What do you want most out of a nursing program? If you are looking for a program that provides you the chance to make a difference, a faith-based nursing program may be a great fit for you. Focused on caring for the whole patient – mind, body, and soul – a faith-based education makes sure you are emotionally prepared to take on all aspects of the nursing field.
Being a student in Marian University’s second-degree Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program means you’ll learn how to not only care for your patients, but also how you can touch their lives in an unforgettable way.
The majority of our ABSN students can recall a time when a nurse made a positive impact on their lives. It may have been a labor and delivery coach who walked them through child-birth, or the hospice nurse who showed compassion and support as they said goodbye to a passing loved one.
Despite the situation, many students agree that watching a nurse in action is what inspired them to join the profession and give back in the same way.
For example, Lindsay Degnan, a 2015 ABSN graduate who is now a Saint Thomas Health nurse, said she went into nursing because she loved the interactions she had with the hospice nurses who cared for her grandmother before she passed.
If you’re ready to answer a higher call and incorporate it into your professional practice, Marian University’s ABSN program may be the right path for you.
Values-Based from the Beginning
Marian University’s curriculum is steeped in mission and values to help make you a better nurse, as well as prepare you for the joys and challenges that patients and their families face. Being a Catholic institution, our nursing students earn an ABSN degree that is complemented with Franciscan values.
Before entering a clinical setting with real patients, our students use high fidelity manikins and advanced teaching technologies to practice clinical procedures in a risk-free environment. Our nurses learn the practical skills and acumen to perform on the job, but are also guided with a deeper purpose centered around dignity of the individual, peace and justice, reconciliation and responsible stewardship.
Marian University partners with St. Vincent in Indianapolis, and Saint Thomas Health in Nashville, and both hospitals are a part of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and not-for-profit healthcare company. Through 765 hours of hands-on learning during clinical rotations, nursing students are immersed in environments that foster missions and values centered on faith-based nursing.
“It was encouraging to me that [Marian University] was affiliated with a faith-based hospital,” said Allison Clark, a Marian University ABSN graduate. “I knew it was in line with my values and I didn’t have to be afraid to be who I am.”
Allison is one of many students who value the fact that Marian University is a faith-based institution.
Kathy Rowland, a 2016 ABSN graduate said it resonates with her because she firmly believes “you are called to be a nurse.”
What Faith-Based Nursing Looks Like On the Job
If you’re still wondering how a faith-based nursing education translates in the workplace, there are several ways in which learning to provide holistic care can directly influence your work as a nurse.
Treating patients with compassion
Being task oriented is not a bad trait to have as a nurse, but when you’re more focused on the task than on the person you’re caring for, it can make a patient feel as though they are just a number. Sure, you’ll be responsible for completing many tasks as a nurse, sometimes more than there seems to be time for. Marian University ABSN students are taught to be mindful of their demeanor to appear less rushed, and to help patients feel more relaxed and trusting.
Turning duties into privileges
From caring for patients, to assisting your fellow nurses and doctors, to interacting with family members, a nurse’s duties can run the gamut. During the hands-on skills and simulation labs, you will participate in role play and various scenarios to learn the dynamics of nursing from the perspective of the nurse, patient, and the patient’s loved ones.
Understanding how various parties feel when a patient is being cared for will help you find a good balance to meet the demands of your practice while still providing attentive, compassionate, and quality care to your patients. Instead of looking at these duties as tasks that come with the title, a Marian University nurse will know how to alter their perspective and see them as ways to serve a higher calling.
Making the most of your time with a patient
To be honest, being a nurse is not easy. It can be taxing on your physical, mental, and emotional health. In our ABSN program, you will learn how to turn the tough moments into moments that remind you of why you chose nursing to begin with. How? By emphasizing the importance of building relationships with your patients. You will learn to not focus solely on how much time you spend caring for a patient, but to focus on how you spend that time.
Our students are not just clinically competent, but they are also taught to use a full range of skills to become transformational leaders in the field of nursing. If you are ready to gain a top-notch, faith-based nursing education that offers flexible courses, a staff dedicated to your success, and a 16-month accelerated path to becoming a nurse, contact an admissions advisor today.