Caitlin Whyte (Host): In the heart of Pennsylvania, a new chapter in healthcare education was written in December, 2024, when the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at UPMC Harrisburg, celebrated a milestone; it's inaugural graduating class. These pioneering students embraced an intense 16-month journey, choosing an accelerated path that transformed them from aspiring caregivers into skilled healthcare professionals. Today on, In Their Words, we're honored to speak with Ta Liah Jones, who was chosen by her peers to be the voice of this historic first class. Selected as their graduation speaker, Ta Liah embodies the dedication, resilience, and passion that defines this program's graduates. Through her story, we'll explore the challenges and triumphs of this accelerated nursing program and discover what it means to be part of this groundbreaking first cohort at UPMC Harrisburg.

Join us as Ta Liah shares her personal journey from the demanding early morning clinical rotations, to the life changing moments that shaped her into the healthcare professional she is today. Her story is more than just one graduate's experience. It's a testament to the future of nursing education in central Pennsylvania.

Ta Liah Jones: Hi, my name is Ta Liah Jones. I am a nurse and I work at the Community Osteopathic Hospital. I am a nurse that works in the resource pool. Basically, that means that I go everywhere in the hospital. I do the med surge units. So every day is new. I don't know what's going to happen, but it's, that's what makes it exciting and I like that.  

One of the ways that Shadyside has prepared me to be a competent nurse is the practice of an assessment, being able to look at a patient and assess everything from head to toe and trying to pick out the abnormalities and then knowing what to do after that, who to inform and things like that.

So we had a lot of clinical practice and that's what really helped me become a very competent nurse.

Host: Throughout their intensive training, each student experiences moments that forever change their perspective on healthcare. For Ta Liah Jones, one particular encounter during her clinical rotation stands out. A moment that would redefine her understanding of what it truly means to be a nurse.

Ta Liah Jones: Yes, this is the time when I was in the emergency department. A patient came in when he was picked up. He was unresponsive and they did CPR, EMS did CPR. So by the time he came in, he had a very mild pulse and so I just watched the whole team just get together. They were ready for him when he came and just to be able to sit back and just be a fly on the wall and really witness how they worked as a team. They called out the different drugs that were needed, the different tasks that needed to be done, and they really communicated well with each other.

It was chaotic, but an organized chaotic because everyone was doing things at the same time. And that really made me realize, like, you know what, I really want to be a part of this. I really want to be a part of saving lives. And not only that, but also just advocating for this patient and doing all that we can to make sure they have the best care.

I recommend the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at Harrisburg because it really grew me to be a really good nurse. We had excellent staff there. Our clinical teachers, our professors that taught us the didactic, they did an awesome job. They really motivated us. They saw the potential in each and every one of us, and they really pushed us to do our best. And so that really wanted me, made me want to do my best as well. So I recommend this because of the staff.

So we have the loan forgiveness, and basically what that does, if you agree to do that, you're committing to the company for three years. It's a 20,000 grant and so basically what they do is they break it down to your bi weekly payments. And if you decide to leave, those payments stop and you don't have to pay anything back what is given is what you have and those funds can go towards your school loan.

The key skill I believe is necessary is knowing that you don't know everything. Knowing that you're continually learning every single day. And because of that, you would not be afraid to ask for help. You would not be afraid to ask questions. When you are in that state of knowing that, hey, I don't know everything, when you're around other people who have more answers than you, you won't be intimidated by that, but you'll be saying, you know what, I want to be on that level of knowledge, so then I will ask questions so that I can have a better understanding. So I think that that's a really good skill to have.

If you're interested in the medical field just look up the information. Every day we use our cell phones, our tablets, our laptops to gain information. Go on YouTube, take tests, even personality tests to gauge like where you can be and where you can succeed.

And then also talk to people. See if you can shadow. Just walk around in the hospital with them to see what they're doing, so you can get a firsthand experience with that and you can observe that. So just put yourself out there, do your research, look into it, ask questions, to see you know, if this is the right spot for you.

To tell you the truth, like, sometimes I wake up, I'm just like, am I really a nurse? Sometimes I think that, but I got to this spot because of the support that I have. I was a mother of four, I worked full time, and I'm in this accelerated program, and I had a really good support system, and that is what pushed me and drove me to do my best. And so now I'm here, standing here today before you, saying that I'm a nurse. I'm a nurse at UPMC, and I'm very proud of that.

Host: As we conclude our time with Ta Liah, we're reminded that the future of healthcare rests in the hands of dedicated professionals like her and her classmates. The inaugural class of UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at UPMC Harrisburg has set a powerful precedent for those who will follow in their footsteps. Their journey from students to healthcare professionals represents not just personal achievement, but a commitment to excellence in patient care that will benefit our community for years to come.

The UPMC Pinnacle Foundation is proud to support the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing and its mission. Through the support, they are able to invest in workforce development at UPMC in central PA, helping to shape the future of healthcare in our region while creating opportunities for dedicated individuals to pursue their calling in nursing. From all of us at UPMC in central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, thank you for joining us for this episode of, In Their Words.