Meet a student in the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing   

Q&A with a student in the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing

Senior English communication major Nikki Zaffiri-Boland, intern for the College’s Office of Public Relations & Marketing, had the opportunity to speak with junior Kurt Flinchbaugh about the positive and rewarding aspects of being a nursing major at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

NZB: Why did you decide to become a nursing major at Gwynedd-Mercy College?

KF: I wanted to become a nursing major because I truly wanted to have a positive impact on people’s lives on a one-on-one basis. I want to be able to raise the quality of a person’s life and nursing is one of the best ways I can think of to achieve this. And, I chose to major in nursing at Gwynedd-Mercy College because it felt like home. Everyone here has a sense of higher calling. People also deeply respect a nurse who has a Gwynedd-Mercy College education.

NZB: What is a typical day for a GMC nursing student?

KF: The only way to sum up a typical day is that it is challenging. The intensity of the program is the most difficult aspect. But the intensity is what prepares you to become a professional nurse. There is no easy way out of learning the material, and GMC fully prepares you for the future. For everything that you put into it, you get back three times as much. You truly will see the impact that you make in this field, and will be able to see the overall change in yourself as you progress. The challenge is worth every bit of the reward.

NZB: Which part of the nursing program do you enjoy the most?

KF: In my nursing classes I enjoy the competition between me and the test grades. In clinical, I enjoy being hands on with real patients and making a difference to them even while being a student nurse. The most rewarding thing I have done is progress my involvement from the most basic nursing scenarios to the most intense.

NZB: Are you involved with any working experiences in the nursing field outside of clinical?

KF: I am a registered nurse (RN) at Foundations Behavioral Health Center. In the future I would like to continue working with psychiatric patients, mostly in crisis adolescent behavioral health.

NZB: What do you do in your free time on or off campus?

I am involved on campus in the Student Activities Committee where I help to plan activities for students. Off campus, I am a personal trainer at the YMCA. I also help the occasional nursing student friend study for exams.

NZB: Do you have any advice for incoming nursing majors?

KF: No matter how tough the program is, always keep in mind the impact that you have and the yield you will receive. There are so many opportunities in Gwynedd-Mercy College’s nursing program. Take a deep breath and remember that 90 percent of the battle is mental and if you think you will succeed, you will. Also, don’t forget to laugh. Never take life too seriously, and remember that you are here to learn, but also to grow as a person.