When the COVID-19 pandemic struck five years ago, the nursing profession was thrust into the spotlight as one of the toughest jobs in the world.
The virus also played a role in Crestwood resident Destiny Robles’ decision to pursue a career in nursing, a field seeing increasing demand according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Robles enrolled in the nursing program at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills after a health scare related to residual COVID-19 complications when she was refused proper diagnostic testing while experiencing stroke-like symptoms.
“My blood pressure was shaking hands with the lord,” she said. “I had the thunder headache everyone talks about. Because I was 19 at the time, I was not going to be tested for stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack), which was very scary. I wanted to make sure other people would not have to go through that.”
Her career goal is to work in an intensive care unit, focusing on helping victims of sexual assault. But along the way, she’s also helping her peers, joining an effort to establish a new chapter of the National Student Nurses’ Association at the school. She’s now president of the new chapter.
Under the direction of nursing faculty member Jacinda Ross, four other students helped in establishing the chapter, which Ross said aims “to provide fellow nursing students with additional resources, emotional support and guidance.”
The National Student Nurses’ Association’s mission for its 50,000 members across the country is to mentor students preparing for licensure as registered nurses, and to convey relevant standards, ethics and skills, according to the NSNA website.
Moraine Valley chapter vice president Whitney Williams, of Maywood, worked for 13 years as a case manager and investigator for the Department of Children and Family Services. She said she considered the nursing field after witnessing a “huge need” for mental health and psychiatric care. Her goal is to work in psychiatric care.
Lilian Ebom, of Homewood, chapter secretary, saw her grandparents die in Nigeria from preventable asthma attacks because a hospital there expected upfront payment for treatment.
“Having that global perspective pushes me to do this work,” said Ebom, who once started a nonprofit organization to encourage young women and girls to go into healthcare. “That experience transfers into my passion toward supporting this chapter.”
Jacqueline Anderson, of Homewood, chapter treasurer, comes from a family of nurses and doctors.
When her grandfather was treated in an ICU for complications related to prostate cancer, she said the experience heightened her sense of what nurses do. Soon after, she became a certified nursing assistant and started working at South Suburban Hospital. Now, she’s fulfilling an externship as a nurse hired with her license pending.
The chapter officers expect to graduate this May. Despite displaying exceptional determination, all admitted that getting through MVCC’s nursing program has not been easy.
“I feel it’s really stressful,” said Anderson. “Being transparent about the stress and how we’re dealing with it is important. It helps people in the program to share what they’re going through and to support each other.”
“Nursing programs are notoriously rigorous and MVCC’s is no exception,” said Ross, their instructor. “It’s a lot to balance. Nursing school is very busy. In high school, they can retake tests. We don’t allow that.”
If necessary, students can retake courses, however.
“We do try to help them with time management, study techniques, test-taking tips,” Ross said.
Besides general education prerequisites in math, English and biology, the program covers psychology, human anatomy and physiology, microbiology and more.
Students must already be certified nursing assistants to enter the program, which means they must already know how to check a person’s vital signs, transfer them from a bed to wheelchair, help them stand and feed them.
They must also agree to a high standard of ethics and submit to background checks and vaccinations. As nurses, they must also carry liability insurance.
MVCC’s nursing labs at the Palos Hills and Blue Island campuses simulate higher levels of care, using high-fidelity mannequins that can simulate changes in blood pressure, heartbeat and oxygen levels. The mannequins can receive injections and tracheotomies, dilate their pupils, cough, cry, even simulate the birth process by releasing plastic fetuses.
From control rooms located behind one-way mirrors, nursing instructors can make the mannequins talk and respond in different ways to treatment.
“If a student forgets to attach a finger monitor to assess blood oxygen levels, those levels will fall until the student becomes aware,” Ross said. “We recreate scenarios so students can learn what they forgot or did wrong and adjust. This protects them and prevents patients from harm as well.”
Clinical rotations at area hospitals give the students the opportunity to assess and administer care to live patients.
When the students graduate as registered nurses, they can identify symptoms associated with medical conditions, Ross said. They can also assess whether a person is stable or may be in danger of dying.
“This program is hard,” said Anderson “The nursing degree is one of the hardest degrees to attain in the U.S. That makes me want to give as much support to this program as I can.”
The new NSNA chapter is expected to build a support network for students in MVCC’s five-semester program by connecting new students with upper classmen, who along with instructors, can offer emotional support and encouragement.
“I know in sororities and fraternities there are paring of little and big efforts in which you have a senior paired with a freshman,” Robles said. “This (program) is tough but it’s important to help people see, ‘You’re going to be OK, you’re going to get to the other side.’”
Instead of formal pairings, the chapter will establish opportunities for friendships to grow through community volunteer efforts such as blood drives, also by forming study groups, whether at school or through online meetings.
Another chapter goal is to create a closet with textbooks, extra pen lights and gently used uniforms, Robles said.
The chapter also plans to hold fundraisers involving the entire campus and family members with sales of donuts and other treats.
Funds raised will be used to help students with costs associated with the program. “Some students face challenges of being just out of high school and still living at home, and some are on their own and working but also with limited funds,” Ross said.
So far, 24 nursing students out of the 250 enrolled at MVCC’s Palos Hills and Blue Island campuses have joined the NSNA chapter. Over time, more are expected to join, officials said.
Susan DeGrane is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
