At the beginning of the semester, the BSN/Nursing Club at the Long Island Campus put out a call to nursing majors on social media, asking them to submit questions they have for nurses working in the healthcare field.
From there, they put together a Google Form filled with the questions, which they then shared with various hospitals across Long Island. Questions ranged from why people chose their area of nursing to pros and cons of different work environments, how to manage time and a work-life balance, and pearls of wisdom for new nurses.
Now, the answers are in, and students have the chance to hear their actual questions answered by nurses who work in intensive care units and emergency rooms, as well as those who work in the areas of pediatric, geriatric and midwifery/family nursing.
“The St. Joseph’s University Nursing Club created its Survey for Nurses as a way to build connections and answer our questions,” said Joelle Vetter, a senior nursing major and the president for the Nursing Club. “This short survey serves as an introduction for students to gain real-world insight from more unbiased professionals than ever before.
“The information we continue to gather from individuals working in healthcare across the country works as digital mentorships to further our career path development,” Vetter continued. “Opportunities like this, and the Nursing Club, provide an essential role in students’ success. We strive to positively impact and continue to grow our education every day.”
Advice from Nurses
Students heard from a number of nurses across the Island, working in such hospitals as South Shore University Hospital, North Shore University Hospital, Good Samaritan University Hospital, Mather Hospital, Stony Brook University Hospital and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital.
Here’s some of the advice shared by nurses, including a few St. Joseph’s alumni:
- “Trust yourselves and believe in yourselves. You know more than you think.” –Jenna Castilletti, RN, St. Joseph’s alumna
- “Love what you do. Keep learning, and never feel you know everything. Teamwork is extremely important.” –Christina Noriega, LPN, EMTB
- “Put yourself in any situation that makes you uncomfortable.” Alan, RN, St. Joseph’s alumnus
- “It may be overwhelming at first as a new nurse, but you can do it! If you really love nursing, you will make it through!” –Alyssa Guarino, RN, St. Joseph’s alumna
- “Always (acknowledge) what you don’t know; never guess.” –Maureen, DNP, ANP-BC, RN
Students can find the full list of all 57 responses here. The list will be updated throughout the semester as more answers are submitted.
