The Lienhard School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions held its Alumni Panel Discussion last week on Wednesday as part of its 50 Anniversary celebration throughout the semester. Though the college changed to the College of Health Professions after expanding beyond nursing programs, Lienhard has a rich history of undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

The panel, which took place during the senior nursing class Transition into Professional Nursing, had three Lienhard alumni discuss their experiences in the school and working in the field.

Dean of Lienhard and the College of Health Professions Dr. Harriet R. Feldman moderated the discussion. It featured Bonnie Corbett, the Vice President of Patient Services at Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor; Lauren Johnston, the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.; and Audrey Murphy, the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Hackensack University Medical Center (UMC) in New Jersey.

All three women obtained nursing degrees from Pace, and all went above and beyond the baccalaureate level to earn various graduate degrees and high level administrative positions

The audience at Lienhard Lecture Hall consisted mainly of senior nursing majors, students in the one-year accelerated nursing program (ABSN), and graduate students. However, the event was open to any student or faculty interested.

The speakers began by explaining their own experiences with Lienhard, careers in nursing, and their views on the importance of the nursing degree.

“Nursing is a wonderful degree…If you don’t have health or clinical background, it’s very hard to work in legal ,” said Murphy regarding her current career to maintain the risk management and regulations for Hackensack UMC. Murphy received both her nursing degrees and law degree from Pace.

Corbett reminded students, many of whom have had at least one clinical rotation at Hudson Valley Hospital, to always remember the most important part of nursing: the patients.

“Care for the patients. Essence of nursing: the patient is at the center of what you do,” Corbett said, and later on advised nursing students to remain life-long learners for the field.

Johnston, who runs the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp as VP and CNO, told students to find any experience within the healthcare continuum. She suggested internships, externships, volunteering, or working at least one shift a week or month during the school year to gain experience in healthcare and with patients.

Before opening the floor for questions, the alumni discussed the changes in nursing since they received their nursing degrees.

They spoke about better patient safety, less medical errors, more consolidations of hospitals, shorter hospital visits, more home and ambulatory care, and more Evidence Based Practice (EBP) used and valued in healthcare.

Evidence Based Practice uses the best practices based on clinical evidence for patient care according to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. At Lienhard, all undergraduate students are required to take Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research, and much of the Lienhard curriculum, if not all, revolves around EBP nursing.

To end the panel, the Lienhard alumni offered advice for the soon-to-be graduating students.

The alumni advised new nurses to allow little time in between passing their nursing licensure exams (NCLEX) and finding a job, to be flexible for first jobs, get in touch with Human Resources (HR) departments, go to hospitals’ open houses, gain experience, have compassion towards patients, and, if necessary, to settle on a first job that is not perfect.

The alumni said they have found many students have set ideas about what specialty they want or refuse to work nights or weekends. To them, the first job can be a stepping-stone, and Feldman shared her personal experience where she originally wanted to go into pediatric nursing but ended up in medical nursing, which she loved.

“I like how she [Feldman] said that 90 percent of Pace BSN students who take their NCLEX are hired within six months after graduation,” senior nursing major Stephanie Fung said.

A nurse graduate student who graduated in May 2015 also commented that she and her close friends all currently have jobs in hospitals after passing the NCLEX.

Overall, the panel successfully highlighted Lienhard’s past, present, and future in healthcare and nursing.

Future events for the 50 Anniversary coming up soon include the College of Health Professions Scholarship Day on Tues., Apr. 19 at 4 p.m. and a tree planting ceremony in front of the new residence hall, Elm Hall, on Tues., Apr 26 at 3:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the official Lienhard School of Nursing 50 Anniversary page at lienhard50.pace.edu