Meet Our Future Nurses
Through a partnership with USC Aiken’s School of Nursing program, USC Union offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing on campus. In our nursing simulation lab, students learn skills by working with high and low fidelity mannequins that simulate medical emergencies. As another class prepares for graduation, a few of our future nurses look back on how their time in the program has prepared them for successful careers.
”I honestly chose nursing because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but once I started the program, my love for caring for people grew,” said Brina Childers. “The spe-cific area that I love is labor and delivery – seeing life brought into the world is amazing.” At native of Union, Childers says that the nursing Sim Lab has helped her build important skills by being a place where she could make mistakes and learn from them. “Once we make a mistake in the simulation and learn our lesson, we know what to do and what not to do if that situation happens in real life,” she said. “I have enjoyed watching everyone be successful each semester no matter how difficult it got.”
“Being able to experience nursing school with my cohort will be a memory that I will always carry,” said Katie Blackmon, another nursing senior from Chester, SC. “The past two years have been some of my hardest years yet, but it’s great that I can make the experience memo-rable with the people in my group. They are great people and I know they will make great nurses.” She says that she enjoys birthing simulations the most. “Watching the pregnant mannequin give birth is quite an experience,” she said. “The simulators help put the nursing skills we learn in the classroom into action. Being able to look back at my errors now is hilarious. I would love to look at my first sim and last sim and see how much improve-ment I’ve made.” An interesting fact that she recently learned in her coursework is that many people in their mid-twenties experience a phenomenon called “The First Break,” which is when they see the first signs of any mental health disorder they might have. “It was kind of scary, considering that most of us in the program are in own early twenties,” she said. Blackmon says that she had always enjoyed learning about the human body and caring for people, but that she chose to pursue nursing because of all the different paths she can take as a nurse. “I would love to work in the emergency room, but I can also see myself doing cosmetic work.”
“The impact nurses have on individuals and families is what inspired me to pursue a career in nursing,” said Re-becca Goodale, a senior from Union. She says that get-ting through nursing school has helped her believe in herself like never before. “My favorite memory so far in this program was the last day of our first semester. Start-ing the program was a huge change and challenge for me, but I continued to move forward. Successfully completing my first semester reminded me that I can do hard things. This gave me the confidence and motivation to get through the rest of the program.” A little known health fact that she recently learned in her coursework is that all women in child-bearing years should take folic acid supplements to prevent potential birth defects. She says that she has enjoyed doing labs with her cohort and is looking forward to putting her skills into practice and making a positive impact as a nurse. “My goal is to pro-vide caring support, speak up for my patients, and keep learning to be the best I can be.”
Catelin Lakeman says that she knew she wanted to be a nurse at a young age. “When I was in third grade, my mom and I were in a car accident that resulted in a deep cut on my forehead that required 18 stitches,” she said. “It was a frightening experience, but the nurse at the Spartanburg Regional emergency room was incredibly kind. She held my hand and provided comfort during the procedure. This act of kindness has stayed with me, and I now have a newfound interest in labor and delivery.” Lakeman’s favorite nursing memory will always be group’s first simulation lab, where all the students were nervous as they tried to determine the right diagnosis for the patient (mannequin) based on lab results. Her favorite simulator to use is the adult simulator mannequin because it allows her to listen to lung sounds with the stethoscope and feel pulses. “The simulators are super helpful in getting us ready for scenarios like a code, or how to handle critical vital signs and lab results. They make it easier to put our classroom knowledge into practice.” A native of Union, Lakeman says that the nursing program is “like a close-knit family” and she is thankful to be a part of it. “The connections you make in nursing school are truly special – we’ve been there for each other…offering support every step of the way.”
