Nurses
Week

What do you love most about nursing and why did you choose this profession?

The flexibility of the role and the fact that I am helping other people be or become their best selves. I have been able to work in a variety of settings as well as in different specialties, all of which have helped me develop into the nurse and person I am today. While my job today is mostly a Monday –Friday day shift role, there is still flexibility to the job. I loved that when I was working on my master's degree at UC, I was still able to work part-time and have flexible shifts. While working on my doctorate, I was already in my current role and was able to flex my schedule to complete my clinical hours and coursework. While I am not directly providing patient care anymore, I work with nurses so they can give the best care to their patients. I found my passion in neonatal nursing and I love teaching others about babies and how to care for them.   

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? How has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

I struggled scholastically in high school and my undergraduate program, and was not sure that I had what it took to obtain my master’s degree. When I applied for the master’s program at UC, the person interviewing me asked about my undergraduate GPA and what had happened. I remember thinking there was no way I was going to get into the program, but my GRE and GMAT scores were much higher than my GPA and the interviewer wanted to know why. UC took a chance and accepted me into the program, they saw my potential, even when others and I didn’t, and I will always be grateful for that. If UC had not trusted and encouraged me along the way, I would not be where I am today. 

So the lesson learned was to have confidence in yourself and to give people a chance. My UC education prepared me for the changing landscape of health care by teaching me systems thinking, to look at the whole picture of a situation and that things are rarely what they seem at first encounter.  

What is one unexpected experience during your time at UC that you would like to share? 

An unexpected experience was meeting so many wonderful nurses who were also working on their master’s degrees and remaining friends with them throughout the years. Specifically, my advisor and professor Dr. Carole Kenner, saw potential in me and has been and continues to be a great mentor and friend. Her support helped me achieve all the things that I have accomplished in my career.

What do you love most about nursing and why did you choose this profession?

Nursing is a second career for me After working as a medical social worker for about nine years in a hospital setting with incredible nurses and nurse practitioners, I was inspired to pursue a career in nursing. I felt called to nursing and really liked the diversity it offered in terms of jobs, as well as the hands-on opportunities.. I also like that in the health care field there are constant opportunities to learn, challenge yourself and grow.  

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? How has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been a nursing student at UC. I have been provided with so many invaluable experiences and opportunities such as working in the skills lab, speaking at a White Coat ceremony and traveling to Kenya and Tanzania to do a health care brigade with Village Life Outreach Project during my final semester of school. My education at UC taught me how to be a well-rounded nurse, leader and how to advocate for myself. It also prepared me through didactic and clinical experiences to confidently pass the licensing exams.

What is one unexpected experience during your time at UC that you would like to share?

I remember sitting in the audience with my classmates during my graduation ceremony and the name for the Student Leader Award was announced —and my name was called! It was such a special moment as it was totally unexpected, and my family and friends from out of town were there. I cannot speak highly enough of my professors at UC, they were always available if I had questions and wanted to see me succeed. 

What do you love most about nursing and why did you choose this profession?

Nursing gave me the opportunity to care for people, make a difference in my community and understand that the patient is so much more than their diagnosis.  

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? How has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

During my UC experience, I met a professor — Dr. Bozian — who taught me that our patients are a sum of their bodies, environment, relationships and life experiences. We must be aware of so much more than how to stop a disease process.

What is one unexpected experience during your time at UC that you would like to share?

I was attending UC for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1967. When I arrived on campus, the community near my Logan Annex Dorm was experiencing riots so the school boarded my dorm windows and taught us how to get through the tunnels to the hospital so that we could keep caring for the patients. It taught me that nursing really is essential and that our community is so much more than just a few people, it includes understanding each other, recognizing challenges that people face just to live and being an advocate for the needs of our fellow man.