The Student Professional Development Center in collaboration with the Department of Nursing hosted an inaugural Nursing Career Day on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The Student Professional Development Center in collaboration with the Department of Nursing hosted an inaugural Nursing Career Day on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at the Gerald L. Francis Center.
This event brought four health care systems – Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health, Duke Health and Novant Health – to the Francis Center to connect with the 29 students enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program with the first class graduating in December 2022.
Representatives from the health care systems were welcomed by Anthony Lester, program assistant for the Department of Nursing, through a personalized tour of the School of Health Sciences with special highlights of the virtual reality space, high-fidelity mannequins and additional classroom and lab space throughout the building.
Then, over lunch, an overall welcome to the hospitals was provided by Tiffany Morris, inaugural chair of the Department of Nursing. Morris gave highlights of the ABSN program and how excited the first cohort of graduates are feeling about entering the workforce. The Nursing Career Day continued with each health care system providing 15-minute overviews to the students including information about the roles available, and the culture, values, and standards of each system.
Travis Wright, a talent acquisition campus recruiter with Novant Health said, “The nursing career day allowed Novant Health to give a face-to-face overview of our accredited with distinction nurse residency program, answer questions, and socialize with the students. This is a huge win for Elon University, the nursing students and all of the acute care hospitals that were able to attend.”
Katelyn Perez, a current ABSN student, said, “Nursing goes beyond just a job title. A nurse understands the power of patience and compassion as they embark on a journey alongside their patients during the most challenging or joyous times of their life. I know that my learning does not stop here but will continue throughout my career to allow me to better serve my community.”
The event concluded with students networking directly with the health care system representatives which allowed for a personalized touch where the students could get their questions directly answered.
Kristin Walker, associate director of employer experience and technology in the Student Professional Development Center, said, “It was great to see both health care system representatives and students eager to connect about future opportunities. We are excited for Elon nursing graduates to join the workforce at these and other health care systems.”