Nurses
Week

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

I love connecting with patients, learning about their background, and hearing of their life outside of the hospital. It allows us as caregivers to see them as the human being they are and helps them to know we see them as more than just a patient. This is so important for each patient we encounter. I chose this profession to help people in their utmost time of need. As an ICU nurse, unfortunately I see this often, but through the darkest times people triumph to see the other side. These cases are what keep me coming back every day.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

UC offered me the best education to prepare me for my current and upcoming roles in the nursing profession. Participating in the co-op program through the College of Nursing was the best preparation for me to start my career as a new grad nurse in a cardiothoracic ICU. I forever cherish my preceptor from UCMC, Rebecca Beckman, and all she taught me. Dr. (Deborah) Schwytzer, the co-op program coordinator, was a delight to work with and inspiration throughout my college career to push myself to achieve more inside and outside of the classroom.

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

My freshman year learning community was one of the most unexpected experiences of my college career. In orientation, we randomly chose our learning communities without knowing anyone in them or what it even entailed. However, I was lucky enough that this group stuck together throughout our four year college career. We helped one another through classes, teamed up for projects or car pools to clinical and many of us still stay in touch. The community aspect at UC and the College of Nursing played a paramount role in my time as a student.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

What I love most about nursing is seeing patients being able to leave us better than how they came. A patient discharging home or to rehab definitely outweighs any "thank you," because you know everyone did their best part to help the patient recover and return to their families. Every person involved plays an important part — whether they be a lab tech, environmental services staff, respiratory therapist, MD, transporter, etc. Everyone is crucial to the success of a hospital stay.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

Professors in school and coworkers alike will tell you one thing: You will never know everything! It's okay to ask questions if you’re unsure and to bounce ideas off of each other. You will earn more trust and respect amongst peers when you can admit that you need help. The goal is to help the patient! Don’t cause potential damage because you want to preserve your pride.

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

I had to retake a class sophomore year of nursing school, which of course made me upset. But because of that, I had time to acquire a minor in psychology and had the pleasure to serve as a senator for the College of Nursing in Student Government. Being senator helped me give a voice for the college and the ability to work alongside the student body president, vice president and so many amazing leaders from each college. I share this to remind others that it may feel like the end of the world when your plans go awry, but many times it will open opportunities for you to grow as a person.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

Service! Service to others when they cannot care or advocate for themselves is my why. My other love for nursing began at a young age. My mother had a major surgery while I was in elementary school. She had post-surgical complications and it was her bedside nurse that noticed the changes and reported those changes to her surgeon. This quick response from the nurse made my desire to advocate for others through nursing stronger and to pursue a career in nursing.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

My love for UC has grown over the years. What really has stuck with me is the sense of community and the ability to talk with professors and other educational leaders about my goals and career path. I completed my Master of Science in Nursing in 2012 with my certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. I remember speaking with Dr. Christine Colella about my progress while in this program and her willingness to be open and honest on ways to excel in the program and how to grow in my career with my current area of expertise. I then decided in 2019 I wanted to further my nursing career. I knew UC College of Nursing was my first choice as my experience with my master’s degree was amazing! I am currently a doctoral student at UC College of Nursing and have enjoyed the journey thus far. I have learned to speak out loud for things I believe in and have a greater appreciation for terminally degreed prepared nurses. I also have a better understanding of why nursing as a profession is needed and how evidence-based practice nursing allows for improved care for patients and their families.  

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

As a woman of color, during my graduate experience, I walked into my Health Care Policy course and was greeted by my professor who also was a woman of color. Dr. Donna Shambley-Ebron was the most gentle and wise woman, and it was inspiring to see her in this space — inspiring to see someone that looked like me and knowing she had completed her PhD work, which was one of my goals. I feel this is an unexpected experience as it isn’t often that in higher education there are professors of color in the classroom. It is important as it gives students with the same cultural background a level of comfort and ability to be more open about potential obstacles they may face.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

When I was two years old, I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic, so I grew up in a world of medicine and hospitals. Despite that, a nurse was actually not what I grew up wanting to be. Over the years, my answer to that timeless question did change a lot, though — a princess, a dancer, a scientist, a firefighter/EMT, and then I finally landed on a trauma surgeon. I was pretty committed to that goal, until my mom asked me one day: “Do you want to fix up patients and move on to the next? Or do you want to truly care for these people and be able to see their progress?”

