Find out what a typical day looks like for one nursing student, Stacie Smith, at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing. Stacie shares how she learns, practices and stays motivated (beyond her caffeine intake) through her 16 to 18 hour days. Meet Stacie Smith, a student at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing who is nearing the end of her 20-month program. She’ll graduate in August 2018 with a BSN degree – and a desire to work in adult critical care. If you spend a few minutes talking with Stacie, it will soon become evident she’s smart, motivated, compassionate and hard-working, all traits that will help ensure an accomplished career.
But the best way to get to know Stacie may be to follow her around for a day or two, from lecture hall, to nursing unit, to mentoring sessions. Describing her life, Stacie says, succinctly, “I’m extremely busy.” Evidence suggests that’s true.
Gearing up: Stacie is out of bed by 6 a.m. and preparing for her hour-long commute to Goldfarb’s West Campus Site and neighboring Missouri Baptist Medical Center. If her day is going to include a clinical rotation, Stacie is up by 4 a.m.
In the lecture hall: On Wednesdays this term, Stacie is in her first class of the day by 8 a.m. Her Adult Health lecture runs until just after noon, with a few essential coffee breaks throughout. Stacie takes her caffeine straight: “I’m on a first-name basis with the staff of the nearby Starbucks.” Adult Health is followed by Leadership, which runs until 4:50 p.m. “There was a learning curve,” Stacie says, referring to the length and intensity of lectures. But she’s now “watching all the pieces come together,” as information from one class builds on what’s learned in another.
Hands-on learning: This semester, Stacie says clinicals have placed her on the 12th floor (neuro) at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and on 11400 (also neuro) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Her final term will introduce her to critical-care nursing. Clinical rotation includes observing the nursing team huddle, then shadowing a nurse involved in patient care. After each clinical is complete, she submits a self-evaluation. As Stacie nears the end of her degree program, she spends less time in lecture and more on the nursing floor, logging 13 hours weekly in a clinical setting.
Leadership in practice: Stacie is not just a student, she’s a teacher, too, serving as a student mentor and tutor. She meets with assigned mentees at least monthly for hour-long sessions. “I like working with new students, helping to calm their nerves by answering questions,” she says. Participating in a new Goldfarb program, Stacie also records tutor videos that dispense tips on how to succeed in lecture classes. And she is a Student Ambassador, which gives her networking opportunities on and off campus.
More experience: Stacie also holds down a part-time job, working as a patient care tech at Saint Luke’s Hospital on 8700, its surgical floor.
Winding down: At the end of her day on campus, Stacie makes time for a fitness class or a stress-reducing run. Dinner’s done by 7 p.m. or so; homework follows. Then it’s bed at 10 for a few hours before the alarm goes off.
Staying motivated: Stacie says her interest in nursing solidified when she was in high school. Her uncle, who was terminally ill with metastatic lung cancer, came to live with her family. And Stacie did what she could to help make him comfortable. “He used to tell me that if I was his nurse, he would live forever,” she says.
Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing offers three program options for Bachelor of Science in nursing degrees. The options are: a 20-month upper-division option for undergraduate transfer students, a 12-month accelerated option for students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and an RN to BSN online option for registered nurses seeking their bachelor’s. Goldfarb’s graduate and post-graduate degree options include a variety of Master of Science in Nursing concentrations and Doctorate of Nursing options. To learn more about Goldfarb’s academic programs visit www.BarnesJewishCollege.edu/Academics/Academic-Programs.
