PITTSBURG, Kan. — Even before graduating, students in the Pittsburg State University School of Nursing are making a difference in the world.
During Friday’s Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing Nurse Pinning Ceremony, PSU School of Nursing Director Dr. Amy Hite welcomed a young girl, Jenna Hooper, to the stage for a special presentation honoring the efforts of one of its students, Liv Golden.
“A few weeks ago, Jenna’s mother called to share a heartfelt and tearful story,” said Hite. “But what stood out were her words. PSU is raising the best nurses. Liv (Golden) being one of them. She asked how to get tickets to attend pinning and surprise Liv. Liv works as a tech at Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Jenna was admitted for a very serious and scary condition. During the hours of testing, Liv provided comfort for Jenna and her family.
“From their first encounter and Liv saying, ‘I’m your girl from now on,’ she provided basic supplies and cared for the entire family while easing the anxiety of medical tests and scary procedures for Jenna. She was the first person to ask ‘Mrs. Hooper, how are you?’ and provide extra pediatric towels to shower because if you’ve ever been in a pediatric ward, the towels are a little smaller than what most adults think … On Good Friday, the Hooper family received the best news they could; Jenna had a clean bill of health.”
Liv and Hooper embraced each other during the remarks as tears flowed down their faces before Hite handed the microphone to Hooper, who expressed her appreciation for Liv.
“Thank you Liv for being the best nurse I ever had,” she said. “I’m glad you were there even though I didn’t want to be there. You touched me really well and I’ll never forget it. Thanks for not just taking care of my health, but taking care of me. Liv, your hard work and everyone’s prayers, I am completely healed. Keep letting God use your hands to help others and Go Rillas!”
Along with the recognition, friends, family, and alumni filled the upper and lower levels of the Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts for the annual pinning ceremony, which marked its 54th year.
It was a historic year for the program as this year’s graduating class was the largest in its history with 131 graduates; 91 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, 12 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), four Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and 24 RN to BSN for a total of 4,657 nursing degrees since the program’s inception in 1973.
Through the ceremony, graduates step up to the stage where they are pinned by a parent, grandparent, kid, or sibling. Those recognized during the ceremony were students going from MSN to DNP Advanced Practice; BSN to DNP Advanced Practice; MSN Leadership; RN to BSN; and Pre-Licensure BSN.
The event featured speakers such as PSU College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Chris Childers, PSU Associate Vice President/Dean of Students Jon Bartlow, and, of course, PSU President Thomas Newsom who said, ’thank you,’ to all the students and shared a personal story about an appendectomy two years ago.
“I just want to say in advance, thank you,” he said. “… You may not be told that often enough in your profession, in your future and as you are nurses that self-support people when they are in their time of most need … Recently, I had a dramatic period where I was rushed to the hospital to have an emergency appendectomy about two years ago and for a 55-plus-year-old man to have his first-ever experience in a hospital other than to see his children born and visit people was pretty tough.
“I can tell you that the one thing I remember about that experience other than some pain and agony and quite honestly some fear, was that my nurse’s name was Kylie. I can’t tell you my doctor’s names, I can’t tell you who the person that checked me into the emergency room or helped me get to the operating room or other people that helped me during that time. But I can tell you the nurse that helped me, her name was Kylie.
“I remember her because in my time of need and in my family’s time of need during that very difficult situation, she’s the one that came to our aid. She’s the one that built a relationship very quickly that made me feel at ease and made me feel comfortable and made that experience the best it could be … You’re going to be the person that’s going to be their strength for themselves and their families. You’re going to be the person that’s going to help them get through that moment of time when they are their most vulnerable. So, thank you for that.”
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.
