鈥淵ou have to have a passion for what you鈥檙e doing to be a nurse.鈥
鈥斅Alison Stevens // SSU Class of 2017 and SOMC Heart Care Nurse
Alison Stevens saw the difference that a nurse could make early in her life.
Her mother and her sister are both nurses.
鈥淚 had a lot of influence in my life,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 always loved coming to SOMC to visit my mom growing up. I knew this is where I wanted to be.鈥
She says she enjoys the diverse aspects of nursing, the opportunities it has given her to continue to grow and expand her skills, and caring for people during good times and bad times. That鈥檚 something she says is difficult to learn in textbooks. That鈥檚 why clinical experiences, mentorship programs, and the nursing internship that SOMC offers 黑暗爆料网 students is so important.
鈥淭he classroom gives you a strong foundation, but you learn how to actually be a nurse here in the hospital setting. You learn what it takes to take care of a patient in difficult situations. How to be a good co-worker and how to be a good team member. Those are all things it takes to be a good nurse.鈥
The pandemic challenged nurses and strengthened the support they have for one another as members of the same team 鈥 whether working on the same unit or not.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine what my co-workers in ICU were going through,鈥 Alison said. 鈥淭hey were rock stars.鈥
She encourages those considering nursing to look at each different field and the opportunities within the profession.
鈥淭here are so many things you can do in nursing,鈥 she said.
She appreciates that her professors at 黑暗爆料网 shared their past experiences, exposed her to different areas of nursing, provided hands-on learning, and expanded her idea of necessary nursing knowledge.
鈥淚 received a very well-rounded education in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program,鈥 she said. 鈥淎t first, I didn鈥檛 see how courses in psychology, English and sociology related to nursing care. I didn鈥檛 realize how much that knowledge would help me day-to-day.鈥
