Adapted address by Vicky Kirkton, director of nursing
Against the backdrop of a nation at war and within the theological
context of a peace church, Mennonites began to discuss the need
for church-based baccalaureate nursing education in the early 1940s.
In June of 1941, a hospital committee was appointed by the Mennonite
Board of Missions and Charities to undertake a study of the needs
for a bachelor of science degree program in nursing. This study
started a chain of events which eventually culminated in the establishment
of the School of Nursing at Goshen College.
Initially, the committee looked at the possibility of building a
Mennonite hospital in Elkhart County that would provide the needed
clinical facilities for a baccalaureate education. The committee
studying the hospital-based education model had several goals: to
train nurses who were professionally competent, with skills equal
to those of nurses trained at secular schools; to provide a setting
where students’ Christian spiritual lives were nurtured; and
to provide more Mennonite nurses for overseas and in-country mission
work.
In February 1949 a decision was made to open a collegiate nursing
school at Goshen College. The first students were admitted to the
clinical aspects of the nursing curriculum on Aug. 14, 1950, at
Goshen College – the first college or university in the State
of Indiana to establish a baccalaureate program.
And now, here we are in 2003, celebrating the 50-year anniversary
of the first graduating class of nurses with a bachelor of science
in nursing degree from Goshen College. The Class of 2003 is the
“golden class” – what an honor; I congratulate
each of you for that.
As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of nursing education at Goshen
College, the planning committee has asked alumni (over 1,600 of
them) how their nursing education experience at Goshen College has
impacted them personally and professionally in their community and
in the world.
Of the first 100 responses we have received, here are some of their
answers:
From 1953 …
“Being in the first class was exciting! Everyone
was so helpful and anxious to see us succeed – faculty, doctors
and staff at Elkhart General Hospital. The times we spent in prayer
before starting work at the hospital put our work in proper perspective.
The whole experience was amazing and had a positive impact on my
life. Nursing was my mission field.”
From 1954 …
“I have read that people of my age group
are the 'good times generation' because a woman with a college degree
in 1954 had opportunities. I found this to be true. I was pursued
for interesting positions because of the B.S.N. Because of the fine
training at Goshen College School of Nursing I was able to enjoy
the challenges and the tasks that the staff, the clients and the
professionals presented."
From 1957 …
Culture for Service' has always stuck with me and
I have worked with low income people for the last 22 years and feel
like that is where I can contribute the most.”
From the 1960s …
“I have always appreciated the motto ‘Culture
for Service,’ which has also been my personal goal in nursing,
in my family and in my church and community. I feel that being a
servant is Christ’s admonition to us, and I appreciate the
education I received at Goshen toward that end.”
“Goshen College was instrumental in assisting me
to live out my faith commitment in the world. It helps me see my
small part in being in the Kingdom of God! My life has been as involved
in spiritual journeys as in the nursing profession. I am deeply
grateful for the wonderful preparation in nursing education that
I received at Goshen, as I am deeply grateful for the liberal arts
preparation in Bible, fine arts, history, etc.
“[My education] taught me how to problem solve.
It taught me how to communicate with patients, how to listen, how
to teach my patients. It taught me to accept my patients for who
they are, respecting their individual cultures and beliefs. It taught
me how to know myself.”
From the 1970s …
“Nursing education at Goshen College instilled
in me the love of learning and the ability to see patients as whole
persons. I continue to pursue education to learn more about holistic
care of patients and self.”
“I view my education at Goshen College as
having paved the way for me professionally in providing leadership
training, critical thinking skills and a well-rounded liberal arts
background. I am thankful that I was motivated to get my B.S.N.
from the beginning. GC’s emphasis on service and world view
was also a great benefit.”
From 1985 …
“Along with the strong base of clinical skills,
the training I received at GC provided me with a well-rounded education,
the ability to write well, to think for myself and to live my life
following the example of Jesus Christ.”
“I am equipped to think outside the box and
be a life-long learner. I especially appreciate the cross-cultural
sensitivity I gained there.”
From the 1990s …
“The education I got was excellent. The concept
of holistic care is still the only way to approach things. I work
with a lot of people who do not understand this concept as well.
I feel like it has made me a more compassionate and understanding
person.”
“I am always concerned about giving culturally sensitive
nursing care to the occupational health clients I serve.”
From 2001 …
“There is nothing better than waking up every
morning knowing you love what you do. I am able to take control
of situations and to relate to my patients and families using tools
I gained at Goshen College.”
While reading all the wonderful things nursing graduates are
writing about the program I kept thinking that the themes would
change. Yet even as the nursing profession and the health care
arena certainly have and will always change, the themes continue
to be the same for graduates of each decade.
From the Class of 2003 …
“I have learned to question God in a way
that I never would have imagined. While some may see this as a weakness,
the process of questioning has always brought me closer to God than
I was before. Through working on an oncology unit, I have been forced
to examine the idea of death in a real way. I have been forced to
question what it means for a young person to die from cancer. Through
these times, I have been forced to question what it means for me
to have a ‘faith that is active and reflective.’”
