be open to learning and taking all the opportunities you get. You may not get to choose where you go, but every experience teaches you something.”
Sarah’s own journey shows the value of that openness. What began as a summer internship for a student debating medical or PA school became the experience that introduced her to nursing, critical care, and a career she loves.