Year of graduation from Mount Carmel College of Nursing: 2015, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Other degrees/credentials: After I gain more work experience, I definitely plan to go back to college to earn either a master’s degree to become an NP (Nurse Practitioner), or perhaps pursue the new DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) degree.
What is your hometown, and where do you currently live? Dublin, Ohio
Where do you currently work? Shortly after graduation – the third week of April, I started in the MCSICU (medical cardiac surgical ICU) at Mount Carmel West.
What are some professional highlights? Graduating in March as Magna Cum Laude and as a member of the International Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau, which designates being in the top 25 percent of one’s class. Having served as president of the Student Nurses Association at Mount Carmel (SNAM) is also a highlight — I joined during my junior year and, at the second meeting, became president. It definitely helped me build leadership skills and helped me better communicate with people as I worked on various committees.
When did you first feel the call to be a nurse? I was 14 years old — only two years before the earthquake in Haiti — when I made my first mission trip there with my church’s youth program. I saw such disparity and poverty that I had no idea where a person could even begin to help. However, over the course of that week, I was working with a nurse who accompanied us on the trip. Watching her triage, care for, comfort and heal the people of Haiti was enough to make me realize that I wanted to do the same. Haiti was a rough place before the earthquake, but afterwards there were no roads, power, water, electric, etc. I now have been back to Haiti six times – the most recent this past June as an RN, serving in Seguin, Haiti, up in the mountains.
I knew Mount Carmel was the choice for me because my mother, Pat Krebs, was a chaplain at Mount Carmel for 10 years before becoming system director of Spiritual Care three years ago. I had shadowed her during Bring a Kid to Work Day, so I knew I wanted to attend Mount Carmel because of that and also because I didn’t want a big school – instead, I wanted a place intimate enough that people would know me when we passed in the hall. Also, I had attended Camp Mount Carmel when I was 13 years old – we dissected a cow’s eye and I thought that was pretty cool!
What television shows do you have to DVR every week? How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory
What is your favorite memory of Mount Carmel? One of my favorite moments at Mount Carmel was my opportunity in geriatrics to do a community health fair. I have always had a passion for alternative medicine and I was able to share my heart for essential oils and other complementary therapies with older adults in the community. It feels good to make a difference in someone’s health before they end up in the hospital!
How has your Mount Carmel network helped you in your life, personally or professionally or both? Mount Carmel College of Nursing provided incredible networking opportunities for me! While serving as the president of SNAM, I was able to meet nurses at the state and national level who serve to help create policies and guide practices that affect nurses all over the country! The faculty members at the school also provided us with incredible opportunities to grow and develop as professionals.
What book is currently on your nightstand (or at the top of your Kindle favorites)? Paper Towns by John Green
What advice would you like to share with other nurses as they move from student to alumni of Mount Carmel? Stay connected with your professional groups! ONA and ANA have had so many incredible opportunities for learning, professional development, and improvements in patient care!
