Caitlin Whyte (Host): Every journey in nursing begins with a single step, a moment of clarity, a calling to help others, or sometimes an unexpected turn of events that leads to a life-changing decision. Today we bring you the inspiring stories of the students at UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at UPMC, Harrisburg.

The halls of Shadyside echo with countless narratives of determination, compassion, and growth. Join us as we step into the world of these remarkable individuals who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the art and science of nursing. This is In Their Words.

Alexa Kanellis: Hi, my name is Alexa Kanellis and here's just a couple reasons why I love UPMC School of Nursing. I genuinely never thought to see myself in nursing school to begin with and this program not only encouraged me but also strengthened me and just gave me the bravery and hope to not only step into this program but fulfill it and here I am in the third semester.

Who would have thought? But the staff here is just amazing. All the instructors are so knowledgeable. All of the peers here, it just feels like family. Every day I wake up excited to go to class and to go to clinical, knowing that I'm going to learn something new each day. Every day is a learning experience.

It's something that I'll be able to carry with me throughout the rest of this program and when I become a nurse. We've had many great clinical rotations. We started in med surg, and I actually loved the floor so much. My first clinical semester, I ended up applying for a part time job there just so that I can gain more experience and just be able to also help apply it to my schooling.

And right now we're in clinical rotation, so I think it's very nice and interesting just being able to see all the different job opportunities out there between psych, OB, peds, and then all of the med surg, the cardiac floors, the neuro floors. It's just been a great experience all around. I am very much interested in working with UPMC.

As soon as I graduate, I would love to apply to a UPMC location.

Tessa Richardson: My name is Tessa Richardson. I started at UPMC School of Nursing in August 2022. I've always been into nursing. I did it in high school. I liked playing nurse as a child. So, I've just always been drawn to it. I would definitely work for UPMC.

My professors and the support system here is great. They will answer any questions you have. They'll help you with anything. There's lots of potential here.

Hannah: Hi, my name is Hannah. Everything is unit based and I like that because we're able to focus on one subject at a time. Our classmates are really helpful. We're kind of like a little family, so everyone's really supportive. I started working as a PCT during the pandemic and before that I had no healthcare experience. I was right out of high school. and I just fell in love with it and I realized that nursing is definitely where I need to be. Thank you for supporting UPMC School of Nursing.

Kate: Hi, my name is Kate. So far this program has been great. I love the aspect of it being 16 months straight and also I'm an employee at UPMC so working with them I'll be, actually, today's three years with them. So, I love the atmosphere of UPMC and I'd love to continue being a nurse with them. I think it's a really great opportunity.

I mean, I'm also an employee and work during this program, and the faculty here is very appreciative and they help with you. I mean, working and balancing school is difficult, but I think it's doable and I think it's a great program so far. When I first started the program, I was a little nervous just with it being the first year, but they made you feel like it's home and they're very appreciative, they're opening to like help you with anything, and they also like go above and beyond with reaching out to you outside of class and clinical, and they just do everything in their power to make sure you succeed. My goal is to get a job, hopefully as a cardiac nurse in some way.

I also do love kids, but maybe I can combine both of those. And then also I want to go for my BSN. I want to thank you for supporting the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing.

Matt: Hi, my name is Matt, a student nurse here at UPMC. It's a unique opportunity to be a part of a new campus, learning a lot, I enjoy the pace of it. I enjoy the clinical hours, getting to help people, work directly with patients. Wanted to make an impact in people's lives and the community in a positive manner, of course.

And yeah, it's a career that can definitely do that. I enjoy work, or enjoy going to school in a program that has years and years of history behind it, even though it's a new campus. So I feel like that's a new, cool opportunity. Thank you for supporting the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing.

Scarlett Colado: My name is Scarlett Colado. They care, they want to see us succeed. I feel like our instructors really take out time to make sure that we understand the material. So I work in long term care, and I've been at my job for five years. And I love the geriatric population. They're amazing. But, as an LPN, I just don't feel like I have the scope of practice I would like, like as an RN, I could do so much more, and I do want to get more of a critical care background. My mom, she graduated high school and stuff, and she didn't go to college, but she's happy that like, my sister and I are both pursuing higher education, and she knew I was always going to be the person that like, I'm very talkative, and I like people, so I feel like this is just a career for me.

