Nursing is a wonderful profession that provides a great deal of satisfaction...
Associate Professor, BSN Program
What inspired you to become a nurse?
My father used to tell me stories about the nurses that cared for him in a military hospital due to major injuries he endured during World War II. Those were the first memories that piqued my interest in nursing. Unfortunately, throughout my childhood my father was frequently hospitalized. When he came home, I was always interested in the treatment that he received and would sometimes prepare his medications and give them to him. Another inspiration was my own hospitalization during grade school, which was due to an infection in my throat that did not respond to various oral antibiotics after a course of 4 weeks. I was hospitalized for a week and given IV antibiotics, which was successful, however the cause of the infection or type was never determined. I LOVED watching the nurses move about with such dignity and professionalism as they cared for their patients. It was at that point that I developed a strong interest in nursing.
What do you love about teaching?
I love the satisfaction that I get from the students when they show excitement in understanding a particular concept and return to the classroom after clinical to tell me how they applied the new knowledge as they cared for their patients. It's great to see the excitement and to know that I have played a significant role in their learning. This usually sparks more excitement in the classroom when I ask them to share their story with the other students. Typically, this provokes more questions and a greater understanding of critical thinking. Teaching also feeds my love for lifelong learning. Nursing and teaching both have taught me many things, one of which is captured in a quote by the late Maya Angelou..."I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
What is the best thing about Mount Carmel College of Nursing?
The students and the faculty. Students inspire me to continue learning to provide the most current evidence-based content in the classroom. Questions that students ask in the classroom stimulate my learning, and I often feel by the end of the term that I have increased my knowledge as much as they have. As for the faculty, I have never worked with such an awesome group. They are always friendly, caring and certainly an approachable resource for all other faculty. I have never taught in such a great environment.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The first is, I remember my father telling me as a very young child, "Always get all the education you can get. It's the one thing in life that can't be taken from you." The second word of advice, which I feel is as equally as important as the first came from both my mother and father. They constantly told me, and my 4 siblings, to "Always treat everyone with kindness and respect unless they give you reason not to do so."
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in nursing?
Nursing is a wonderful profession that provides a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that you can make such a positive difference in the lives of those in need. When I first became a nurse there were only a few areas of nursing available. Today there is a multitude of areas of practice. I encourage students to get at least a full year of medical - surgical nursing practice before venturing into a specialty area. This first year in medical - surgical nursing provides a broader background, and helps the nurse gain greater confidence and competence. And lastly, if you find that you are suffering from "burnout" there will be other areas of nursing that you can try. Don't leave the profession if you are losing interest in what you are doing, find another area. Society and the profession need competent, caring nurses.