Kathryn Liggett is a dedicated and compassionate nurse known for her strong clinical skills and deep commitment to patient care. We want to thank Kathryn for her dedicated support given to our students. She has served as a preceptor, helping to shape and guide the careers of future nurses with her experience and compassion.
Cherish Childs, BSN, RN, CLS, IMH-E®, Infant Family Specialist, graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 2017. However, she has known she wanted to be a nurse since she was a child, the reason being that she loves helping people—it’s the core of who she is. Now, after having pursued a master’s degree in nursing education from Purdue University Northwest, she helps other nurses prepare for a career of helping people, too.
Lyndsey Brooks MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CHSE, a graduate and previous faculty member of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, is a prime example of the many ways in which a nurse can serve her community. From patient care to professor and now director of Infection Prevention and Employee Health, Lyndsey has experienced a variety of important work in healthcare and has great advice for those who are thinking about following in her path.
A passion for helping others is what often attracts people to a job in healthcare. Kyra Betts, MSN, CNM, planned to be a doctor until an experience as a patient herself made her realize how much more of a one-on-one relationship nurses have with patients. A true nurse at heart, she wanted to make a difference in the lives of patients not just medically but also personally. That is why she decided to switch up her plans and become a nursing student after graduating college—even though she’d spent most of her undergraduate career focused on pre-med courses and getting into medical school.
St. Elizabeth School of Nursing prides itself on its curriculum, which applies real-world clinical knowledge early in the program. Many alumni, including Caitlin Sayers, BSN, RN, believe that is one of the reasons they succeed as nurses in the real world. Originally from Westport, Massachusetts, Caitlin graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 2017. She currently works as a clinical nurse manager for Eskenazi Health in the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center in Indianapolis. Caitlin not only credits St. Elizabeth School of Nursing for preparing her clinically, but she also says the school gave her a love of continuing education, and she is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, acute care track, at St. Mary’s College, with a graduation date of 2024. A DNP is the terminal degree in the study of nursing.
For most, nursing is a calling. It is a career path that should not be chosen without serious consideration and passion. Most nurses realize they want to become a nurse either because of family members or friends who inspired them or because they have a personal experience that made them realize healthcare was their passion. For Rachel Hewitt, RN, BSN, MSN, FNP-C, it was both. While inspired by her mother, a registered nurse, Rachel was on the path to becoming an elementary school teacher…until her grandmother fell ill, and she realized nursing was her true calling. Originally from Michigan City, Ind., Rachel received her diploma from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing and her Bachelor of Science in nursing from St. Joseph’s College in 2012. She went on to complete a Master of Science in nursing from Purdue University Global this year. She now works at Estep Family Medicine – a Unity Healthcare Partner as a family nurse practitioner in Lafayette, Ind.
For many, a nursing career provides a community—a community of alumni, fellow medical professionals, patients and even family who share the same career field. That couldn’t be truer for Shayna Phegley RN, BSN, MSN, FNP-C, and St. Elizabeth School of Nursing Alumna.
Often in life we see things come full circle and think, what a small world this is. That certainly seems to be a theme with the subject of this Alumni Spotlight, Regina Nuseibeh MSN, RN AG CNS BC, TCRN. In this following interview, you’ll learn more about Regina and how she worked with someone who inspired her to pursue nursing and later helped to save the life of someone else who influenced her path.
There are many ways in which a person might realize they want to become a nurse. Sometimes it’s a desire they’ve had since childhood. Other times, it’s a personal experience where a nurse had such an impact on them that they wanted to do the same great work. For Russell W. Creel, NP-C, it was a combination of things, but largely, it was a calling from God. The mission of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, “Continuing Christ’s healing ministry,” aligned with what Russell wanted to do with his life. After volunteering to help a child with disabilities, the nursing path became clear.
Tori Wake, RN, BSN, graduated from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing only a short time ago in 2020. However, in the time since, she’s already using her education to make a big difference—including saving a life by trusting her gut.