So I feel like this is the best school you could go to if you want to pursue nursing.

McKenzie Hendricks: Hi, my name is McKenzie Hendricks, and I've been with UPMC Shadyside at Harrisburg since August of 2022. It can be very, very hard, but with having supportive staff, such as our instructors and professors that we have throughout school, and the relationships and friendships that you make with people here, it makes it all really worth it, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience so far.

I just want to be able to do everything. I want to experience everything. I want to learn as much as I possibly can, and I'm excited to move forward with my career in nursing. Having COVID hit right whenever I graduated high school, it kind of sent everything into a spiral, and I didn't really know what I wanted to do.

So, having this as an option to be in an accelerated program and graduate faster, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Having our clinical experiences through UPMC, I've really enjoyed the staff and the units that we've been able to go. Oh, my mom and my grandma are very, very excited. They couldn't be more excited for me.

So, I know I'm making them proud, and I'm making myself proud. So, they're very happy.

Maggie: My name's Maggie, and I started in August of 2022 in the first class. What I love about the School of Nursing is I've been to school three times, college three times, and I've never felt more supported, never felt more encouraged, never had as much support as I do here.

So I feel like they really want you to succeed and develop and become the best nurse you can, and they really show that every day. For so many of us that have been in healthcare for a while, we get stuck in a facet of it and this allows us to branch out and just become more well rounded and experience new things and kind of have a long career, whereas before we were kind of stuck in one section of it.

You get to help people every day and you get to see the difference you make in people's lives and it's always really important and really rewarding.

Rafael Rodriguez: My name is Rafael Rodriguez. I've been part of the nursing program since August of 2022. What I love about this program is just the opportunities that it gives to every student. No matter what background you come in, they group us all together and use our strengths, find our weaknesses, and turn them into strengths. It's just been very family oriented, compared to other nursing schools that I've previously attended.

They really bring everybody together, help everybody to understand that we all need each other to really be successful in this program. It feels surreal, honestly, because it's like a buildup. You first start out as like a low level, not knowing anything.

And then honestly seeing your progression over time really helps you really understand what this program is about and, you know, what impact you're going to have with UPMC. What it means to me personally is making a significant impact and putting my stamp on the world. I know a lot of young adults are in this, especially in this time of day, are really trying to figure out who they want to be.

And being a nurse is just the best career I could think of. Because there's so many things that you could go to. You know, it's just not one set thing. There's many opportunities that you can use nursing for and make your impact in various ways. Yeah, I'm excited about working for the UPMC system. My mother actually works too as a nurse, so because her previous careers weren't really giving her that motivation.

And then once I seen her become a nurse, I seen her whole personality transition to someone that's very successful, someone that's inspiring and to someone that I want to be. People should support this school because not only are, you know, you want to see your investment. So a lot of people, when they invest something, they progressively want to see it grow.

And this is a program that's really trending in the right direction, not only in the healthcare field, but it's really bringing a lot of people together. This is just a new innovative way to, you get the community and get people back into nursing and find that spark again. Which is very important.

Caitlin Whyte (Host): As we end on Raphael's story of following in his mother's footsteps and finding his own path to nursing, we beautifully capture the transformative power of healthcare education. His journey reflects what we've heard throughout today's episode that UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing isn't just an institution, it's a community that nurtures growth, celebrates diversity, and turns weaknesses into strength.

Throughout our conversation today, we've heard how this program is more than just clinical training and textbooks. It's about building connections, supporting each other, and creating a family of healthcare professionals who lift each other up. Whether you're considering a career in nursing or simply seeking inspiration, these stories from UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing show us that it's never too late to make a difference, to find your calling or to, as Raphael puts it, put your stamp on the world.

Thank you for listening to today's episode. Learn more about the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at UPMC Harrisburg by following the link in our show notes and learn more about the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation at upmcpinnaclefoundation.org.

If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please consider liking, rating and reviewing In Their Words and help us continue to share these impactful stories. Until next time, be well.