“Study-Service Term helped me not only learn
how to physically adapt to a different situation, but I also learned
how to adapt and embrace a culture very different than my own.”
“I have been blessed with dear friends who
I have met at Goshen College who, through their words, experiences
and by simply living their lives, have demonstrated an active and
reflective faith that has deeply impacted my faith.”
“Just wanted to share with you an experience I
had in leadership already that made me smile. I had a Spanish-speaking
patient – lots of family around and only the daughter spoke
English. The mother and sister came from Mexico to be with the patient.
I was able to communicate enough with the patient and family –
I am sure I butchered the language and they were very patient with
me. I did obtain a food menu in Spanish which no one had done, even
though this person had been a patient for 16 days. I discharged
him tonight. He kept thanking me and telling me how much he appreciated
all of my help. I took him to the main entrance in a wheelchair
and as soon as the car pulled up the patient and family member gave
me a hug. His mother was in tears as she hugged me. As I walked
back to the unit, I couldn’t help but think that this is what
it is all about … [caring for] one patient at a time. I made
a difference to this family in the two nights I cared for their
loved one. I am so glad I am getting a bachelor’s degree and
I am so glad I have had Spanish and the cultural classes. I know
I will make mistakes and I know I will get frustrated, but it is
nights like this that make it all worth it.”
“I am so glad I chose Goshen. I do not believe
I would have ‘survived’ in a class of 50. I just want
to say thank you for allowing me to grow and realize my goals.”
“I now feel an overwhelming responsibility to
reach out to those that are impoverished. I was not aware of this
desire until I was in my Public and Community Health nursing classes
and in my Health Care Ethics class. There are an unbelievable number
of people in the world that do not have access to health care, including
in the United States. I feel that since I have this knowledge, it
is my responsibility to educate others and to find ways to make
health care more accessible to everyone.”
“Many of the nursing professors use statements about
spirituality in the classroom, and even open class times
with prayer and a time for prayer requests. I appreciate this act
of Christian faith and love as demonstrated by my professors. I
also believe that through seeing their examples I can carry these
same ideals with me into the workplace.”
“My SST alternative courses focused on the influence
of religion for many people. We have a mind, body and a
spirit and all three must be cared for. Caring for spiritual needs
means caring for the whole person, accepting their beliefs and experiences
and helping them with issues surrounding meaning and hope.”
While I was working on this speech, the phone rang in my office
– it was a member of my church and he was calling about one
of our Goshen College senior nurses who was caring for his mother-in-law.
He wanted me to know that she had given excellent nursing care and
that she was the bright spot in a most difficult hospitalization
situation. He said, “She listens to us and is providing excellent
nursing care and I thought you should know.”
In the comments from our graduating seniors, the themes and values
that have been integrated into their education are very similar
to those nursing graduates from the past 50 years. They are:
' critical thinking;
' cultural awareness;
' faith that is active and reflective;
' holistic nursing care;
' excellence in nursing education; and
' Christ-centered education
As a nurse educator I know that there are 2.5 million nurses and
that half of the nursing workforce is retiring in 10 years. So how
can our graduates impact that demand? You can make a difference
by providing culturally sensitive, quality patient care and contribute
to the nursing profession through your collaborative efforts and
leadership skills. Your commitment to holistic nursing care will
impact each patient you care for – one at a time.
You each know the rapid changes that are occurring in the health
care system and the many challenges ahead. The health care system
of today is doing surgery by robotics and utilizing stem cells to
prevent and/or cure disease. We are doing health examination by
fiber optics and telecommunication.
But the need for excellent, holistic care by Goshen College graduates
continues to be essential for the future!
To the nursing graduates – the health care system you are
entering is a much different world than the one our eight graduates
50 years ago entered. It is a highly technological world with numerous
ethical dilemmas. It is an exciting – but sometimes frightening
– place to be. You will be faced with professional decisions,
mandatory overtime, collective bargaining, whistle-blowing activities,
quality of care issues, health care access issues and many more.
The Goshen College faculty feel that you are ready for the challenges,
and we know you will make a significant contribution to the health
care arena of the future and the nursing profession.
We expect you to demonstrate knowledge and skills that are exemplary,
we expect you to continue learning throughout your life. Some of
you will be nurse practitioners and professors. Some of you may
publish articles or work with the underserved in other countries.
Our desire is that you will provide culturally sensitive holistic
care and live a life that is Christ-centered. As the nursing faculty
did for the first graduating class, we expect great things from
you, the golden class of 2003.
Vicky Kirkton studied to become a registered nurse at Mennonite
Hospital School of Nursing, and then earned a bachelor of science
degree in nursing from Goshen College in 1973. She completed a
masters degree at Ball State University and moved into nursing
education, joining the GC faculty in 1998. Active in local and
state nursing and healthcare-related organizations, Kirkton is
president of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education in Indiana,
a six-year member of the political action committee of the Indiana
State
