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.
My most treasured memory is the camaraderie between the nurses that I went to school with. St. Elizabeth is a small enough school that you very quickly develop a great support system and that shows through your education beyond graduation.
I chose St. Elizabeth School of Nursing because they had smaller classes and hands-on learning. Your clinicals started during your first semester rather than a few years in and they have an awesome staff!
The best memory from nursing school was the mission trip to Haiti. The entire trip was life changing but my favorite part during my time there was getting to deliver a baby for the first time.
I became a nurse for many reasons, but mostly because of the inspiration of others who were nurses. I have many memories from my youth of my mother telling stories about my great Aunt Polly who was a nurse in WW1 and died from influenza.
The considerable amount of diverse clinical experience I gained from the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing prepared me to provide better care for my patients immediately upon graduation.
Providing one-on-one patient care is what I like most about being an endocrinology nurse. I get to know my patients because they visit repeatedly, and I learn what’s going on in their lives, how they’re doing and if they’re struggling. I like the challenge of finding ways to help them live with their illnesses and live the best life they can.
There are quite a few reasons why I became a nurse, but probably the most impactful is that when I was younger, my mother passed away of a heart attack. It was sudden and unexpected. Her last moments were in a Franciscan hospital. During that time, I had an opportunity to come in contact with nurses who didn’t know me from anyone else but were gracious and kind in those sensitive moments.
This is where St. Elizabeth School of Nursing paid dividends. We did so many med-surg (medical-surgical) clinicals, and we did so many specialty clinicals. When I came in, I had workers on my floor who went to schools from every conference in the country. At St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, we had a much better curriculum, and I had a lot more clinical hours than others had. I probably had double the clinical hours compared to my peers.
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