Care and Connection: Nursing Student Finds a Greater Sense of Purpose

After all, she’s been immersed in the hospital setting amid COVID-19 restrictions, nursing shortages and unprecedented health care challenges.
 
While she’s used to connecting with patients and providing exceptional care, she never expected to change someone’s perspective on the nursing profession just by being herself.
 
After previous experience in oncology, labor and delivery, pediatrics and several other units, Cassidy settled into the intensive care unit (ICU) at UPMC Mercy for her last clinical immersion experience before her May 2024 graduation.
 
Arriving for her early-morning shift, Cassidy expected to see her usual preceptor. When that nurse was unable to make it to work that day, Cassidy was assigned to shadow someone whom she had never met in a very full ICU.
 
While most of the unit’s patients were usually older adults, Cassidy found herself in the room of a college student–the youngest ICU patient she had seen thus far, with a diagnosis she hadn’t yet seen in her clinical rotations.  
 
“It really challenged me to think critically. Here was a patient who was around my age with a condition and surgery that were new to me,” she said. “I was able to help him from the time of admission to discharge, and it was rewarding to be part of the whole process.”
 
Cassidy is driven by compassion and empathy, always striving to provide comfort in addition to clinical care. Remaining open to the lives and journeys of others was especially beneficial when caring for a fellow college student. “I was able to find a balance in medical care and connecting with him,” she said. “He was able to go back to his college and activities, and he and his parents were so grateful.”
 
Caring for this patient and the moments of gratitude that followed only intensified the pride Cassidy feels in her future profession. She’s confident that the quality care she provides will strengthen patients’ appreciation for the entire nursing profession.
 
”As he was discharged, he said the way I interacted with him made him want to fight a little harder to get home quicker and be with the people that he loves,” said Cassidy. “He told me that he would never forget seeing young students like me in the hospital, and he would give more appreciation to classmates in the nursing program at his university.”
 
As graduation approaches, Cassidy is prepared for anything. And as she decides which of her multiple job offers to accept, she is grateful for Duquesne School of Nursing faculty who walked alongside her and helped her realize her boldest goals.
 
“They’ve all guided me, pushed me and reminded me why I’m entering nursing,” she said. “They’ve shown me there’s a huge community of support in Pittsburgh that’s expanding and accessible through networking.”
 
These are the professionals who will always be in her corner, and Cassidy looks forward to growing this health care community as Duquesne opens the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
 
“They're going to send so many more students and intelligent minds into all kinds of hospitals and outpatient facilities to make health care better,” she said. “I feel like the school and faculty will guide medical students and get them on the same positive path faculty have sent me on in the nursing field.”