Interview with the new president, Doctor Sandie Soldwisch. Welcome to Student Organization Heather Homick and Brittany Long!

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1 Fall 2015 Saint Anthony College of Nursing Features This Month: Interview with the new president, Doctor Sandie Soldwisch Welcome to Student Organization Heather Homick and Brittany Long! Benefits of Volunteer Work Helpful Tips to Feel Prepared When Taking Your Midterms and ATI s Important Notes: Upcoming Events: Stay tuned for information about social events including the pumpkin patch or apple orchard and pumpkin carving contest! Volunteer Events Watch your s for upcoming volunteer opportunities! Blood Drive is September 28 th There is still time to sign up and help your class win the pizza party! We d love your help Contact your class representatives with any future ideas regarding social or volunteer events. We d love to head your ideas!!

2 Interview with Our New President, Doctor Sandie Soldwisch Tell me a little about yourself? I am single and do not have any children but I was a foster parent to three children; two teenagers and one younger child for several years What brought you to Saint Anthony College? I was looking for a position where I could feel comfortable and continue my own career trajectory. I worked as a Dean for many years and loved that role! I also worked as a provost at a college. So, I saw the role at Saint Anthony College as being one where I had the opportunity to do many of the same things I had been doing but take on more. When I came to interview at Saint Anthony College there was a very strong feeling of commitment, Christian, and excellence for education which pulled at my heart and said this is where you need to go next! Where did you work before coming to the college? Resurrection University which is in Chicago and is a private Christian, hospital-system affiliated college. So, it was nursing and had a health informatics program and then I helped to develop a school of radiography that will be starting this fall! Do you have a nursing degree? Yes I do! I obtained my nursing in a diploma program at Illinois Masonic in Chicago. From there I went to Lewis University which is another Catholic affiliated institution. For my bachelors, masters and doctorate and the nurse practitioner program I was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Did you work as a nurse? Oh, absolutely! I started life as a nurse as a home health nurse where I worked for a private family and managed not only the senior woman s health but I also managed all of the staff that worked for her. This job lasted about a year. From there, I went to a small community hospital and worked in the intensive care unit (ICU), critical care unit (CCU), and medical-surgical units. I also did a little bit of infection control and education for the ICU staff because they did not have educators. This was the position that led me to really enjoy teaching. I also worked as a flight nurse when I was at the

3 University of Wisconsin and as an athletic nurse. This is one of the most wonderful things about nursing; you can always do something different until you find what is really important to you at that particular stage in your life. What kind of things do you enjoy doing in your free time? I love to travel! I love to pay attention to nature. I have been working on a degree in landscape architecture in particular focusing on healing gardens because I think these are extremely important. Nature has a huge effect on me! Do you have any advice for the student body? Be positive and always be yourself! Students come here because they want to become a nurse but they really want to become a good, strong, Christian, ethicsdriven, knowledge-driven nurse and sometimes along the way it becomes very stressful as a student. So, sometimes you need to step back, do a little bit of a reflection and take a little bit of a break to get your energy back and just be yourself; be that person that was driven here in the first place. And be positive for each other. Hopefully the faculty are doing this for the students as well. Tell me something about yourself that everyone might be surprised to know? I was arrested for bank robbery! The type of car I was driving was the same as the car involved in the bank robbery. I had been working nights that night and was leaving work early in the morning and was pulled over approximately two and a half miles from the bank. I spent the next two to three hours in jail before they decided I was not the bank robber. Anything else you would like to share? I m really happy to be here! I think it s a wonderful school! It s a hidden gem and I don t think enough people know about this school; how wonderful the program is, how great the faculty are and how wonderful the students are and how very successful they are, not only while in school but when they re in their profession for the rest of their lives. We need to get those words out! So for me it s really a joy to be here!

4 Interviews with the Newest Student Organization Members: Vice President: Heather Homick, Junior II My name is Heather Homick and I am currently a Junior 2. I am a mother of a 4 year old boy and am engaged to be married (after school of course). I moved to Illinois almost 6 years ago from New York. I initially got into nursing with the mindset that I would go into pediatrics somehow, someway. I can really see myself in PICU or Peds oncology. It has always been a dream of mine to work at St. Jude's Children Hospital. Although, I'm in love with my current mom/baby rotation, so who knows what the future holds... I do see myself furthering my education after my bachelor's degree here at SACN, again not totally sure of what direction I will take. I chose nursing because I just know that it is what I wanted to do and is my calling. I love the patient interaction and being able to make a difference in someone's life. You always remember the nurse that made you smile. Other than that, I am pretty boring. When I'm not in school, I'm spending time with my son. If it's "me time", you can find me outdoors fishing, hiking, or trying my new venture of bow hunting. I try to appreciate each day that I wake up to because I know it is a gift denied to many. Junior I Representative: Brittany Long I am getting married this Friday evening to my fiancé Brandon, and we will be having a renewal of vows with our whole extended family and friends this summer! We have a daughter, Thea, who is almost 6 months old. I received my Bachelor's degree in biology and psychology with a chemistry minor from UW-La Crosse in Since then I have been working as a nurse assistant at the UW Hospital and American Family Children's Hospital. I am interested in working as a nurse in the pediatric ICU. I love working with children of all ages, and in the PICU we see patients from day of life until up to 21 years old.

5 Nursing was not my first career choice, I applied to eight PA schools after college; however, my experiences in the PICU made me realize nursing was my passion and I aspired to be like the nurses I worked alongside. Nursing is way more than just fixing the problem, it is caring for and forming relationships with patients and their families; and that is what I love. One last fact: My favorite patients to work with and learn about are diaphragmatic hernias. Benefits of Volunteer Work: Not only do volunteer events look great on a resume but they may also be required in order to apply for many nursing positions. Volunteer work also offers many benefits: Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills Volunteering increases self-confidence: when doing good for others in the community it gives you a sense of pride and identity and allows you to develop a positive view of your life and future goals Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy: studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate Volunteering can help you develop skills used in the workplace such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, task management, and organization Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to life by allowing you to develop creativity, motivation and vision that can carry over into both your personal and professional life. So, what are you waiting for? Become an active volunteer!!!

6 Helpful Tips While Preparing for Upcoming Midterms and ATIs: With ATIs and midterms just around the corner you may be feeling the stress of it all. Here are some tips to help you keep your sanity and make it to the second half of the semester! Start studying ahead of time. Don t cram studying the night before! Make a plan! Scheduling chunks of time to cover certain material will help you stay organized and assure you are covering all of the material Read your ATI books! Make sure you are keeping up with your ATI readings! Do lots of practice test! There are multiple resources to practice your test taking skills and identify areas for needed improvement including the ATI website, Evolve, NCLEX-3500, and your ATI textbooks. Take a brain break by getting up and going for a 5 minute walk. This will help clear your mind and allow you to refocus! Also, exercise is the key to stress relief! Limit the caffeine intake! Drinks with caffeine such as soda and coffee can actually hinder a student more than they help Avoid fast, sugary, processed snacks and foods as they will make you feel sluggish, tired and lack energy. The day of your exams: Remember to get a full night s sleep the night before the exam Eat a breakfast full of protein to sustain energy Drink plenty of water Allow yourself plenty of time driving to school

7 When you start the exam: Remember to breathe! Be confident in what you know! Don t add more to the questions Go with your first answer! Good luck on mid-terms and ATIs everyone!!!!