Jennifer Sneeringer, a student leader and now staff nurse at the renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recently shared her thoughts about her Villanova Nursing experience with candidates and parents. An excerpt of her speech is below.

Good morning prospective students, parents, faculty, administrators, and friends! It is a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to speak with you today about the exciting future that hopefully lies ahead of you here at Villanova. A nursing degree from Villanova University is a highly respected achievement, as evidenced by the hospitals that eagerly seek out and recruit our graduates. Given the nursing shortage that is currently occurring throughout the world, you have wisely chosen this profession and have guaranteed yourselves successful careers in professional nursing after graduation.

Looking back, when I finally made my decision to attend Villanova, I felt a great sense of relief and satisfaction. I knew that I had selected a university that was truly committed to standards of academic excellence and the overall health and well-being of its students. I also realized that I would soon become an active participant in the open and loving community of learners that has been established here at Villanova.

As I prepared for graduation in May of 2002, I was confident in the education that I had received to practice nursing in a professional environment. The study of nursing has shone an empowering and compassionate light upon my life. I stand before you today, overcome with gratitude to the College of Nursing and the University, for the personal and professional enrichment that I have been so fortunate to receive as a member of the Villanova community. Since July of 2002, I have been employed by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, working in Hematology Acute Care. In addition to my clinical responsibilities on our unit, I coordinate patient and family education and assist in the orientation of new nurses as a teacher, preceptor and peer counselor. I also participate in the monitoring of quality assurance practices, and have written articles and given presentations on various hematologic disorders. Having been a nurse for less than two years, I feel privileged to be entrusted with these responsibilities that have identified me as a leader on our unit.

Throughout my time spent at Villanova, I worked with knowledgeable faculty members who helped me to develop myself into the best nurse that I could be. I was challenged to recognize and live up to my potential to make a difference in my own life and the lives of others. Faculty members have always stressed the practice of holism, which involves consideration of all the varying aspects that compose an individual. In turn, this has stirred my daily, continuing efforts to provide fair and compassionate care to all of my patients. During my clinical rotations, I received medical-surgical, geriatric, psychiatric, intensive care, pediatric, maternal-child, and home health experience at highly reputable teaching institutions, which has given me the confidence to practice nursing in a variety of settings.

I strongly encourage you to make Villanova your "home away from home" for the next four years and take advantage of the limitless opportunities that lie ahead of you on this campus.

Jennifer R. Sneeringer, BSN, RN
BSN '02