Proud to Serve: USU Class of 2022 Nursing Graduates Reflect on Their Education
By Ian Neligh
Confidence and pride are two of the many shared themes among students graduating this year from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing (GSN).
As the graduates get ready for their May 21 graduation ceremony, four students took time to look back at their education and some of the important lessons they’ve learned along the way.
‘Confidence to Lead’
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| Army Maj. Mark Cenon, a family nurse practitioner student and the 2022 class president, takes part in USU's Bushmaster practicum, one of the most impactful experiences of his GSN education. (Photo credit: Army Maj. Mark Cenon) |
Students from the GSN and fourth-year medical students from USU’s School of Medicine learn about leadership and teamwork as they provide care to patients during mass casualty scenarios, under simulated mortar and gunfire attacks.
“I found it extremely helpful,” Cenon says. “Being in the military for about 10 years, I’ve been in the nursing role but I haven’t quite embraced the provider role, as of yet, and what Bushmaster offered was a chance to experience, in a more controlled setting, how it is to be a provider in a deployed environment — I love challenges and I loved that Bushmaster was challenging for me.”
Cenon adds the experience was impactful because it allowed him to use what he and the other students were learning in the classrooms. “Coming out of it and riding the bus home after the exercise I was like ‘wow, that was pretty incredible.’”
Navy Lt. Jeffery Nunez feels similarly to Cenon, noting the value of the hands-on experience he received while working on a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree with a focus on anesthesiology. He said during the three years of his schooling, the most impactful moment was moving from classroom instruction to his clinical residency training.
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| Air Force Maj. Christy-Anne Mitchell is graduating as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist from USU's GSN. (Photo credit: Air Force Maj. Christy Mitchell) |
Air Force Maj. Christy-Anne Mitchell, graduating as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, said her profound moment came while implementing her DNP project assessing the effectiveness of Adenosine Triphosphate technology to help detect bioburden on surgical instruments and prevent surgical site infections.
“This gave me experience and confidence to lead an organization at the unit level and also perform as an expert clinician who’s doctorally prepared,” says Mitchell. “It gave me confidence and also grew me as an officer to lead.”
Mitchell adds that, in her role as a staff nurse prior to attending USU, she would provide patient care on a one-to-one basis.
“Now, through the training at the Graduate School of Nursing I am trying to improve patient experiences and outcomes at a higher level,” Mitchell says. “We’re talking about veterans, we’re talking about active duty, their dependents and so it is more of a big impact… at the systems level, instead of patient to patient.”
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program student Navy Lt. Cmdr. Carla Graham says learning at the USU’s Val G. Hemming Simulation Center, which offers medical simulation training programs, was an important learning moment for her.
“These opportunities allowed us to interact with ‘patients’ who were actors and actresses,” says Graham. “They provided real-life scenarios for students and prepared us for seeing patients during our clinicals. Additionally, our instructors and peers always provided honest feedback to us, so that we could improve our patient care for next time.”
‘World-class Education’
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| Navy Lt. Jeffery Nunez took part in USU's Dive Medicine course in Key West, FL. Nunez is getting a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a focus on anesthesiology from USU's GSN. (Photo credit: Navy Lt. Jeffery Nunez) |
life as he becomes a medical provider charged with taking care of service members and their families.
“USU is just a wonderful place to learn, I think that all of the techniques that they’ve used, even though challenging for me at the time, have made me grow into this officer and provider that I am about to be,” Cenon says. “It is not just the learning and the technology and the world-class education it is also the inclusivity of the school and how they think about every single aspect of culture. I just felt welcomed at USU … from the very beginning until today.”
Mitchell says she most enjoyed building relationships with classmates and the faculty during her time at USU. Nunez echoes his sentiments and adds graduating feels like a new stage in his life, one in which he’ll bring the skills he gained with him into his future career.
“If you’re interested in coming into the program always be humble,” Mitchell says. “…Never give up, there will be trials and tribulations throughout the entire program … and if it is what you want — then you’ll get there.”
According to Graham, she’s been waiting to become a nurse practitioner for 20 years and enjoyed advancing her knowledge about the psychiatric-mental health field.
“I take pride that I earned my doctorate from an esteemed school,” says Graham. “I love that I have been able to specialize in a field that I love, mental health. I am proud to say that I graduated from USU.”