Believe it or not, I actually switched to nursing because of that one question. I wanted to really be able to learn about my patients, see them improve and truly make a difference every day — and that’s what I do now. I get to meet so many incredible people, learn their stories, hold their hands in some of the most stressful times and care for them as best as I can while they’re with me. That’s my favorite part about nursing; knowing that I have the ability to make a big difference, even if I am only a small piece of their recovery journey.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

UC is and will always be the place I truly found myself. UC’s College of Nursing helped me to expand not only my nursing skills, but also my communication and time management skills, and taught me how to be resilient in hard situations. Nursing school was hard, yet each challenge provided me with new skill sets that I use every day in the ER.

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

One unexpected experience from my time at UC would be the everlasting friendships that I created within the College of Nursing and outside of the College of Nursing. To this day, some of my closest friends are the ones that I met during my time at UC. This college truly is one of a kind, and I could have never expected to have friends that I am still close with eight years after graduating undergrad!

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

Nursing is a unique combination of art and science. I love the science aspect of nursing, the critical thinking, the medicine. Nursing is also an art; making connections, empathizing with patients, showing dedication and compassion. This is really what I love about my profession. I get to use my knowledge of medicine and critical care, while still connecting with my patients and being a part of their journey.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

UC’s College of Nursing prepared me in many ways. I learned to be independent and assertive. We were taught to advocate for our patients, and that still stays with me today. The college taught me to think critically. Medicine is unique; not one treatment plan works for all patients. We need to see our patients as a whole being and treat them as individuals.

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

Living in Clifton was a unique experience of its own! I would definitely say an unexpected experience would be all the amazing people I met throughout my college career. I can honestly say that I have met the most incredible people through UC. Whether it be through my sorority (go Theta), UCDM, the CoN or just walking through campus, so many amazing people have impacted my life.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

What I love most about nursing is that every day I get the opportunity to make an individual healthier and happier than they were the day before. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing an individual at their worst one day and then seeing them at their best the next. Even those individuals who are chronically ill, I have the chance to make a positive and lasting impact on their lives.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

I have completed four years of undergraduate studies and two years of graduate studies at UC. One life value that I've carried to my career with me is the sense of community and teamwork. When it comes to nursing, the care of a patient requires doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, respiratory therapist and so many more. When you work together as a team, the patient will have a greater chance of a positive outcome. In comparison, the moment you step onto campus at UC, or you're at a sporting event, you instantly are overwhelmed with the sense of community and a team of Bearcats all striving for the best outcome for one another.

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

One unexpected experience from my time at UC would be the everlasting friendships that I created within the College of Nursing and outside of the College of Nursing. To this day, some of my closest friends are the ones that I met during my time at UC. This college truly is one of a kind and I could have never expected to have friends that I am still close with 8 years after graduating undergrad!

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you choose this profession?

The tiny humans! I work in the Pediatric ICU at Cincinnati Children's. Since working there, I’ve seen how pure and resilient sick kids are. They truly motivate me to work hard and do a good job to take care of them and their families.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

Nursing school at UC was a big prep on how to work hard and how to manage your time, which translates to the nursing profession. When I'm having a rough day at work, I often have to remind myself that a bad day at work is nothing in comparison to what some of our patients and their families endure, especially in the ICU. The BSN program was challenging and stressful. How you manage that stress, especially on bad shifts, has helped me be a better nurse.

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

If you take the time to get to know some of your peers, they will become lifelong friends! A few girls who were project partners or we had the same clinical together are some of my closest friends, even 6 years after graduating.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you choose this profession?

