Pictured, front row: Madison Horton, Vanessa Murillo Vallejo, Liseth Nino; back row: Emily Hassenzahl, Eric Martindale, Emma Perkins, Angie Harrell, Erin LaCross, Carolyn Yoder.
University of Saint Francis senior nursing students made the start of their career plans official in the inaugural “Parkview Health Signing Day” on Tuesday, March 22, at the Doermer Family Center for Health Science Education.
Much like athletes announcing their next-level destination, USF seniors stepped in front of the cameras and made their commitments to join the team at Parkview Health in a variety of departments upon graduation.
Seniors who have finalized their plans with Parkview include Liseth Nino and Emma Perkins, who will both work in newborn intensive care; Madison Horton and Veronica Hare, who will both work in the emergency room; Vanessa Murillo Vallejo, who will work in surgical neuro-trauma intensive care; and Delaney Richard, who will work in behavioral health. Richard was unable to attend the signing event.
“We’ve wanted to do this for several years,” said Erin LaCross, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, Parkview Health Senior Vice President of Nursing Professional Development. “In athletics, people are familiar with athletes doing a signing day and formally declaring where they’re going to play at the next level. There’s not anything like that in nursing and we wanted to make that happen. It’s a fun way of showing family and friends where they’re committed.”
The students mentioned how excited they are to see their career aspirations coming into focus as they finish their final classes at USF.
“This was a really good time to get everyone together and celebrate,” Horton said. “It’s a great way to enter us into the real world—we’re one step closer to being done with school.”
“It makes us realize everything is happening now,” Nino said, “and in a couple of months we’ll be working as nurses.”
LaCross, who earned a master’s degree from USF, says she remains impressed with each class of nursing USF produces.
“Parkview Health and the University of Saint Francis have benefited from a longstanding, excellent relationship,” LaCross said. “We enjoy our nursing graduates from USF. We see the Franciscan values in action—compassion, empathy, caring for people where they are—and that’s very important and instilled upon graduates from day one here at Saint Francis.”
USF Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Carolyn Yoder expressed her excitement with the signing day event.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to have this connection with Parkview for our students launching into the profession,” Yoder said. “Education is a joint venture with our partners, so we’re very excited as our students begin their professional nursing careers in the local community. We hope to continue this annually.”