Nursing majors work hard to obtain BSN

By Sam Fran Scavuzzo
Collegian Editor
February 7, 2007

Waking up at the crack of dawn, caring for patients and stressing over excessively high grade requirements is all part of the daily routine for La Salle nursing students. Throw going to class, participating in campus organizations and, if you have the time, a social life into the mix and the description matches a bogged down student.

Senior nursing majors Kaitlyn Reidy and Pamela McDonald, both 21, would not have it any other way. “La Salle offers opportunities to do things I normally wouldn’t have a chance to,” Reidy said. “If I just went to class, I would be missing out on the great community we have on campus.”

Reidy, a resident of Newtown in Bucks County, takes the challenges of her daily routine as one great learning experience.

Also a resident of Bucks County, in Doylestown, McDonald wanted to go to college and obtain a degree in musical theater. This dream passed, though.

“I thought I should try a more practical career and chose nursing,” McDonald said. “Here, however, I have been able to continue drama with the Masque.

McDonald finished a stint last semester as the female lead in the company’s production of Jekyll & Hyde.

“Between clinicals and rehearsal, I didn’t have much time for sleep or my boyfriend,” McDonald said. “It was worth it, though.”

Both Reidy and McDonald have the daily task of balancing their social worlds with the practical world of nursing.

Last semester, Reidy’s day began at 6:30 a.m. (late compared to most nursing students, Reidy said) arising to take the shuttle to her 8 a.m. clinical at Albert Einstein Hospital on Broad Street and Olney Avenue.

Clinicals for nursing students are required and emphasize learning through experience, according to the nursing school’s Web site. Students’ clinicals cover a broad spectrum, from geriatrics to pediatrics and everything in between. Generally, students have two different clinicals a semester, each once a week.

Upon arriving on hers, a mental health clinical, Reidy would attend a pre-conference where the nursing adviser elaborated on the goals of the day.

“They discuss what’s new on the floor, notes on patients and partners,” Reidy said. “We do get to pick our own patients, though.”

On the mental health floor, Reidy and other students dealt with patients with acute disorders.

“Because of the advances in medicine, not many long-term centers exist any more,” Reidy said.

During a regular clinical in the mental health ward, Reidy would sit in on group talks with patients, nurses and some doctors.

“Mostly, we talk about how they’re feeling,” Reidy said. “It’s basically casual conversation.”

However, when dealing with mental patients, conversation is never too light.

“Often we deal with the clinically depressed and the issue of suicide, and their suicidal thoughts almost always come up,” Reidy said.

Student nurses working in the mental clinic legally cannot distribute medicine. However, Reidy has led several group meetings.

“When I got to lead meetings, I focused on their physical side,” Reidy said. “Namely, we worked with music and art therapy with a dose of exercise thrown in.”

After working with the patients – and a quick lunch – the nurses would meet for post-conference. Here they discuss accomplishments of the day, as well as assigned medical current events.

Around 1:30 p.m., Reidy is finished, ready to go home to tackle the books for her three nursing classes, as well as the remaining core courses La Salle requires.

McDonald, who worked in pediatrics, had a similar day with many slight differences. Arising earlier at 5:15 a.m., McDonald carpooled to St. Christopher’s Hospital in Kensington.

Unlike Reidy, McDonald did not have the luxury of choosing her own patients. She was allowed, however, to administer medicine to the children.

St. Christopher’s pediatrics’ wing has a range of patients, from asthmatics to sufferers of leukemia. Each student nurse is assigned one child a day. After checking their vitals (temperature, blood pressure and pulse), they are told to play with the kids.

“In pediatrics, you become so involved with the patients,” McDonald said. “Last week, my patient was a 1-year old who was born premature and still was not able to go home. I got to play with her the entire time, and she fell asleep watching a movie on my lap.”

McDonald didn’t instantly take to pediatric nursing, or didn’t think she would.

“Everyone warned me about how terrible it was and how dealing with parents was so awful,” McDonald said. “After I started, I loved it. I’m glad I didn’t listen. Now, I’m looking towards a career in pediatrics.”

Like Reidy, McDonald would conference with her group before driving back to La Salle.

The two are heavily involved in student organizations. Both are members of the Masque. In addition, Reidy is a member of University Ministry and Service (UMAS), the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania (S.N.A.P.) and the La Salle Singers.

No matter what they’re doing outside of the classroom, they both know hard work is needed to graduate from the nursing program.

“It’s tough. A failing grade for a nursing major is only a 75,” Reid said. “We have a high standard because people’s lives are at stake.”

When the two pass, they will have to take a test to obtain their RN, making them registered nurses. They will also receive Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.

“There’s always need for nurses,” McDonald adds. “Because of the RN and BSN, I know I’ll be able to get a good paying job when I graduate.” s

scavuzzos11@lasalle.edu