As an assertive community treatment (ACT) nurse, I serve clients with severe mental illness and substance use disorders in a community-based mental health service model. I love that in this position I have a platform to empower some of our most vulnerable neighbors to achieve their best quality of life, whatever that looks like for them. Nursing is about truly seeing each one of your patients as they see themselves, understanding the vision they have for their health and life, and knowing how to patiently and compassionately guide them in that direction. I spend my days developing and nurturing therapeutic relationships with other human beings while simultaneously working to improve their access to care. It is an honor to not only witness my patients be transformed through that positive, encouraging and healing experience, but to grow through the experience myself.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

Put simply, my time at UC provided me with opportunity — it exposed me to people and experiences that solidified the person I wanted to be and ignited my passion for serving others. I had mentors and professors that went above and beyond to ensure I understood the application of the knowledge I gained. I took courses and joined organizations that taught me about injustice and social determinants of health, opening my eyes to the gaps in our health care system and the role I could play in it. I met individuals both globally and in my community that taught me about the importance of being culturally competent and building empathy — in my opinion, some of the most significant qualities in a health care provider. It is this unique culmination of varied experiences that kept me grounded as I started my nursing journey.

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

Although I could argue that each of my experiences at UC were pivotal, my participation in student organization GlobeMed planted many of the seeds I am still cultivating today. In my earlier college years, I was primarily focused on global health and spent much of my time traveling to foster an understanding of our world and my place in it. Through GlobeMed, I grew to appreciate my own Cincinnati community and became passionate about finding my role in alleviating the inequities that were happening right here in our "backyard." I also met my now-husband, Anthony, through GlobeMed, and our experiences together led us to the integral field of mental health in which we work to educate and encourage others to better understand their bodies and minds so that they can meet their goals.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you choose this profession?

I actually stumbled into the nursing profession. I shadowed my aunt, who was an emergency room nurse, and I really enjoyed seeing everything that she did. I was in undergrad at the time and I set my sights on the accelerated program. I was able to complete the prerequisites and phase 1 classes while I was completing my first undergrad so it sort of all fell into place! I enjoy the career perks that this profession can offer. Flexible scheduling, the ability to pick up overtime basically whenever you want and the feeling that you can do the smallest thing to make the biggest difference in a patient's care.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

The city (of Cincinnati) has an expansive hospital network that really allows you to see the multi-faceted career that nursing represents. Really being able to see a lot of different hospitals and units allowed me to focus on really what I wanted to do, and it also gave me comfort that I would be able to choose a lot of different kinds of nursing, if my original plan didn't work out.

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

It's not nursing-related, but I was able to go to Thailand for three weeks with GlobeMed, and it's an experience I still pull from to this day. I've had multiple people in interviews ask about it and it's something that is a great talking point and a great experience that I hold close to my heart. I would encourage everyone to do something you're passionate about or something outside of the box. It's not only wonderful to follow your passions, but it can pay off in the long run in your career.

What do you love most about nursing? In other words, why did you chose this profession?

Very cliché, but I honestly do love being able to care for people. I enjoy the science behind the work I do, allowing me to help people in a way other than emotional support. I enjoy the need to understand the body, disease processes, medications and their effects, lab values, and how they all interconnect to effectively do my job well.

What lessons did you learn at UC that have stuck with you over the years? In other words, how has your UC education helped you be the best nurse you can be?

The clinicals overall prepared me for what I would experience shortly after graduation. I experienced clinicals at Mercy Health – Clermont Hospital, UC Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s, Mercy Health – Fairfield Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s College Hill and clinical abroad in Tanzania. The diversity of the clinicals prepared me to see where all nursing could take me in my future as well.

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

I experienced mentorship and support from those who work at the College of Nursing, which isn’t necessarily something I anticipated, but mainly because it wasn’t something I was looking for until it happened. My faculty mentor for my capstone project, Dr. Richard Prior, was and still is someone that encourages me in my learning and future goals. My advisors were Julie McCullough and Deborah Gray. Deborah Gray still is insanely supportive, not only in my academic striving, but also cared about my whole self. College is a crazy growth time outside of the rigor of nursing school. Knowing I had people in my corner within the college was a huge encouragement when coming into the building almost daily for classes.