Name: Claire Allen
Company: Franciscan Health Lafayette East
Position: Patient Care Coordinator
Graduation Year: 2012
Hometown: Lafayette, Indiana
WHY DID YOU BECOME A NURSE?
I became a nurse to satisfy my desire to help people and make a difference in this world. I can now die knowing I made an impact on this world and left it a little better than I found it.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ST. ELIZABETH SCHOOL OF NURSING?
I loved the process that St. Elizabeth School of Nursing put us through. Getting the clinical experience early on and being partnered with the hospital was really beneficial as I look back on my education. The hands on part of the education in the first semester of school is something you don’t get at the other nursing schools in the area.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY FROM NURSING SCHOOL?
My most treasured memory is the camaraderie between the nurses that I went to school with. St. Elizabeth is a small enough school that you very quickly develop a great support system and that shows through your education beyond graduation.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW NURSE?
I would encourage new nurses to understand what they are getting in to. Nursing is not glorious and most often, you as the nurse, don’t receive the glory but it is absolutely worth it in the end to make a difference and provide care and comfort to someone.
HOW DID ST. ELIZABETH SCHOOL OF NURSING PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?
The clinicals throughout my schooling really prepared me for my career but my preceptorship was the most beneficial. St. Elizabeth has the most extensive preceptorship in the area and the nurses that you are following encourage you to actually do the work and solve the problems. This helped me really experience the hospital setting and what to expect after graduation.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE FIELD AFTER YOU COMPLETED YOUR DEGREE?
I was a floor nurse on an inpatient medical floor and worked with patients who had medical, renal, and oncology care needs.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CURRENT POSITION?
I love my current job! There is a new challenge every day and it keeps me incredibly busy. I enjoy ensuring that the patients get the best care that they can and that the nurses feel supported and have the resources that they need.
WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST PART ABOUT BEING A NURSE?
The toughest part about being a nurse is seeing the situations that you cannot control. You have to be a control freak to be a nurse but situations will come along where you can’t control the outcome and those are the hardest.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT WORK?
Baking is my stress relief, I love to bake! I have a husband and 2 kids and I love spending time with them as well!