TWC ARCHES Summer 2013

Throughout the last ten years, Tennessee Wesleyan
College’s Fort Sanders Nursing Department has graduated
more than 400 nurses whose TWC education has prepared them
for lives of significance, leadership, and service through a quality
baccalaureate nursing education.
Susan Blaine and Karee White joined the ranks of Tennessee
Wesleyan Nursing Alumni this past May when they graduated
with their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Graduating among
the top of their class, Blaine and White chose to continue their
nursing educations, entering into doctorate nursing programs at
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
One out of two recipients of UT’s Chancellor’s Honors
Scholarship for the College of Nursing, Blaine has chosen to
follow a PhD research path in her nursing career, hoping to use
her research to publish for the profession of nursing.
“I’ve always loved to teach,” said Blaine, who wants to teach at
the collegiate level and possibly transition into administration.
“I know there are gaps in the nursing literature, just from my
exposure to the literature in the BSN program. The body
of research available for nursing is not as extensive as it is for
doctors. That’s why that’s of interest to me. I want to contribute
to that body of knowledge.”
While Blaine’s professional goals are to contribute to the nursing
profession through research, White’s passion is direct patient care.
“I’m very much a people person, I love patient interaction,” said
White, one of three summer students in UT’s new Doctorate
in Nursing Practice program. “Nursing is a gift, it’s definitely a
calling. Early on I felt that calling and I think Susan did as well. I
believe that it’s important to serve others and I feel that through
nursing, it’s the best way I can serve.”
Blaine plans to focus her research on female victims of domestic
violence and abuse, and sees the differences between her and
White’s application of their nursing educations as two sides to
the same coin.
“Karee’s going through the front door, providing direct patient
care,” said Blaine. “I can help patients behind-the-scenes with
research. Nursing is an easy way to stay in touch with people and
to give back, to help other people. Even though I’m doing the
research and administrative side, there is no better feeling than
to leave a clinical site at the end of the day and know that some
of the things that you did that day are going to help the patient
have a better outcome. That makes it all worth it.”
Blaine and White have chosen to continue their nursing
educations because they believe the more exposure they have to
the research and educational spectrum of nursing, the stronger
impact they will have in their professional nursing roles.
“You’ll definitely see the best practice in nurses with higher
educations,” said White, who hopes to one day work in a rural
community with under-privileged patients or in a hospital setting.
“The big challenge today is that nurses are so busy with their
patient loads, frequently they don’t take that extra time to look
into research, so they’re not delivering the best patient care that
they could through evidence-based practices.”
As they prepare for the next three to four years in their doctorate
programs, Blaine and White are appreciative of their Tennessee
Wesleyan baccalaureate experience.
“I asked physicians where the
best nurses came from and they
told me I needed to go talk to
Tennessee Wesleyan. I found out
they were right.”
Susan Blaine
“I am so grateful to TWC,” said White. “The education was
superb. The professors and instructors were very knowledgeable
and personable. It’s an educational experience I know I won’t
find anywhere else.”
For Blaine, the college’s reputation in the East Tennessee
community is what solidified her decision to enroll in Tennessee
Wesleyan’s nursing program.
“I asked physicians where the best nurses came from and they
told me I needed to go talk to Tennessee Wesleyan,” said Blaine.
“I found out they were right. The education I got at Tennessee
Wesleyan was second to none. There is no better program. The
clinical experiences that we received at TWC were invaluable. I
really feel that you can’t place a value on a Tennessee Wesleyan
education. No matter how many additional degrees I receive from
other institutions, TWC will always be my home.” A
www.twcnet.edu 15
www.twcnet.edu 21