The OB (Obstetrics) nurses who assisted me during the delivery of my son were so helpful and kind and really made an impression on me. They were also very informative and gave me all kinds of great advice as I entered that brand new stage of my life. When I started my nursing education, my original interest had been OB-centered.
St. Elizabeth School of Nursing is well over a hundred years old at this point. It, and the Franciscan Alliance organization itself, was founded by six Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration who came to Lafayette, Ind. from Germany in 1875. Ever since their arrival, the school has passed down top-of-the-line education to generations of students—but that’s not the only thing that has been passed down. A deep love of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing has been known to be inherited by children of school alumni, creating family legacies of nursing students. One such legacy is a mother-daughter duo, Glenna and Kaitlyn Crouch. Glenna Crouch (Fraley), RN, from Lowell, Ind., graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1992. She remembers her hands-on education at the school fondly, inspiring her daughter, Kaitlyn Crouch, RN, (also from Lowell, Ind.) to follow in her footsteps.
Kristen Louck, a 2018 St. Elizabeth School of Nursing alumnae, is a big believer in striving for excellence, community service and advocating for others. A former NICU RN in Lafayette, Kristen is currently studying for her master’s in nursing administration and is the mother of two teenagers. Get to know Kristen, her passion for healthy communities and what led her to answer the call to become a nurse.
Dane Standish, a 2017 graduate of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, is a big believer RNs must continue opening doors that lead to career opportunities. Learn more about Dane, how he boldly shares his faith with patients and his advice to new nurses.
Andrea Polk is a 2011 graduate of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing. An alumnae with a varied background, she now serves as a nurse practitioner at the Unity Healthcare Indiana Packers Health Clinic. Spend some time getting to know Andrea, how her role changed during the pandemic and why she’s a big believer in seizing life’s opportunities before they pass you by.
Within a three-week, deadline-laden window, 2015 St. Elizabeth School of Nursing alumnae Nikki Baker and her Protect Purdue healthcare team—consisting of several St. Elizabeth faculty and fellow graduates—tested 36,000 West Lafayette students and staff for COVID-19. Without this massive effort, the university would have remained shuddered in the fall of 2020. No small feat indeed, yet Nikki was prepared thanks to her determination and the St. Elizabeth education that launched her into nursing.
In 2016, six months after becoming a CT Scan Technologist, Caley Bender realized a desire for deeper connections with her patients and began researching the field of nursing. Caley graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 2019 and accepted a position in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. Like so many of our recent graduates, Caley was reassigned to care for COVID patients when the pandemic hit Greater Lafayette. Learn more about Caley’s journey to becoming a nurse, her role during the early days of fighting the virus and how one of our very own St. Elizabeth advisors made all the difference in Caley’s decision to enroll.
After graduating in December of 2019, Shelbi Madison accepted a position at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. January 13, 2020 was Shelib’s first day on the job. She was assigned to a three-floor, 144-bed, surgical aftercare unit. Less than two months after finding her rhythm within her new occupation, COVID arrived. Learn how Shelbi’s role shifted during the pandemic, what she loves most about being a nurse and why she’s thankful for her St. Elizabeth School of Nursing education every day.
2018 alumnae Stephanie Snyder had a hunch St. Elizabeth School of Nursing was the “one” when she learned about it at a college recruitment fair. Upon graduation, the Mid Atlantic resident returned home to be closer to family and provide care in the area she holds dear. Get to know the sweetly effervescent Stephanie, why she chose St. Elizabeth to launch her career and what’s next on her horizon.
Shaun Chalfant, a 2013 St. Elizabeth School of Nursing alumnae, recently joined the medical staff at Franciscan Physician Network Family Medicine Ferry Street as a nurse practitioner in Lafayette. With a father who taught health classes at McCutcheon High School, perhaps a nursing career was always meant to be for this busy wife and mother. Get to know Shaun, what she loves about being a nurse and why she views failure in her life as a blessing in disguise.
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