1 The Student: Kiah van Gorder Kiah van Gorder is a sophomore in the nursing program. Since nursing majors are not allowed to declare until after the first semester of their sophomore years, she is designated as Your first year, you have to take anatomy and physiology, she said, explaining that anatomy is the study of the structures of the human body while physiology is the study of its functions and processes. Theyre kind classes of the weed-oif you cant handle being around bodies, you probably shouldnt be a nurse. Other requirements include organic chemistry and other standard Liberal Education requirements. Van Gorders motives for wanting to become a nurse were not uncommon. I always wanted to do something where I got to help other people and contribute to society in a good way, she said. But I didnt really want to go through all the extra years required to become a doctor, so I decided to be a nurse. j 1 ng. pre-nursi- ut ng pre-nursi- "I ties, trauma centers, rehabilitation centers, and home health and hospice agencies. Students are assigned a different clinical site each semester. "Clinicals are critical because they allow students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom." Jean Dyer While working at the clinical site, nursing students shadow a registered nurse for a semester. They work closely with them and perform numerous tasks under the nurses supervision. Figueroa said that during her time spent at the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, she was able to administer oral medication, test blood sugar, give injections, start IVs, and many other procedures she will perform daily once she is a registered nurse. The nurses let us do a little bit of everything, she said. They are always really helpful. Ferris said she has learned that students get out of the clinical experience what they put into it. If you just show up and wait for them to tell you what to do, the experience can be a negative one, she said. But if youre proactive and really go out of your way to learn, it will be great. Dyer said that clinicals are an important part of the program. Clinicals are critical because they allow students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom, she said. Nursing is a people-orientprofession. You have to apply your skills to people in order to fully develop them. ed PROGRAM SUCCESS After battling it out for a spot in the program and spending four years completing, rigorous classroom and clinical work, the students are reaping the benefits. Dyer said that the Nursing Advisory Board, which includes representatives from all of the clinical sites, often comments on the quality of a Westminster nursing graduate. They say they can tell a Westmin ster College graduate the minute they come in for an interview because of their critical thinking and approach to health care, she said. Dyer said that graduates of the program are sought after by employers in the community, and one of the reasons why is the caliber of the nursing professors. Our stellar faculty sets us apart from other programs, she said. Their primary focus is the students, who will then go on to graduate as safe and efficient nurses. "The Nursing Advisory Board says they can tell a Westminster College graduate the minute they come in for an interview because of their critical thinking and approach to health care." Jean Dyer Ferris completed her prerequisite courses at the University of Utah before applying to the program at Westminster. I felt like no one cared about me there, and I always got bad graduate students teaching my classes, she said. One other difference between the two programs was the competition. Ferris said that all of her classes at the university were graded on a curve, whereas at Westminster there is a set grading scale for each class. Because of the curve, you didnt want your classmates to do well, said Ferris. At Westminster, were all in it together. Figueroa agreed. We are constantly encouraging each other, she said. We are each others support system. I dont think we would be able to get through without that. While students believe the program can sometimes be overwhelming, Westminster is working to fully prepare graduates for the nursing field. Their time spent in Liberal Education classes, learning laboratories and clinical sites are all meant to help them succeed once they finish the program. always wanted to do something where I got to help other people and contribute to society in didn't really want to go through a good way. But I i ' all the extra years required t to become a doctor, so I decided to be a nurse." Kiah van Gorder Sophomore Nursing As a pre-nursi- ng student, van Gorder had to formally apply for Westminsters nursing program. At the end of your freshman year, they either send you an application packet or you have to go pick it up, she said. When she was first interviewed on Nov. 19, van Gorder had not yet received the letter informing her of her acceptance to or rejection from Westminsters nursing program. Like all applicants, she was cautiously optimistic: Some part of me thinks that I will be accepted, but Im competing with the very best of the best. Itll be interesting to see how. this turns out, It turned out well. I got my letter over the break, van Gorder said later. It said something along the lines of congratulations, youre accepted. As soon as she got the letter in the mail, she figured it was an acceptance because the envelope was a little thicker. Van Gorder is really excited about her acceptance and her chance to become a nurse. She is not yet sure of which branch of nursing she wants to go into after she graduates, but is certain that she will enjoy what she does end up doing with her degree. Im just so thrilled that I can do this, she said. 7 DECEMBER iwrra I ' 4, 2007 i t